Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer 1856
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Lagomorpha
Leporidae
Lepus
Lepus granatensis

description: 52.
Iberian Hare
Lepus granatensis
French: Lievre ibérique / German: Andalusischer Hase / Spanish: Liebre ibérica
Other common names: Granada Hare
Taxonomy. Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856,
“bei Graneda [Granada],” Andalusia Province, Spain.
In the past, L. granatensis was included in L. europaeus or L. capensis but received species status based on morphological and genetic characteristics. The population in Sardinia, to which the names mediterraneus and typicus are applied, has formerly been assigned to L. granatensis based of their closeness, although it was thought to be a distinct species because ofits small size. Up to now, there is no definite study of the Sardinian population, so it is included in L. capensis. If mediterraneus is confirmed as a synonym of granatensis in the future, it has priority over granatensis. A homogeneous distribution of mtDNA from L. granatensis was found in L. europaeus from the northern Iberian Peninsula where both species are parapatric. This is probably a result of gene flow between the two species in the contact zone. As taxonomists are still trying to clarify the species differentiation in Lepus, the subspecific taxonomy is not elaborated yet. The original descriptions of the subspecies are often not very helpful as they are mostly based on few exterior characteristics and small numbers of individuals. It has been shown that the variability is clinal in more careful investigations. Hence, the distinction in subspecies might be arbitrary and unreasonable. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
L.g.granatensisRosenhauer,1856—IberianPeninsulaexceptN&NE.
L.g.gallaeciusMiller,1907—Galicia,andWAsturias(NWSpain).
L. g. solisi Palacios & Fernandez, 1992 — Mallorca (Balearic Is), but this population may have been introduced by early settlers on the islands.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 440-480 mm, tail 93-112 mm, ear 90-100 mm, hindfoot 112-121 mm; weight 2.2-6 kg. The Iberian Hare is distinguished by clear contrast between dorsal and ventral pelage and by white strips on forefeet and hindfeet. There is slight geographical variation in color. Ear length is greater in Andalusian specimens; hindfoot length is greater in northern specimens and much smaller in Mallorcan specimens. North-western populations are much darker than the rest.
Habitat. Humid mountain forests in the north-western part of its distribution, dry cropland in central Spain, and sand dunes in Mediterranean coastal areas from sea level to elevations of ¢.1900 m. The population of the Iberian Hare in Mallorca occurs in dry cropland and thickets. One study shows that habitat requirements of the Iberian Hare have changed significantly in recent decades from a highly significant association with natural vegetation in the 1960s to one with cultivated lands in the 1990s. This shift in habitat use might have enabled increases in numbers of Iberian Hares because anthropogenic habitats provide year-round cover and food. The Iberian Hare showed a high preference for uncultivated land for resting areas.
Food and Feeding. Diet of the Iberian Hare includes a wide variety of plant species. It feeds mostly on grasses, making up an annual average of ¢.70% of the diet in a mountain ecosystem. Ninety-one percent of available grass species were consumed, but only three of them were used in proportions greater than 5% (Anthoxanthum odoratum, Secale cereale, and Agrostis spp.). Diets consist of 81% grass in winter but only 55% in summer. Other plant groups such as herbs, shrubs, and plant inflorescences are eaten In summer.
Breeding. Reproductive activity of the Iberian Hare occurs throughout the year, with peaks in February—June;it is lowest in September—-December. Environmental factors have little influence on reproductive activity of the Iberian Hare. Gestation lasts 41-42 days. Averagelitter sizes are 1-6-2:1 young (range 1-7 young). A reproductive female has an average of 3-5 litters/year or 3-5-16-1 young/year.
Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Home ranges of Iberian Hare do not vary in size between sexes and average 28 ha for males and 24 ha for females in transitional pastures and 40 ha in arable farmland.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Iberian Hare is listed in Appendix III of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats as a part of L. capensis sensu lato. It occurs in almost the entire Iberian Peninsula, but it is excluded in the northern and northeastern parts where the Broom Hare (L. castroviejoi) and the European Hare (L. eropaeus) occur. The Iberian Hare once inhabited the Balearic Islands, Spain, butit is now extinct there. It was introduced to southern France and Corsica in recent decades, but there is no proof of established populations. The Iberian Hare is common in much ofits distribution and locally abundant in central and southern Spain; numbers in north-eastern Spain even seem to be increasing. Nevertheless, the Iberian Hare is extremely rare or extinct in western Galicia, western Asturias, and north to the Ebro River between Navarre and Huesca. It is rare on Mallorca and extinct in the western mountains. The Iberian Hare is an important game species in the Iberian Peninsula. No major conservation threats have been identified, and models even predicted that the current distribution will enlarge northward.
Bibliography. Acevedo, Melo-Ferreira et al. (2012), Alves & Rocha (2003), Alves, Ferrand et al. (2003), Alves, Goncalves et al. (2002), Angermann (2016), Bonhomme et al. (1986), Carro et al. (2011), Farfan, Duarte et al. (2012), Farfan, Guerrero et al. (2004), Farféan, Vargas et al. (2004), Fernandez et al. (2008), Gortazar et al. (2007), Hoffmann & Smith (2005), Lissovsky (2016), Miller (1912), Mitchell-Jones et al. (1999), Palacios (1983, 1989), Palacios & Fernandez (1992), Paupério & Alves (2008), Sanchez-Garcia et al. (2012), Sanz-Martin et al. (2014), Seixas et al. (2014), Smith & Johnston (2008h).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Leporidae, pp. 107-148 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 141, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6625539