Animal Communication

Komunikacija među životinjama jest složeni proces izmjene informacija između pošiljatelja i primatelja. Smatra se da je oblikovana evolucijom kako bi se životinjama povećali izgledi za preživljavanje i produženje vrste. Osnovni komunikacijski znakovi među životinjama su vizualni, auditorni (glasovni), kemijski i taktilni te komunikacija elektrorecepcijom. Pojedinačno ili u kombinaciji imaju brojne funkcije.Communication amongst animals is a complex process of information exchange between the sender and the receiver. It is believed that it was formed by evolution to increase the animal’s chances for survival and reproduction. The basic categories of communication signals among animals are visual, auditory (voice), tactile and chemical, as well as communication by electroreceptors. Animals use these individually or in combination, and they have a number of functions

Animals as heraldic elements in the Coats of Arms of the aristocracy in Slavonia in the period 1700-1918

U mnogim grbovima plemićkih obitelji u Slavoniji nalazimo prikazane životinje ili njihove dijelove kao sastavni dio grbova. Ovim istraživanjima obuhvatili smo grbove plemićkih obitelji Virovitičke županije, Požeške županije i Srijemske županije. Neke od prikazanih životinja imaju u Slavoniji prirodno stanište (napose se to odnosi na ptice) pa je to razlog njihovoj čestoj zastupljenosti unutar grbova. Međutim, većina prikazanih životinja na grbovima ima religiozno mitsko obilježje.In many coats of arms of the aristocratic families in Slavonia we find the animals or their parts as parts of the coats of arms. By these researches we have covered the coats of arms of the aristocratic families in Virovitica County, Požega County and Sirmium County. Some of the displayed animals have their habitat in Slavonia (this refers especially to the birds), so this is the reason why they are displayed so often in the coats of arms. However, most of the animals shown on the coats of arms have religious and mythical characteristics. The most often displayed animal in the coats of arms of the Slavonic aristocracy in the mentioned period is the lion. Since the lion does not have its habitat in Slavonia, his appearance is linked to his attributive characteristics such as authority, strength, power, magnificence, courage, daring, attentiveness. It is exactly for these characteristics that the lion is the most frequently used heraldic element. In a large number of coats of arms the image of eagle appears as a counterpart to the image of lion and as the most important bird. As a bird of the monarchs, it symbolizes the heavenly equivalent to the lion on earth. The general opinion is that the double-headed eagle, also used in some of the family coats of arms, doubles the symbolism of eagle and its meaning. A griffon, a mythological creature drawn with the beak and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, which came to the oat of arms of the Slavonic nobility under the influence of the Middle European heraldry, links the symbolism of the lion with the heavenly energy of the eagle. The wolf as a heraldic element appears mostly in the coats of arms of the Uskok (the Uskok “pirates”) families. It can be assumed that its appearance in the coat of arms of the Delivuk family is linked to the fight of that family against the Turks, but also to the family name Delivuk (vuk = wolf, transl. note). As a symbol of triumph and glory, but also as an important element in the economy of that period, the horse found its place as a heraldic element in the coat of arms of the aristocratic families A deer, although linked to Slavonia with its habitat and displayed on the coat of arms of the Sirmium County from 1747, is contained in the coats of arms of only two families (BubanoviÊ and Eltz). The goat, which is also a frequent domestic animal, is displayed only in the coat of arms of the Birčić family from Virovitica County. The medieval unicorn, a mythological creature displayed in the coats of arms of the three families (Jurković, Koić and Brnjaković) is a symbol of power, splendor and purity. On the basis of the legends and various folk beliefs on the habits and behavior of some of the animals, these animals became the holders of some positive characteristics and as such they are frequent heraldic elements displayed in the coats of arms. This is especially so with the birds. A crane, a heron, a pelican, a dove, a raven and a lark are displayed in the coats of arms primarily for very symbolic characteristics - crane - wakefulness; pelican - fatherly love; dove - purity; raven - faithful devotion; lark - humility and priesthood. The interesting fact is that some coats of arms contain also those animals which, in accordance with interpretations close to the philosophy of life of the Western Hemisphere, cannot be linked to the positive characteristics. These are: the snake in the coats of arms of Knežević and Dobrinić families, and its variation - the dragon - in the coats of arms of the families Nikšić and (c)pišić of Japra. The coat of arms of the Jurišić family contains the scorpion as a heraldic element and a symbol of revenge, and the coat of arms of the family Ilić of Zorlesnik displays a beehive surrounded by bees as a symbol of industriousness and order. The symbolism of the heraldic elements reflects in each of the mentioned coats of arms the economic, social, political, religious aspects of the life of that period of time. The influence of the Western Christianity on the Croatian heraldry is great and indispensable in the analysis of the coats of arms. Many of the described animals were displayed on the coats of arms of the Slavonian aristocracy of the mentioned period of time not because their habitat is in Slavonia, which could have been expected, but because their meaning in Christianity surpasses all the regional restrictions

Krvne grupe i hematološki parametri u istarskih goniča

The research involved 30 pure breed Istrian pointers, 12 females and 18 males in age groups from 3 months to 8 years. Blood samples were taken from all animals in order to determine blood group DEA 1.1. and standard haemogram. Of the total of 30 tested dogs 20 (66.7%) had blood group DEA 1.1., which is a higher percentage in comparison with data provided in the literature to date. Average values of haematological indicators are within physiological standards.Istraženo je ukupno 30 čistokrvnih istarskih goniča, 12 ženki i 18 mužjaka u dobi od 3 mjeseca do 8 godina. Životinjama je uzeta krv za određivanje krvne grupe DEA 1.1. i standardni hemogram. Od 30 pretraženih pasa njih 20 (66.7%) imalo je krvnu grupu DEA 1.1., što je veći postotak s obzirom na do sada poznate podatke. Prosječne vrijednosti hematoloških parametara bile su unutar fizioloških vrijednosti

Seroprevalencija leptospiroze u različitih kategorija pasa u Bosni i Hercegovini

The increasing number of stray dogs and the lack of sufficient data on the prevalence of leptospirosis among dogs were the main reasons for conducting this research in different populations of dogs on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 300 serum samples were tested from three different categories of dogs of various breeds from 12 cities. Twelve leptospiral serovars were used in the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The presence of specific antibodies was confirmed for eight serovars. The proportion of seropositive dogs was 22.3% (67/300). The highest seropositivity (n = 38; 42.7%) was found for the serovar Pomona. The seropositivity rates found for the other serovars tested were as follow: Canicola (14.6%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (13.5%), Sejroe (12.4%), Autumnalis (12.4%), Grippotyphosa (2.2%), Bratislava (1.1%), and Australis (1.1%). The highest number of positive responses was obtained at the serum dilution of 1:100 (39.3%, n = 35). The highest number of positive reactions was identified in the category of ‘house dogs’ (29.3%, 29/99) followed by ‘stray dogs’ (21.6%, 24/111), while the lowest number of positive tests was recorded in the category of ‘guard/hunting dogs’ (15.6%, 14/90). Vaccination with tetravalent vaccines, including the serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Pomona and Grippotyphosa could be an effective measure for the prevention of canine leptospirosis.Porast broja pasa lutalica i nepostojanje podataka o prevalenciji leptospiroze u različitih kategorija pasa na području Bosne i Hercegovine bili su glavni razlozi za provedbu ovog istraživanja. Analizirano je ukupno 300 uzoraka seruma iz tri kategorije pasa različitih pasmina iz 12 gradova. U mikroskopskom aglutinacijskom testu (MAT) upotrijebljeno je 12 serovarova leptospira, a za njih osam je potvrđena prisutnost specifičnih protutijela. Udio seropozitivnih pasa bio je 22,3 % (67 od 300). Najveća seropozitivnost (n = 38; 42,7 %) utvrđena je za serovar Pomona. Seropozitivnost za ostale serovarove bila je: Canicola (14,6 %), Icterohaemorrhagiae (13,5 %), Sejroe (12,4 %), Autumnalis (12,4 %), Grippotyphosa (2,2 %), Bratislava (1,1 %) i Australis (1,1 %). Najveći broj pozitivnih nalaza bio je kod razrjeđenja seruma 1 : 100 (39,3 %, n = 35). Najveći broj pozitivnih reakcija dokazan je u kućnih pasa (29,3 %, 29 od 99), a zatim u pasa lutalica (21,6 %, 24 od 111), dok je najmanji broj pozitivnih reakcija zabilježen u lovačkih i pasa čuvara (15,6 %, 14 od 90). Cijepljenje tetravalentnim cjepivima koja uključuju serovarove Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Pomona i Grippotyphosa mogla bi biti učinkovita mjera prevencije leptospiroze u pasa

Preliminarno istraživanje učestalosti pojave bakterije Chlamydophila felis u domaće mačke u Gradu Zagrebu i na području Zagrebačke županije

This research was preliminary study of the presence and prevalence of Chlamydophila felis (Cp. felis) among domestic cats in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County in Croatia. 48 pure and mixed breed cats were examined. 192 conjunctival and nasal swab samples were examined using a rapid immunoenzyme assay (EIA). 30 conjunctival scraping samples of 15 cats that were EIA positive were examined using DIF. Four of them were positive, while the results of two samples were inconclusive. These six samples (three nostril samples and three eye samples) were examined using a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and only two samples from the same cat were found to be positive for Cp. felis. The sequencing of the PCR product confirmed that the causative agent of the cat’s conjunctivitis was Cp. felis. By using direct immunofluorescence as well as a polymerase chain reaction procedure and sequencing, the results of the research established the existence of the bacteria Cp. felis in one out of 48 domestic cats.Cilj ovog preliminarnog istraživanja bio je ustanoviti učestalost pojave bakterije Chlamydophila felis (Cp. felis) u domaće mačke u Gradu Zagrebu i na području Zagrebačke županije. Istraživanjem je bilo obuhvaćeno 48 mačaka različitih pasmina. Brzim enzimskim imunološkim dijagnostičkim postupkom (EIA) pretraženo je 192 uzoraka obrisaka konjunktiva i nosnica te 12 uzoraka obriska sluznice rektuma. Trideset obrisaka konjuktiva s 15 mačaka, pozitivnih na EIA, pretraženo je postupkom izravne imunofluorescencije (DIF). Četiri su uzorka bila je pozitivna, a u dva je nalaz bio sumnjiv. Potom je tih šest uzoraka (tri uzoraka obriska nosne sluznice i tri obriska konjunktive) pretraženo postupkom lančane reakcije polimerazom (PCR). Dva su uzorka, podrijetlom s iste mačke, bila pozitivna. Rezultat sekvencioniranja produkta PCR dokazao je da je bolest u te domaće mačke bila uzrokovana upravo bakterijom Cp. felis. Korištenjem postupka izravne imunofluorescencije, lančane reacije polimerazom te sekvenciranjem produkta PCR dokazano je postojanje bakterije Cp. felis kao uzročnika mačje klamidioze u jedne od 48 mačaka

Welfare of pet dogs and cats in circumstantial manifestations of most frequent abnormal behaviors

Dobrobit pasa i mačaka uvelike ovisi o njihovu ponašanju te nenormalna ponašanja uglavnom rezultiraju ugrožavanjem dobrobiti učestalim i neprimjerenim kažnjavanjem, napuštanjem ili čak eutanazijom. Život u gradskoj sredini, stres, nedovoljno fizičkih i mentalnih poticaja, kao i namjena koja nije u skladu s pasminom ili naravi životinje često uzrokuju niz nenormalnih ponašanja poput agresivnosti prema ljudima i drugim životinjama, straha, tjeskobe, mokrenja i defekacije na neprikladnim mjestima i drugih. Dok je dio takvih ponašanja relativno lako ispraviti, dio zahtijeva veterinarsku obradu kako bi se isključile određene organske bolesti, nakon čega slijedi dugotrajno i zahtjevno liječenje. Katkad se nenormalno ponašanje može tek ublažiti do određene razine, međutim ne i izliječiti, te se dio vlasnika odlučuje na napuštanje ili eutanaziju ljubimca. Procjena ponašanja trebala bi biti dio svakoga veterinarskog pregleda kako bi se na vrijeme otkrilo nenormalno ponašanje i njegovi uzroci te spriječile ili umanjile negativne posljedice takvog ponašanja za životinju i čovjeka. Današnja uloga veterinara uključuje i savjetovanje vlasnika u vezi s nenormalnim ponašanjem životinja kako bi mu suživot s ljubimcem bio uspješan, a dobrobit životinje osigurana i očuvana.The welfare of dogs and cats depends largely on their behavior, and abnormal behaviors mostly result in endangerment from frequent and inappropriate punishment, abandonment by the owner, or even euthanasia. Urban life, stress, inadequate physical and mental stimuli, and a life often in disharmony with the animal’s nature often cause a series of abnormal behaviors, such as aggression against humans and other animals, fear, anxiety, urination and defecation in inappropriate places, and others. While some of this behavior is relatively straightforward, some requires veterinary treatment to exclude certain organic diseases followed by long–term and demanding treatment. Sometimes abnormal behavior can only be alleviated to a certain degree, but not cured, so some owners decide to abandon or euthanize their pet. Behavioral assessment should be part of the veterinary examination to detect abnormal behavior and its causes at the same time, and prevent or mitigate the negative consequences of such behavior for animals and humans. The role of veterinarians today includes counseling owners regarding the abnormal behavior of their pets, in order to ensure that their coexistence with pets will be successful, and the welfare of the animals is ensured and preserved

Welfare of pet dogs and cats in circumstantial manifestations of most frequent abnormal behaviors

Dobrobit pasa i mačaka uvelike ovisi o njihovu ponašanju te nenormalna ponašanja uglavnom rezultiraju ugrožavanjem dobrobiti učestalim i neprimjerenim kažnjavanjem, napuštanjem ili čak eutanazijom. Život u gradskoj sredini, stres, nedovoljno fizičkih i mentalnih poticaja, kao i namjena koja nije u skladu s pasminom ili naravi životinje često uzrokuju niz nenormalnih ponašanja poput agresivnosti prema ljudima i drugim životinjama, straha, tjeskobe, mokrenja i defekacije na neprikladnim mjestima i drugih. Dok je dio takvih ponašanja relativno lako ispraviti, dio zahtijeva veterinarsku obradu kako bi se isključile određene organske bolesti, nakon čega slijedi dugotrajno i zahtjevno liječenje. Katkad se nenormalno ponašanje može tek ublažiti do određene razine, međutim ne i izliječiti, te se dio vlasnika odlučuje na napuštanje ili eutanaziju ljubimca. Procjena ponašanja trebala bi biti dio svakoga veterinarskog pregleda kako bi se na vrijeme otkrilo nenormalno ponašanje i njegovi uzroci te spriječile ili umanjile negativne posljedice takvog ponašanja za životinju i čovjeka. Današnja uloga veterinara uključuje i savjetovanje vlasnika u vezi s nenormalnim ponašanjem životinja kako bi mu suživot s ljubimcem bio uspješan, a dobrobit životinje osigurana i očuvana.The welfare of dogs and cats depends largely on their behavior, and abnormal behaviors mostly result in endangerment from frequent and inappropriate punishment, abandonment by the owner, or even euthanasia. Urban life, stress, inadequate physical and mental stimuli, and a life often in disharmony with the animal’s nature often cause a series of abnormal behaviors, such as aggression against humans and other animals, fear, anxiety, urination and defecation in inappropriate places, and others. While some of this behavior is relatively straightforward, some requires veterinary treatment to exclude certain organic diseases followed by long–term and demanding treatment. Sometimes abnormal behavior can only be alleviated to a certain degree, but not cured, so some owners decide to abandon or euthanize their pet. Behavioral assessment should be part of the veterinary examination to detect abnormal behavior and its causes at the same time, and prevent or mitigate the negative consequences of such behavior for animals and humans. The role of veterinarians today includes counseling owners regarding the abnormal behavior of their pets, in order to ensure that their coexistence with pets will be successful, and the welfare of the animals is ensured and preserved

Experiences with Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) microchipping in Slovenia — Short communication

This study describes experiences obtained with microchipping of Hermann’s tortoises in Slovenia. Over a period of three years, a total of 5,128 Hermann’s tortoises from parental breeding stock were microchipped. Microchips were implanted subcutaneously in the left inguinal region. During the application of microchips, males were bleeding in 2.6% and females in 1.4% of the cases. Bleeding frequency was related to sex, animal size and environmental temperature at the time of microchipping. The presence of microchips was followed up over a period of several years. At the control check conducted a few years later, all previously microchipped tortoises were included. Out of the entire parental breeding stock, 235 (4.6%) had lost their microchips, thus 63 males (5.7%) and 172 females (4.3%) were unmarked. The possible reasons for microchip loss are migration or inactivity of the implanted microchips

Turski pastirski pas – Kangal

Turski pastirski pas kangal jedna je od četiri pasmine turskih autohtonih pastirskih pasa. Potječe iz Anadolije, oblasti u jugozapadnoj Aziji, odnosno azijskom dijelu Turske. Stoljećima je služio kao radni pas koji je štitio stado od predatora. Standardizacijom mjera njegove vanjštine te priznavanjem kao autohtone turske pasmine napravljen je znatan korak da ga kao pasminu prizna i Svjetska kinološka organizacija (franc. Fédération Cynologique Internationale, FCI). Njegova veličina, karakter smirenog i dobroćudnog, zaštitnički raspoloženog psa, vrlo odanog obitelji čine ga sve poželjnijim psom i na našim prostorima. No, prilikom izbora te pasmine, upravo zbog svih navedenih karakteristika nužno mu je osigurati smještaj i skrb koji neće ugroziti njegovu dobrobit

Praćenje razine kortizola u slini mliječnih koza u travnju, svibnju i srpnju u poluintenzivnom sustavu držanja

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the level of saliva cortisol and heart rate in lactating goats depending on different environmental condition, from early spring to the summer heat in the mountainous region of Croatia with a moderate climate zone (average winter air temperature from -2°C to -4°C and summer below 20°C). Ten lactating goats (6 Saanen and 4 Alpine) kept confined, occasionally tethered, were included in the study. The barn was wooden, thermally insulated, divided into five equal pens divided by wooden partitions. Each pen housed two goats on deep hay bedding and ensuring sufficient space allowance per animal. Saliva sampling was carried out in early April when goats were kept exclusively in the barn and occasionally tethered, at the end of May when they spent part of the day grazing freely, and the end of July when they spent only the night in barn. Saliva samples of saliva were taken at 11 a.m. using special equipment and frozen until analysis, and heart rate was determined by palpation of a. femoralis. Samples were analysed by the enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Following statistical analysis of the results, no statistically significant differences in cortisol levels and heart rate were observed during the sampling period. Since the hypothalamus- pituitary-adrenal gland is extremely susceptible to environmental changes, cortisol level is considered to be a credible indicator of the ability of animals to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Based on the obtained results, it is possible to conclude that the investigated goats were kept in conditions and in a way that was not stressful to them and are almost ideal for achieving their optimal production performance, and goats adapted very well to the environmental changes during different seasons.Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je procijeniti razinu kortizola u slini mliječnih koza te vrijednosti b la ovisno o različitim uvjetima držanja, od ranog proljeća do vrhunca ljetnih vrućina u unutrašnjem planinskom području Hrvatske s umjerenom kontinentalnom klimom (zimi se prosječne temperature zraka kreću od -2 °C do -4 °C, a ljeti ispod 20 °C). Istraživanjem je bilo obuhvaćeno deset mliječnih koza u laktaciji (6 sanskih i 4 alpskih) koje su cijelu zimu provele zatvorene u oboru i povremeno na vezu. Obor je bio drveni, toplinski izoliran, podijeljen drvenom pregradom u 5 jednakih odjeljaka. U svakom su odjeljku bile smještene po dvije koze na dubokoj stelji od sijena i na površini više no dostatnoj po grlu. Uzorkovanje sline i utvrđivanje vrijednosti b la provodilo se početkom travnja kada su koze držane isključivo u zatvorenom i povremeno na vezu, krajem svibnja kada su dio dana provodile slobodne na ispaši i krajem srpnja kada su u oboru jedino provodile noć. Uzorci sline korištenjem posebnog pribora uzimani su ujutro u 11 sati, i smrznuti do izvođenja pretrage. Vrijednosti b la utvrđivane su palpacijom a. femoralis. Uzorci sline analizirani su imunoenzimnim postupkom (EIA). Nakon statističke obrade rezultata utvrđeno je da nema statistički značajne razlike u razini kortizola i vrijednosti b la tijekom različitih mjeseci uzorkovanja. S obzirom da je os hipotalamus-hipofiza-nadbubrežna žlijezda iznimno osjetljiva na promjene u okolišu, razina kortizola uzima se kao vjerodostojan pokazatelj sposobnosti prilagodbe životinje na promijenjene okolišne uvjete. Na temelju dobivenih rezultata moguće je zaključiti da su istraživane koze držane u uvjetima i na način koji za njih ne predstavljaju stres te su gotovo savršeni za postizanje njihova optimalnog proizvodnog potencijala, kao i da su se na promjene u okolišu tijekom različitih godišnjih doba vrlo dobro prilagođavale