engleski

Reproductive changes of the wild boar (Sus Scrofa Ll.) in Croatia based on hybridization

Recent increases in wild boar (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus 1758) population in Croatia have necessitated an evaluation of the current reproductive performance of the species. This study was conducted in 6 Croatian counties over a 4-year period, where we analyzed 212 female reproductive variations and the genetic structure. The age distribution indicated a relatively young population: 69% of the examined animals were younger than 2 years, and nearly 85% of juvenile female animals were pregnant. The average number of fetuses was 6.49 per animal, and trend for the increase in fetuses spread from the western (5.55) across the eastern (6.42) to the central region (7.13) of Croatia. The phenotypic appearance of some wild boars indicated hybridization between wild boars and domestic pigs. However, the estimated proportion of domestic pigs based on microsatellite information was negligible (highest in central region of Croatia 3.4%). Changes in reproductive dynamics, the number of fetuses and active tits, and the early age of the first pregnancy strongly suggest that fertility traits of domestic pig breeds were acquired by wild boar population. Our results confirmed that different stages of wild boar hybridization with domestic pigs are detectable in some different regions, therefore in the future big changes in the management of wild boar in Croatia must be made.

Croatia; hybridization; microsatellite; reproductive; Sus scrofa

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