Non-invasive estimation of brown hare density in Mavrovo National Park, North Macedonia, using the REST model

The importance of lagomorphs for the Eurasian lynx in Western Asia: Results from a large scale camera-trapping survey in Turkey

The European roe deer Capreolus capreolus and the European brown hare Lepus europaeus are two important and widespread herbivores in Europe. In recent decades, roe deer have generally increased throughout Europe, while brown hares have decreased, because of habitat changes caused by agricultural intensification. It is unclear whether resource exploitation by roe deer may favour this decline. The analysis of interspecific dietary patterns could help to assess whether a potential for competition occurs between these herbivores. Through micro-histological analyses of feces, we have assessed food habits, diet selection, and dietary overlap between roe deer and brown hares in a Mediterranean mixed wood-agricultural area, in 2007–2008. We detected significant differences between the composition of diets of these two herbivores. Deciduous and evergreen wood plants were the staple of roe deer (each of them built up >30 % of total diet), while cereals, spontaneous herbs, and graminoids were the staple of hares (each of them built up 23–33 % of diet). These items were selected by roe deer and hares, with seasonal differences in selection indices, likely depending on variation of availability of different food categories. The dietary breadth of roe deer was ca. 2.5 times greater than that of hares; the interspecific dietary overlap was low but increased in winter, and the dietary niche of hares was included in that of roe deer. Our results suggest that dietary and habitat partitioning occurred between roe deer and hares, with wood and open field being their main foraging habitat, respectively. Ecological overlap occurred in winter, when roe deer aggregate in open fields and increase their use of wheat, the main food item of hares. Most likely, abundance of cultivated cereals and spontaneous herbs for hares and presence of wood, providing roe deer with high-quality browse, reduce the potential for interspecific competition and are the key for the coexistence between these herbivores, in Mediterranean agricultural areas.

The brown hare (Lepus europaeus) expanded its Swedish distribution since the 1980s northwards and locally to new areas within its former range. Of 115 brown hare populations within the former range reported in a hunter enquiry, those established after 1980 were situated higher above the sea level than older ones and higher than neighbouring (<50 km) older populations. Reports on increased use of forest habitats by brown hares were equally frequent among recent and older populations, suggesting a process promoted solely by less harsh winters. Supposed hare hybrids were more often reported from hunting grounds with recent brown hare establishment, i.e. where the species expands in time and in space. In a 27-year dataset on brown hare observations, the recent increased use of forest habitats was supported in that maximum distances to agricultural land for brown hare sightings were higher in mild winters, whereas the proportions of the annual observations made during winter were lower. In 40-year bag records from two Swedish counties, the dynamics of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) responded positively to snow parameters, whereas brown hares responded negatively. We suggest that the state of mountain hare populations primarily depends on winter conditions and predation pressure, whereas possible effects of hybridization are unclear. If winter conditions remain as in the last 15 years, mountain hare numbers are not likely to increase in southern Sweden, whereas the brown hare may expand even further. In either case, hybrids will occur in sympatric areas in frequencies probably related to the density of the respective true species.

From 1997 to 2000, complete necropsy and histopathologic investigations were performed on 157 free-ranging European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) found dead throughout Switzerland. Organ samples of all these individuals (157 livers and 107 spleens available) were tested for European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV)-antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit. Furthermore, 60 additional blood samples were tested for antibodies against EBHSV by ELISA. In addition, liver samples of 87 free-ranging mountain hares (Lepus timidus) hunted in 1996 were tested for EBHSV-antigen. In two European brown hares from southern Switzerland lesions suggestive of changes induced by EBHSV were present, and high titers of EBHSV-antigen were detected in both liver and spleen samples of these animals. Based on negative staining electron microscopy investigations of liver and spleen homogenates, we observed calicivirus in one antigen-positive hare. Low EBHSV-antigen titers were found in three additional European brown hares from central and western Switzerland, but EBHS-lesions were absent. Antibodies against EBHSV were not detected in any of the sera of European brown hares, and EBHSV-antigen was not found in the samples of mountain hares. This is the first report of EBHS in European brown hares from Switzerland.

BackgroundThe European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) typically resides in open habitats in agriculturally dominated landscapes in Europe. Over recent decades, a widely observed population decline occurred, which was attributed to agricultural intensification. However, with political incentives for specific crops, especially maize for energy production, the habitat went through massive changes. Thus, there is the need to identify parameters that characterize a suitable habitat for the brown hare in today’s agricultural lands.ResultsWe modelled European brown hare densities spatially and temporally explicit over 10 years (2005–2014) across an entire federal state. The generalized additive mixed model confirms a constant decline of the European brown hare population in Lower Saxony. Municipalities with a high proportion of grassland and precipitation totaling up to 900 mm are more favored. Woodland showed an approximately linear negative effect. The most important agricultural crop groups such as winter grains and winter oilseed rape showed overall positive effects on hare densities. However, the effect of maize was unimodal, with a positive effect of medium proportions, but a negative effect of very high proportions. The effect of sugar beet was relatively weak but negative. Brown hares were also more abundant in municipalities with a higher density of vixen with litter and municipalities with a high proportion of wildflower strips showed higher brown hare abundance.ConclusionLower Saxony is a diverse federal state with grassland dominated areas in the northwest, more woodland in the east, but intensive arable land in most remaining areas. The European brown hare—a species with a wide ecological potency—shows preferences to both grassland and the most typical arable crop groups such as winter grains and winter oilseed rape. The substantial increase in maize production within the time frame was likely unfavourable and may be one reason for the decline. Nonetheless, political tools such as the agri-environmental scheme “wildflower strips” were beneficial for the brown hare abundance and may be an option to reverse the decline seen over the 10 years.

Tularemia is a highly contagious infectious disease which has re-emerged in Germany with varying spatial and temporal distribution. European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus) and wild rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) typically serve as hosts for the zoonotic pathogen Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica, but many animals including insects and ticks can represent relevant vectors for tularemia. Since the beginning of 2016, cases of tularemia have seemed to accumulate within the brown hare population in Baden-Wuerttemberg (BW). Simultaneously, the number of human infections has also risen compared to previous years. Natural emergence or re-emergence of tularemia can appear in susceptible populations at any time. Knowledge about the actual occurrence and spreading of tularemia is essential to inform health professionals and risk groups, such as hunters, forest workers and farmers in endemic areas. Therefore, we assessed the spatial and temporal distribution of tularemia in brown hares and wild rabbits in BW, retrospectively based on results obtained from cultural and molecular investigations during routine diagnosis, including 179 brown hares (55 positive animals) and ten wild rabbits (0 positive animals), which were randomly found moribund or dead between January 2010 and June 2016. In addition we assessed surveillance data from notified human cases during the same time period. Our data suggest that tularemia is endemic in BW due to an annual and widespread occurrence. Furthermore, tularemia occurs with seasonal peaks in spring and autumn, in particular in October. There are counties where tularemia was observed in both humans and brown hares; however, there are regions with no coincidence of cases in humans and brown hares, suggesting that other reservoirs such as insects or ticks may play a relevant role as vectors. The results of the present study suggest that tularemia is an endemic zoonosis in BW which poses a permanent infection risk to humans.

Interspecific competition mediated by climate change: which interaction between brown and mountain hare in the Alps?

Simple SummaryPredator-prey relationships and competition shape interspecific coexistence in wildlife communities. So far, most published studies have focused on large carnivores and their prey, whereas little is known about medium and small-sized mammal communities. The European brown hare Lepus europaeus is a widespread species in Europe and is part of the diet of many birds of prey and mammalian carnivores of all sizes. Furthermore, competition with other herbivorous mammals at feeding sites has also been suggested. In an area in Central Italy, we have assessed spatiotemporal overlap among brown hare and its potential predators (red fox Vulpes vulpes, pine marten Martes martes, domestic cat Felis catus, and domestic dog Canis familiaris) and a competitor (roe deer Capreolus capreolus). We showed that, outside a fenced area excluding predators and competitors, brown hares become more nocturnal and more active on dark nights to limit encounters with predators, and that they adopt spatial partitioning to avoid competitors, as expected by ecological theory.Analysis of spatiotemporal partitioning is pivotal to shed light on interspecific coexistence. Most research effort has involved large-sized carnivores and their prey, whereas little attention has been devoted to lagomorphs. We assessed spatiotemporal overlap among the European brown hare Lepus europaeus and its potential competitors and predators through camera-trapping in an area in Central Italy. We estimated the interspecific patterns of the spatiotemporal activity rhythms of brown hares, its potential predators (the red fox Vulpes vulpes, the pine marten Martes martes, the domestic cat Felis catus, and the domestic dog Canis familiaris), and a competitor, the roe deer Capreolus capreolus. Brown hare activity was studied in natural conditions as well as in a fenced area that excluded terrestrial predators and competitors. Free-ranging hares developed a more nocturnal behavior to avoid diurnal predators (i.e., domestic carnivores and martens). Although high temporal overlap was observed between free-ranging brown hares and both red foxes (82%) and roe deer (81%), hares avoided fox by being more active on darkest nights, as well as avoided roe deer through spatial partitioning. We suggest that hares may adapt their spatiotemporal behavior to avoid potential predators and competitors.

We studied diet and prey preferences of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) inhabiting south-east Poland, based on kills found during GPS-GSM telemetry and opportunistic winter tracking. Among 64 lynx kills were roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (91%), red deer (Cervus elaphus) (3%) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus) (6%). From the ungulate community, lynx selected roe deer (D = 0.845) and avoided all other ungulates. We recorded one case of surplus and two cases of parallel killing. Lynx visited the same killed roe deer on average for 2.3 days, and for up to six days when surplus or parallel killing occurred. High numbers of the roe deer in south-east Poland supports the persistence of the lynx, but we urge managers to take under consideration food requirements of the lynx when planning game management.

Brief introduction: The European brown hare ( Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) is the only Lepus species that can be found in Serbia, and Balkan Peninsula where it represents an important game species. Previous analyses of brown hares in Serbia based on allozyme and mtDNA sequence variability revealed moderate genetic diversity and indicated possible population structuring in the region. The aim of this study is to detect population genetic diversity and structure in brown hares from Serbia using microsatellites. Material and Methods: A total number of 157 brown hares were collected from six different regions in Serbia and polymorphism of six microsatellite loci was analyzed. Following computer packages were used for the data analyses: ARLEQUINE, STRUCTURE, GENETIX, BOTTLENECK and NEWHYBRIDS. Results: A total number of 81 alleles at 6 loci were found. The highest number of alleles per locus was found at Lsa2 microsatellite loci (20), while the lowest number of alleles was present at loci Sat5 and Lsa3 (9), with an average of 7.86 alleles/locus in total sample. Different statistical approaches revealed that brown hare population from Serbia is structured into two genetic subunits (i.e., subpopulations). First subpopulation, named Northern-Central-Eastern (NCE) Serbia consists of five initially defined groups (Backa, Banat, Srem, Central Serbia and Eastern Serbia) while second subpopulation comprised of individuals from Western Serbia. Higher values of genetic diversity parameters were found in NCE Serbia subpopulation compared to Western Serbia subpopulation. Conclusion: Observed genetic differentiation should be considered in future brown hare management strategies, in order to preserve existing genetic diversity and to avoid further reduction of genetic variability in Western Serbia subpopulation or human mediated admixtures which can disturb present gene pools.

In many European countries over the last few decades, arable fields dominate agricultural landscapes, leading to very intensive land-use practices. This seems to be the main cause of population declines for numerous farmland species, including the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778). The Research Institute for Animal Production (National Agricultural and Food Centre—NPPC, Luzianky, Slovakia) has been engaged in a long monitoring project (a project currently running), collecting certain indicators of brown hare population dynamics during hunting season from 1987 to 2023 in the Slovak Danubian Lowland. In the same macro-area (Čiližská Radvaň and Lehnice), a study was conducted on the influence of permanent semi-natural vegetation in relation to recruitment, population density and production. The entire monitored period was aggregated into 5-year intervals (for a total of seven time intervals), with the aim of analyzing the brown hare population dynamics. Spring hare density in the Danubian Lowland is currently 20.8 hares/km2, with harvests of 4.6 hares/km2. During the monitoring period, bag animals have been examined following the regular hunting operations for the purpose of age determination (weight of eye lenses), sex ratio and productivity. There was a large positive effect of set-aside with special mixtures created for hares in large-scale farmed agrarian landscapes on brown hare density, bag and recruitment. In-model hunting grounds with such set-asides increased the spring stock by 25%, bag by 100% and recruitment by 20%. This study reveals that the management of European brown hare is not sustainable in the Slovak Danubian Lowland, and the population is decreasing. This is proven through the decline in harvest brown hares and by population dynamic parameters. Our data suggest that improvements in the habitat quality of arable landscapes by the adoption of permanent semi-natural vegetation may be more effective in the increase in the brown hare population.

A preliminary study on the detection of potential contaminants in the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) by suspect and microplastics screening

Looking for an effective method to reduce risk of animal-train collisions, we tested the system of wildlife warning reflectors, a method usually used on roads. The research was conducted in central Poland, along a 2.1 km stretch of the E65 railway line near Warsaw, during eight months, in the years 2010–2011. For six months of a test period, the reflectors were uncovered (active) and, for the next two months of the control period, they were covered (non-active). Digital cameras were used to register animal reactions to trains 24-hours per day. We compared the probability of escape (escape = 1; no reaction = 0) from an oncoming train during test and control periods of the research, in different parts of a day (i.e. day vs. night) and compared escape time of roe deer between day and night and with reflectors covered and uncovered. Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus) were observed most often (702 observations in total). The status of reflectors (covered/uncovered) did not influence the probability of animals’ escape from an oncoming train. The only factors that affected the probability of escape were animal species and time of a day. Of the three species, roe deer was most likely to escape from an oncoming train (89% of probability at day and 52% during night, pooled data for covered and uncovered reflectors). Timing of roe deer escape from an oncoming train did not differ between day (6.4 seconds) and night, with either reflectors covered (7.5 seconds) or uncovered (4.6 seconds). The results indicated that wildlife warning reflectors were not effective to modify animal behaviour and to reduce risk of animal-train collisions.

The diet composition of breeding Eastern Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca) was analysed in Hungary between 2005 and 2017, and compared with two previously published datasets from the periods of 1982–1991 and 1992–2004. Altogether the distribution of 8543 prey items of 126 different species and 29 other taxa were analysed within a 36-years period. We found that the previously abundant Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) became marginal (7.42%), while European Sousliks (Spermophilus citellus) practically disappeared (0.03%) from the diet of Imperial Eagles. Small game species, like the Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and the Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) composed a remarkable part of the diet (11.22% and 28.11% respectively), which raised some conflicts with hunters regionally and probably also contributed to the high prevalence of persecution incidents against the eagles. In parallel with the loss of traditional prey species, corvids (13.10%), pigeons (8.90%), waterbirds (6.83%), other rodents (6.71%), Roe Deers (Capreolus capreolus) (5.59%), raptors and owls (4.88%) became regularly detected prey species. The temporal changes of the main prey categories were analysed between 1998 and 2017, when the ratio of Hamster and Pheasant showed significant decrease (-27.29% and -6.38%, respectively). The ratio of Brown Hare also showed slight decrease (-3.98%), but the change was not significant. On the other hand, the ratio of corvids, waterbirds and Roe Deers within the diet showed significant increase (+18.20%, +6.25% and +5.39%, respectively). The observed flexibility in the foraging behaviour of Imperial Eagles greatly facilitate conservation efforts, as they seems to be able to utilize the most abundant prey sources, i.e. they were not depending solely from the status of any single specific prey source. However, eagles could only shift and survive in those regions, where their traditional preys decreased, if alternative species were available for them.

The occurrence of dermatophytes and keratinophilic fungi was investigated by hairbrush technique on the coat of 986 apparently healthy brown hares (Lepus europaeus, Pallas 1778) caught in 9 restocking and capture zones in Central Italy. Overall, 7.5% hair samples gave positive results. Trichophyton terrestre (2.1%), Chrysosporium sp, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton gloriae and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (0.6% each), Trichophyton erinacei and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (0.4% each), Chrysosporium asperatum (0.3%), Arthroderma sp and Microsporum canis (0.1% each) were identified in cultures with single isolates, whereas Chrysosporium sp/T. mentagrophytes (0.3%), Chrysosporium sp/T. terrestre and M. gypseum/T. terrestre (0.2% each), Chrysosporium tropicum/T. terrestre, M. canis/T. terrestre and T. ajelloi/T. terrestre (0.1% each) were identified in cultures with mixed isolates. T. erinacei and M. canis have not previously been isolated from hares. M. canis, T. erinacei and T. mentagrophytes were the most clinically important dermatophytes found. Altogether, they were isolated only from 1.5% hair samples. Thus, it is concluded that brown hares may play a limited epidemiological role as carriers of zoonotic dermatophytes.Nevertheless, this should be taken into consideration as many people may be exposed to zoonotic agents from brown hares during hunting and trapping activities.