Skeletons morphometrics of the farmed types of blue fox (Alopex lagopus) - preliminary research

English. Breeding work carried out over the years in the Polish breeding of the blue fox, involving the introduction of new types from the Polish type, through Norwegian, to Finnish, has contributed to increase in the body weight of animals. This increase automatically caused anatomical changes in the fox organism, especially in the bone system. The aim of the study was to determine the morphometry of the skeletal system in the blue fox, Polish, Norwegian and Finnish type. The preliminary study was carried out on 8 animals from Polish farms, and the material was obtained during fur slaughter. The bones were treated with 3% water solution of NaHCO3 and bleached in perhydrol solution and then dried. Among other things, the length of the skull, length of the front and hind legs and the length of individual sections of the spine were subjected to zoometric analysis. In almost every analyzed parameter mainly bone length and spinal segments, the highest average measurements were of Finnish type and the lowest of Polish type. Intermediate values, often similar to the Finnish type, were recorded in the case of the fox of the Norwegian type, which coincided with the variation in body weight. Morphometric tests of the skeletal system of various types of the blue fox may allow to assess the correctness of breeding work and animal health.

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