Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the Ussuri mamushi (Gloydius ussuriensis)

The Ussuri mamushi (Gloydius ussuriensis) is especially adapted to low temperature environments in the high latitude area and it is classified as least concern according to the China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals. In this study, ten microsatellite loci were isolated from G. ussuriensis. These markers revealed a high degree of genetic diversity (4–13 alleles per locus) and heterozygosity (H _O ranged from 0.205 to 0.848, and H _E ranged from 0.317 to 0.874). No locus exhibited significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. There was no evidence of linkage disequilibrium among pairs of loci. These microsatellite markers will facilitate studies that address conservation of the species, such as gene flow, population structure and evolutionary history.