COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE -SYSTEM AND SPERMATOZOA IN CRICETINES FROM PERUVIAN AMAZONIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR TAXONOMY AND RELATIONSHIPS

Description of male accessory glands, glans penis, bacula and spermato zoa for 175 adult cricetines from 2 localities of Peruvian Amazonia be longing to 11 species from 7 genera and 2 tribes (Oryzomyini and Sigmo dontini) is given. These structures appear to be very similar. Some di fferences in size, proportion and form of vesicular, ampullary, bulbo- urethral, preputial and prostate glands probably do not reflect taxono mic specificity, but are related to the individual and physiological s tate of generative system. The differences in size and distribution of spines on the glaris penis surface in Oryzomys s.l. (5 species) and N eacomys (2 species) comparing with S. ucayalensis and N. squamipes and N. brasiliensis arose independently, thus their use in taxonomy of cr icetines from Peruvian Amazonia is restricted. Despite the structural uniformity of bacula, some species specific traits have been found. By their size, proportions and structural details it is possible to iden tify species of small rice (O. microtis, O. trinitatis, O. capito, O. macconnelli, O. yunganus) and morphologycally very similar thorny N. s pinosus, Neacomys sp. cricetines as well as larger species (N. squamip es and N. brasiliensis). The spermatozoon head in 9 species resembles in shape a battle-axe. Under the acrosome part in N. squamipes and N. brasiliensis there is a notch which is practically not present in othe r species. Comparison of the obtained data with those from literature sources allows to conclude that phylogenetically the South American cr icetines are similar to each other and closely related to the North Am erican species.