Serum samples from 52 free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) collected in Croatia over a period of 10 yr (1998-2007) were tested by microscopic agglutination test for specific antibodies (Ab) to 12 ...Leptospira spp. pathogenic serovars. At titers ranging from 1:100 to 1:2,000, 19 samples (36.5%) were Abpositive to at least one serovar. Antibodies for 10 Leptospira spp. serovars were detected: Icterohaemorrhagiae, Australis, Sejroe, Canicola, Poi, Hardjo, Ballum, Saxkoebing, Pomona, and Grippotyphosa. In comparison to previous reports, the prevalence of Ab to serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae (52.6%) was significantly higher. Other common serovars were Australis (47.4%) and Sejroe (42.1%). High Ab titers for serovars Canicola (1:500) and Grippotyphosa (1:1,000) were detected for the first time in free-ranging bears from Croatia. A significant correlation between the age of the bears and detection of Ab to Leptospira spp. serovars suggested the presence of pathogenic agents in the natural habitats, whereas increasing trends of Ab prevalence for specific serovars (Icter-ohaemorrhagiae, Australis, and Sejroe) confirmed cohabitation of bears with rats and other small terrestrial mammals on garbage dumps and at bear feeding stations. To prevent cohabitation of bears and rodents, improvements in Croatian waste treatment, big game management, and rodent control programs are strongly recommended, especially in Lika and Gorski Kotar, regions that have high-quality natural habitats for brown bears in Croatia.
The paper describes two stranded ziphiids from Croatia: a subadult female (length 430 cm, body mass 610 kg) that was stranded in 2001 and an adult male (length 510 cm, body mass ∼1,000 kg) that was ...stranded in 2002. Both were confirmed to be Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier, 1823) from analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences and osteological features. There are no previous records of Cuvier’s beaked whales from the Croatian part of the Adriatic. The external shape of the head of the female specimen appears to be significantly different from the heads of Cuvier’s beaked whales from other seas. The Croatian specimen exhibited embedded pieces of gravel in the gum tissue around the tip of the lower and upper jaws, which was observed for the first time in a Cuvier’s beaked whale. The presence of the female in shallow coastal waters for several weeks and her boat-positive behaviour are apparently also first records of this kind for the species. The female was found to have ingested several plastic bags which likely caused her death. These are the northernmost findings of this species in the Adriatic Sea.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (CR) of numerous species is known to include up to five different repetitive sequences (RS1-RS5) that are found at various locations, involving motifs of ...different length and extensive length heteroplasmy. Two repetitive sequences (RS2 and RS3) on opposite sides of mtDNA central conserved region have been described in domestic cat (Felis catus) and some other felid species. However, the presence of repetitive sequence RS3 has not been detected in Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) yet. We analyzed mtDNA CR of 35 Eurasian lynx (L. lynx L.) samples to characterize repetitive sequences and to compare them with those found in other felid species. We confirmed the presence of 80 base pairs (bp) repetitive sequence (RS2) at the 5′ end of the Eurasian lynx mtDNA CR L strand and for the first time we described RS3 repetitive sequence at its 3′ end, consisting of an array of tandem repeats five to ten bp long. We found that felid species share similar RS3 repetitive pattern and fundamental repeat motif TACAC.
Akademik Zdravko Lorković je bio svjetski poznat biolog, entomolog, geneti- čar, evolucionist i ekolog (1990.-1998.). Uz ima akademika Zdravka Lorkovića veže se činjenica da je kao profesor biologije ...na Veterinarskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu radio od 1941. do 1951. godine. Uvidom u arhivu Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, njegov izbor za pr- vog predstojnika Zavoda za biologiju dana 20. 05. 1942. smatra se ujedno i datumom osnutka Zavoda za veterinarsku biologiju na Veterinarskom fakultetu Hrvatskog sve- učilišta u Zagrebu. Ovaj kratki prikaz rada akademika Zdravka Lorkovića napisan je povodom 77. godišnjice osnutka Zavoda za veterinarsku biologiju na Veterinarskom fa- kultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu te obilježava- nja 20. godišnjice smrti akademika Zdravka Lorkovića.
Ninety-four European brown bear (Ursus arctos) faecal samples, collected in three counties of Croatia, were examined for the presence of gastrointestinal parasites. Five genera were identified, ...including the nematodes Baylisascaris transfuga and Syngamus sp., and the protozoan enteropathogens Cryptosporidium sp., Eimeria sp., and Giardia sp. Ancylostomatid eggs were also recovered. Cestodes, trematodes and acanthocephalan eggs were absent from all samples. This is the first parasite survey of brown bears in Croatia in thirty years and the first report of Giardia in this species from the region. Key words: brownbear, Ursus arctos, gastrointestinal parasites, Giardia, Croatia Devedeset i cetiri uzorka izmeta europskoga smedeg medvjeda (Ursus arctos), sakupljena u tri zupanije u Hrvatskoj, pregledana su na prisutnost zelucano-crijevnih nametnika. Utvrdeno je ukupno 5 rodova, ukljuCujuci nematode Baylisascaris transfuga i Syngamus sp., te enteropatogene protozoe Cryptosporidium sp., Eimeria sp. i Giardia sp. Utvrdena su i jaja ankilostomatida dok jaja cestoda, trematoda i akantocefala nisu pronadena. Ovo je prvo parazitolosko istrazivanje smedeg medvjeda u Hrvatskoj u posljednjih 30 godina i prvi nalaz Giardia spp. u ove vrste s ovog podrucja. Kljucne rijeci: smedi medvjed, Ursus arctos, zelucano-crijevni nametnici, Giardia, Hrvatska
Detecting the hybridization between species is important for evolutionary studies of speciation processes, conservation biology and management, but we still lack a general empirical perspective of ...hybridization problems in canids. Hybridization may occur between many species of the canid family, sometimes threatening the survival of endangered species or populations. Mitochondrial DNA control region haplotypes can be used to discriminate between Croatian wolves, dogs and jackals, and the goal of our research was to identify species specific Y chromosome haplotypes that could be used in detection of paternal origin in possible hybrids. We analyzed three non -overlapping Y chromosome fragments of the grey wolf, golden jackal and dog in the total length of 1,898 base pairs. Two haplotypes were identified, one shared among grey wolf and dog, and one specific golden jackal haplotype. We did not find polymorphic sites that could be used to distinguish the paternal line in wolf-dog hybrids, but six polymorphic sites were identified that can be used to discriminate golden jackal from grey wolf and domestic dog. Key words: Canidae, Canis aureus, Canis lupus, Canis lupus familiaris, Y chromosome Otkrivanje hibridizacije medu vrstama vazno je za evolucijska istrazivanja procesa nastajanja vrsta, konzervacijsku biologiju i upravljanje populacijama, no jos uvijek nemamo empirijske podatke o problemu hibridizacije kod porodice pasa. Hibridizacija se javlja medu mnogim vrstama iz porodice pasa, sto ponekad predstavlja opasnost opstanku ugrozenih vrsta ili populacija. Na temelju haplotipova kontrolne regije mitohondrijske DNK mogu se razlikovati vukovi, psi i cagljevi iz Hrvatske, te je cilj naseg istrazivanja bio utvrditi vrsno specificne haplotipove Y kromosoma koji se mogu koristiti u otkrivanju ocinske linije kod mogucih hibrida. Istrazili smo tri nepreklapajuca slijeda Y kromosoma vuka, psa i caglja u duzini od 1898 parova baza. Utvrdili smo prisutnost dvaju haplotipova, jedan zajednicki vuku i psu, te jedan haplotip specifican za caglja. Nismo pronasli polimorfna mjesta koja se mogu koristiti za istrazivanje ocinske linije kod hibrida vuka i psa, no pronasli smo sest polimorfnih mjesta pomocu kojih se mogu razlikovati cagljevi od vuka i psa. Kljucne rijeci: kanidi, Canis aureus, Canis lupus, Canis lupus familiaris, Y kromosom
Cilj istraživanja bio je pregledom građe jajnika utvrditi raspon dobi i reproduktivne aktivnosti u mladih i starih ženki smeđega medvjeda (Ursus arctos) iz zatočeništva. Jajnici su dobiveni ...ovariektomijom dviju dvogodišnjih ženki i tijekom razudbe 31-godišnje te 36-godišnje ženke. Svi su jajnici pregledani makroskopski i histološki. Histološkom pretragom u mladih su životinja u kori jajnika otkriveni primordijalni, primarni, sekundarni i tercijarni folikuli. U jednom je jajniku dokazano zrelo žuto tijelo (corpus luteum), pokazatelj nedavne ovulacije što je, prema nama dostupnim podacima, prvi zabilježen histološki dokaz najranije ovulacije u smeđih medvjeda u zatočeništvu. Atrofija jajnika povezana sa starenjem i praćena razvojem multiplih cističnih supseroznih epitelnih struktura (SES) u starih medvjeda u ovom istraživanju upućuje na to da se u smeđih medvjeda pojavljuju slične degenerativne i proliferativne promjene kao i u domaćih kanida. Najstarija ženka imala je zabilježene uspješne porođaje u dobi od 26 i 28 godina. Oba porođaja pripadaju najkasnijim potvrđenim pojavama uspješne ovulacije, začeća i porođaja u smeđih medvjeda.
PDF