Staphylococcus aureus strains originating from humans, cows, poultry, pigs, dogs and pigeons were characterised according to the biotyping scheme of Hájek and Marsálek (1971). All strains obtained from poultry, dogs and pigeons and the majority of bovine, human and porcine strains were classifiable as belonging to different biotypes. Two types were found to be present among poultry strains isolated in Europe and Japan. The porcine strains formed a heterogenic collection. One biotype predominated in the other host species. The characteristic S aureus wall teichoic acid (beta-N-acetylglucosaminyl ribitol teichoic acid) was present in nearly all poultry and pig strains. Strains from dogs and pigeons were found to present several properties which were not in agreement with the species description given for S aureus. They did not produce acetoin from glucose and their capacity to produce acid from mannitol in anaerobic conditions was very weak or absent. They were often negative in the clumping factor (slide coagulase) test and usually did not produce hyaluronidase. The production of acid from glucose in anaerobic conditions was slower and less intensive in these strains than in the S aureus strains from other origins. The results of this study support the concept of subdividing the species S aureus into biotypes or ecotypes.