Separation of amplified V3 region from 16S rDNA by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region polymorphism (ISR-PCR) analyses were tested as tool for differentiation of staphylococcal strains commonly isolated from fermented sausages. Variable V3 regions of 25 staphylococcal reference strains and 96 wild strains of species belonging to the genera Staphylococcus, Micrococcus and Kocuria were analyzed. PCR-DGGE profiles obtained were species-specific for S. sciuri, S. haemolyticus, S. hominis, S. auricularis, S. condimenti, S. kloosi, S. vitulus, S. succinus, S. pasteuri, S. capitis and S. (Macrococcus) caseolyticus. Moreover, 7 groups could be distinguished gathering the remaining species as result of the separation of the V3 rDNA amplicons in DGGE. Furthermore, the combination of the results obtained by PCR-DGGE and ISR-PCR analyses allowed a clear differentiation of all the staphylococcal species analysed, with exception of the pairs S. equorum-S. cohnii and S. carnosus-S. schleiferi. The suitability of both molecular techniques and of the combination their results for the identification of staphylococci was validated analysing partial nucleotide sequence of the 16S rDNA of a representative number of wild strains.