A first description of the karyotype of Acomys cilicicus from a site i
n close proximity to the type locality is presented. The diploid numbe
r was found to equal 36. The karyotype consists of 16 pairs of meta-/s
ubmetacentric and one pair of acrocentric autosomes (NFa=66). The X ch
romosome is large and subtelocentric whereas the Y is the smallest ele
ment in the set and acrocentric. C-banding revealed that the short arm
of the X is wholly heterochromatic and is likely to have resulted fro
m amplification of a centrometic heterochromatin segment. Karyosystema
tic relations of A. cilicicus to other members of the cahirinus-dimidi
atus group are discussed.