Implications for conservation and game management of the roadkill levels of the endemic Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis)

The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) is an important small game species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula for which the incidence of roadkill is unknown. We surveyed Iberian hare–vehicle accidents on road networks in southern Spain, focusing on roads that mainly run through favorable habitats for this species: Mediterranean landscapes with plots of arable crops, olive groves, and vineyards. We recorded roadkills over a 5-month period, estimated hare accident densities on roads, and compared these numbers to hare hunting yields in adjoining hunting estates. We also analyzed the spatial patterns of and potential factors influencing hare roadkills. We detected the existence of black spots for hare roadkills in areas with high landscape heterogeneity that also included embankments and nearby crossroads and had high traffic intensity. Hare roadkill levels ranged from 5 to 25% of the annual harvest of hares killed on neighboring hunting estates. We suggest that road collisions should be considered in Iberian hare conservation in addition to hunting, since they may represent an additive source of mortality. Game managers should address the issue of hare roadkill in harvest planning to compensate for hare accidents, adjusting hunting quotas to account for this unnatural source of mortality. Our results suggest future directions for applied research in road ecology, including further work on demographic compensation and roadkill mitigation.

Environmental Factors Determinate Roadkill Levels of the Endemic Iberian Species, Iberian Hare (Lepus Granatensis)

Lepus granatensis is an Iberian Peninsula endemic species and one of the most important small game species. We surveyed Iberian hare-vehicle accidents in roads network in southern Spain, analysing the Mediterranean landscape, the main habitats of this species. We recorded roadkill of roads during 6-month, compared hare roadkill densities to hare hunting yields. We analyzed the spatial patterns and factors that could be influencing the hare road kill. We detected blackspots of hare road kill in areas with high landscape heterogeneity and included embankments, intersections roads and high traffic intensity. The hare roadkill ranged between 6% and 41% of the annual harvest of hares killed on neighbouring hunting estates. We therefore consider it highly relevant to take into account the hare road kill, especially in hare hunting areas, suggesting to gamekeepers and managers addressing the issue of road kill of hares. It would be necessary that hunting quotas be adjusted in territories where the additive effect of these non-natural hare mortalities converge. Results point to future directions for applied research in road ecology, which would include demographic compensation and roadkill mitigation. Our methodology could be of wide use to identify lagomorphs’ road kill blackspots by analysing environmental spatial patterns.

Helmintos gastrointestinales en liebres (Lepus granatensis) del sureste de la Península Ibérica

La liebre ibérica (Lepus granatensis) es un mamífero ubicuo en la península ibérica con importantes implicaciones ecológicas y económicas. Para conocer el estatus sanitario de esta especie, se han estudiado la cavidad abdominal y órganos del aparato digestivo de 85 liebres ibéricas procedentes del Altiplano de la Región de Murcia (sureste de España). La prevalencia total de helmintos hallada fue del 87,7%, siendo la prevalencia de nematodos del 82,2%, la de metacestodos del 44,7% y, en el caso de las formas adultas de cestodos, del 5,9%. Las especies de nematodos encontradas fueron Nematodiroides zembrae (78.8%), Passalurus ambiguus (9,4%) y Trichostrongylus retortaeformis (2,4%), en tanto que las especies de cestodos detectadas fueron Cittotaenia denticulata (5,9%) y Cysticercus pisiformis (44,7%). Los resultados obtenidos demuestran la existencia de una relación positiva entre la intensidad de parasitación de N. zembrae y la presencia de C. pisiformis. The abdominal cavity and digestive organs of 85 Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) from the Altiplano of the Region of Murcia (southeastern Spain) were studied. The overall prevalence of helminths was 87.7%, including nematodes (82.2% of prevalence), metacestodes (44.7%) and adult cestodes (5.9%). Three nematode species were found: Nematodiroides zembrae (78.8%), Passalurus ambiguus (9.4%) and Trichostrongylus retortaeformis (2.4%), while two cestode species were detected: Cittotaenia denticulata (5.9%) and Cysticercus pisiformis (44.7%). Our results show a positive relationship between N. zembrae intensity and the presence of C. pisiformis.