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AGRICULTURAE
CONSPECTUS SCIENTIFICUS
Volume 65, No 2, 2000 (99-105)
ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC
PAPER
The Phenotype Features of Donkeys in Croatia
Ante IVANKOVIC
Pavo CAPUT
Boro MIOC
Vesna PAVIC
SUMMARY
In Croatia, particularly in its coastal area, donkeys have lived for centuries,
helping a man in his fight with rough environment. During a period of
adaptation of several centuries and natural selection in certain regions,
the populations of exceptional features were profiled. More intensive
agrarian production and economic-social movements in rural areas resulted
in a significant decrease of the total number of donkeys. The actual facts
indicate that in Croatia are about several thousand donkeys, but some
types are at the brink of disappearance. The insignificant research interest
for donkeys during previous decades resulted in a small number of competent
scientific knowledge on populations which lived in Croatia, as well as
of the dynamics of changes.
The research includes 270 donkeys in counties of the Croatian coastal
area. Heads are described in separate lists, photographed and measured
with 11 body measures. The results of the research show the need for division
of the donkey population in Croatia into three types: Littoral-Dinaric
type, North-Adriatic type and Istrian type. Types are statistically significantly
differ in the wither height (96.93; 115.28; 124.07), chest circumference
(112.75; 131.80; 144.01), tibia circumference (12.82; 14.85; 16.30), as
well as in the majority of other examined body measures. Types are characterised
by particular features of the body colour, the size of the body frame
and proportions body measures. The same division is supported by the analysis
of polymorphic blood proteins and DNA.
KEY WORDS
phenotype features, Croatia, donkeys, types, body measures
Department of Animal Production
Faculty of Agriculure. University of Zagreb
Svetosimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Received: February 9, 2000
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