Características de redemoinho associadas ao temperamento de asininos

Abstract

Behavioral traits are important for animal production. These traits are directly related to the handling and taming of equids and can be used in welfare studies. The identification of animals with good temperament is useful for selection. The hair coat whorl is a morphological trait that has been associated with temperament in many livestock species. In horses, whorl traits have been linked to behavior, temperament, and laterality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the whorls traits can predict the temperament of donkeys, since there are no studies that associate whorls traits with temperament in the species. Thirty-seven donkeys of the Nordestino ecotype were used. The following hair whorl traits were recorded: position on the head; number on the head, neck and chest, and rotation. The non- parametric method was used: Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05) to verify the association. The animals were exposed to a new object in a known place. The reaction to the new object was evaluated and measured by flight direction, flight distance, latency, and flight score. The rotation of the whorl on the head was associated with laterality. It was observed that donkeys with clockwise whorls tended to escape to the right and animals with counterclockwise whorls tended to escape to the left. This association between laterality and whorl rotation may be a facilitator at the taming activities. The horizontal position of whorls in the head and the number of hair whorls in the head were associated with flight score. Donkeys with a whorl in the upper third of the bridge of the nose or two whorls on the head were considered less reactive. The position of the whorls on the neck and chest were not significant. The observation of these traits can assist in the handling, taming, and training of the species. Hair whorls can be used to select less reactive and calmer animals, being an excellent non-invasive method of evaluating behavior. This is the first study that associate whorl traits with temperament in donkeys.