Morphometrical Analysis of Reproduction Traits for the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa L.) in Croatia

Sa？etak The wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) is native game in Croatia, whose population have tendency of increasing as well throughout the Europe. The wild boar is a natural inhabitant of Europe, Asia, and North Africa and is phylogenetically the ancestor of the domestic pig. Because of its phylogenetic and economic importance, this species is an interesting model for studying testis function. Therefore, the present study was performed to investigate the testis morphometry, and gonadosomatic index (GSI) for 77 individuals. The mean live body weight was 75.03 kg, testis weight was 0.355 kg and with a gonadosomatic index (GSI) of approximately 0.40%. The mean circumference for the left and right testes were not significant, but a significant and positive correlation was observed between testis weight and body weight (r = 0.88, p<0.05). A high reproductive contribution of juveniles is a likely consequence of a high hunting pressure rather than a species specific life history pattern characterizing wild boar. Generally, beside female seasonal reproductive activity knowledge of male reproduction cycle in wild boar is very important for established better management of free-ranging population