Diet of the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) in a mountain ecosystem

Abstract

The diet of the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) was studied through microhistological pellet analysis in two areas from a mountain ecosystem in Central Portugal. Fecal pellets were collected monthly in 24 plots spatially distributed throughout the two study areas. For each period, a sample of 15 to 20 pellets was milled and 400 epidermal fragments were identified, by comparison with a reference collection. A wide range of plant species was observed in hare's diet. Grasses represent the basis of the Iberian hare diet, with frequencies always higher than 50% in both study areas (annual average=69.98%). Most of the 35 species of grasses assembled for the reference collection (91.43%) were identified in the pellets. Nevertheless, only six of these were consumed in proportions greater than 5%, being Anthoxanthum odoratum, Secale cereale and Agrostis spp. the species ingested in higher frequencies. The rate of grasses consumption reached 80.69% in winter but decreased in summer to around 55%. In this season, a concurrent rise in the ingestion of other plant groups, like herbs and shrubs, and of plant inflorescences was observed. This work provides the first results on the Iberian hare's diet on mountain ecosystems, and suggests that the Iberian hare diet in a mountain ecosystem is similar to the observed in L. europaeus and L. timidus.

The helminth community of the Iberian hare, Lepus granatensis (Lagomorpha: Leporidae), in the province of Granada, Spain

“…On the other hand, these seasonal differences could also be related to the diet of the Iberian hare. The rate of grass consumption reaches its maximum in winter (81 %), increasing the probability of acquiring infective stages of both species along the cold season (Paupério & Célio, 2008). Similar seasonal variations in parasite burdens have been reported for wild rabbits in Spain (García-Romero & Valcárcel, 1999).…”

“…In the case of the Iberian hare, the only study of such characteristics is that by Alzaga et al (2008), who analysed the relationship between parasite burdens and its ability to escape from predators. However, further analyses concerning the correlation between parasitism and other host-related factors are still required (Fernández et al, 2008;Paupério & Célio, 2008). This study aims to contribute to the knowledge on the helminthfauna of the Iberian hare in southern Spain through the survey of a large batch of the host.…”

Diet adaptability by a generalist herbivore: the case of brown hare in a Mediterranean agroecosystem

“…Separating and dry weighting fruit and seed content permitted a more accurate estimation of their consumption. This may explain the reason why a higher percentage of fruit and seed in diet of hare in the dry season was found compared to other studies in Mediterranean (Sfougaris et al 2006;Paupério and Alves 2008;Kontsiotis et al 2011).…”

“…in the wet season. Higher consumption of grasses in winter has been found in continental Europe (e.g., Reichlin et al 2006), whereas in yearround studies in Mediterranean mountainous and shrubland areas, the consumption of grasses was also found to increase slightly in winter (Paupério and Alves 2008;Karmiris and Nastis 2010).…”

Conocimientos científicos importantes para la conservación y gestión de las tres especies de liebre de la Península Ibérica: deficiencias y retos para el futuro

“…Lamentablemente no existen trabajos sobre el papel trófico de la liebre en la Península Ibérica. Los estudios sobre dieta de las liebres en la Península Ibérica se limitan al trabajo de Pauperio y Alves (2008) realizado en dos áreas de una zona montañosa del centro de Portugal y al de Carro (2005) en el Parque Nacional de Doñana, ambos relativos a la liebre ibé-rica. En ambos trabajos las gramíneas se encontraron como base de su dieta, suponiendo siempre más de un 50 % del alimento ingerido, siendo las especies consumidas más frecuentemente Anthoxanthum odoratum, Secale cereale y Agrostis spp.…”