Microscopic Analysis of Rodents Hair (Genus: Maxomys)

Morphometric examination of Maxomys (Rodentia: Muridae) hair was done on specimens of rodents hair obtained from the Zoology Museum, UNIMAS and also from the field sampling. A total of 21 specimens were used. The study was conducted to provide alternative identification tool in addition to morphological characteristic. The species from genus Maxomys is known as cryptic species in which their morphological appearance between species is almost same. In this study, tens hair characteristics were successfully measure and observed, it composed of length of hair-sharf (mm),average scale diameter (mm), diameter of hair shaft (mm), thickness of cortex (mm), cuticular pattern. The relationship between characters of hair was determined by Microsoft Excel and PAST software. The key is based on the guard hair samples collected from upper part of 21 individual of Maxomys. The study was successful evaluated few hair characteristic of genus Maxomys