Manuscript / Reproduction parameters of the Iberian hare ...
Reproduction parameters of the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856) at the edge of its range
Alfonso Fernandez, Ramón Soriguer, Enrique Castien & Francisco Carro
In order to provide a basis for the sustainable exploitation of the heavily hunted Iberian hare Lepus granatensis, we compared its reproductive parameters at the northern edge of its range, where it occurs at low densities, with those reported in other studies elsewhere in its range. Monthly samples totalling 212 Iberian hares (104 males and 108 females) were collected in the province of Navarra between November 2001 and December 2002. Reproductive parameters varied only slightly from season to season. Sexually competent males, defined by the presence of epididymal spermatozoa, were present in all bimonthly periods. Reproductively active adult females were also present in all the bimonthly periods, although a slight seasonality was detected: the highest incidence (100%) of pregnancy and lactation occurred in March-April, while the lowest incidence of adult females (15%) that were neither pregnant nor lactating occurred in September-December. Mean annual litter size was 2.09 and the theoretical value of annual young production per female was estimated to be 16.1, a figure that is much higher than those reported by studies of L. granatensis in Portugal and Southern Spain. At the northern limit of the species’ range in Navarra, densities are low due to intense hunting. However, the observed reproductive potential was surprisingly high and facilitates recruitment to the population which may offset the intensity of hunting
Key words: Lepus granatensis, litter size, Navarra, reproduction, productivity