The development of animal species is significantly influenced by the conditions in which they live. Climate, vegetation, nutrition and the human factor have led to the fact that individuals of one animal species living in different habitats differ significantly from each other. Although the Republic of Croatia is a small country, it stretches over such an area that people have developed significantly different ways of life and habits, and ultimately this has influenced the breeding and development of animal species and resulted in a wealth of locally adapted breeds of domestic animals . Such breeds are intertwined with the area where they are bred, which is why not only they might not survive outside that area, but also the natural and cultural identity of that area would change without them.
Original Croatian breeds include several types of dogs, poultry, pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys, horses and cattle. Probably the most famous Croatian breed of dog is the Dalmatian dog , i.e. the Dalmatian recognizable by its black spots on the white coat, and among other breeds we single out the Croatian shepherd , the Istrian short-haired hound , etc. A very famous breed of originally Croatian poultry is the Zagorski turkey , and the Posavina kukmasta chicken is recognizable is by his "hairstyle", i.e. the crown on his head. The horse breeds Croatian posavac and Croatian cold blood are distinguished by their robust appearance, developed muscle mass and resistance and strength, while the Lipizzaner is a breed that is spread over a wider geographical area and has several lines (Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian), and it is one of the the most famous European breeds. Since the Croatian islands are isolated by sea from each other and from the soil of the continent, on each of them we find specific conditions for breeding animals, so on islands like Krk, Cres, Rab and Pag we find original breeds of sheep . We single out Istria as a Croatian region with a large number of original breeds : Istrian cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys and even two breeds of dogs.
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