Research Article

Comparison of mineral content and physical characteristics of hair in yearling Arctic foxes from different farms

Ryszard Cholewa, Mirosław Mleczek, Dorota Kołodziejczyk, Stanisław Socha

¹Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland

²Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 13(4), 2014, 27‒34

Abstract. The aim of the study was to analyse the content of minerals and physical properties of hair in the coat of yearling Arctic foxes managed on various farms. Winter hair samples were collected from 86 yearling female blue Arctic foxes from farms located in the Wielkopolska (two farms) and West Pomerania (one farm) regions of Poland. The samples were analysed for the concentration of Mg, K, Ca, using atomic emission spectrometry (AES), Cd, Cu, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS), and As and Se, by means of hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS). Mineral concentration in the foxes from the West Pomeranian farm was considerably higher (more than 10%) compared with that measured on both Wielkopolska farms. The foxes from the latter two farms had a similar level of minerals, with a slightly lower values on one of the farms, except for K, Ca, Co, Fe, Cd, and As. This demonstrates that mineral content in hair may differ from farm to farm and may be influenced by environmental factors. Mineral content may also be related to the physical properties of the coat, mainly with the color (length of dark phase of the hair) and the length of hairs.

Keywords: Arctic foxes, hair coat, minerals