Abstract
Lepus timidus varronis, is the alpine sub-species of Lepus timidus and an endemic glacial relict of the Alps. Despite the great conservational and biological relevance of the species, the number of studies concerning it's biology and ecology are limited. An essential parameter for species management is to correctly estimate population density. To date there are no standardized nor validated survey techniques for surveying L. t. varronis. The faecal pellet count is considered a suitable census method but its use is limited due to the absence of data concerning the daily mean defecation rate of the species. The aim of this work is therefore to estimate the daily mean defecation rate of L. t. varronis in a controlled environment in order to allow the implementation of subsequent studies on population density and dynamics. A mean defecation rate of 411.7 ± 41.3 pellets/day per hare was estimated on the 14 breeding Alpine hares that were included in the study.
Highlights
The first step toward the conservation of a species, is to know its population density and demographic trend [1]
The aim of this work is to estimate the daily mean defecation rate of L. t. varronis in a controlled environment in order to allow the implementation of subsequent studies on population density and dynamics
The animals significantly reduce food consumption so we considered separately the daily defecation rate of “normal” and “snow” days
Summary
The first step toward the conservation of a species, is to know its population density and demographic trend [1]. The faecal pellet count (FPC) is a highly feasible census method that estimates density on the basis of the number of faecal pellets present in a sample area [3]. FPC has been used to estimate population density of mountain hare Lepus timidus, and to monitor population trends and to compare different presence areas [4]. This method seems to be appropriate for mountain hare Lepus timidus (Linnaeus 1758) in the Alps, where a suitable monitoring method has not yet been standardized. The L. timidus population is present in the Alps as an endemic sub– species The L. timidus population is present in the Alps as an endemic sub– species (L. t. varronis; Miller 1901) [5]
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