Beech (stone) marten (Martes foina, Erx. 1777) is found throughout Croatia, both in continental and Mediterranean part of the country. This native carnivore also inhabits most of the larger islands. Beech martens are often found near human settlements and, although they play a role in controlling rodent populations, they are often treated as pests. In Croatia beech marten is a game species with open hunting season (protection is ruled only during pregnancy and for females with offspring). Annual hunting bag is determined by game management plans, according to the estimated spring count and previously established biological minimum value. Scientific data about the population size or mortality at national level are not available. Published research has been limited to ecotoxicology (Bilandžić et al., 2010) and dental pathology (Konjević et al., 2011) ; master thesis on feeding habits on island Cres (Baltic , 2009) and doctoral thesis on character displacement when island habitat is shared with introduced small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) (Barun, 2011).Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb has started a research on genetic variability and population structure of beech marten from Croatia. Samples (N=22) collected in urban areas of central Croatia have been analyzed and 28 polymorphic sites have been found on 302 base pair mitochondrial DNA control region sequence, representing eight haplotypes. Clear geographical pattern in the distribution of haplotypes in central Croatia was not found. Comparison of eight Croatian mtDNA haplotypes found in this study with three control region sequences deposited in the GenBank (two from Iberian Peninsula and one from undefined European country) revealed no potential matches between haplotypes.

Biologija,Veterinarska medicina