Geographic Range
Iberian hares (
Lepus granatensis
) are found on the Iberian Peninsula, which is located in southwest Europe and includes
Andorra, Portugal and Spain. This region is commonly referred to as simply Iberia.
Iberian hares are common throughout the peninsula, except in the far northeast, where
their range meets that of
brown hares
. Iberian hares are also absent from some pockets in the Cantabrian Mountains, which
are dominated by
broom hares
. Together, brown hares and Iberian hares are western Europe’s most common hares and
are important game species. In northeast Spain, the range of Iberian hares joins the
range of brown hares. Iberian hares tend to be more prevalent in their own range than
in the transition zone between the two ranges. The Iberian Peninsula was highly affected
by glaciation during the Pleistocene, causing species to fragment. Iberian hares are
no exception, this is believed to be what caused the species to diversify from others
in the region. The range of Iberian hares may have expanded during warm periods, causing
the ranges of
mountain hares
and others to shrink.
- Biogeographic Regions
- palearctic
- Other Geographic Terms
- holarctic
Habitat
Iberian hares are most common in the northern Iberian Mountains. Much of this area
has a less extreme climate than other parts of the peninsula, such as the Ebro Depression
and the southern Iberian Mountains, suggesting that Iberian hares prefer moderate
climates. The species tends to prefer the agricultural ecosystems common to this region.
Though Iberian hares can be found in the southern Iberian Mountains and Ebro Depression,
abundances in these areas are not as high, possibly due to the extremely low rainfall,
harsh winters and lack of agricultural ecosystems. Iberian hares may occupy a variety
of landscape types within their range including forests, shrublands and grasslands.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- forest
- scrub forest
- mountains
- Other Habitat Features
- suburban
- agricultural
Physical Description
Iberian hares are similar in appearance to hares found in North America and Europe.
Like other hares, Iberian hares are notable for their disproportionately long ears,
which are about 100 mm in length. Their coat is generally different shades of brown,
brownish-red or gray, while their ventral side is white. As with other hare species,
both males and females are about the same size, with total lengths of about 600 to
750 mm. These hares do not exhibit any notable sexual dimorphism. Their face and snout
are short and wide.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
Reproduction
No information could be found specifically regarding the mating systems of Iberian
hare. Most
leporids
exhibit polygynandrous sexual behavior, meaning both males and females copulate with
multiple partners.
- Mating System
- polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Courtship and mating occur during the spring season; hares leap in the air and perform
twists during the courting process. This is one of the few times individuals interact
with conspecifics. Their newborns, known as “leverets”, are born with full pelage
and open eyes. There are generally less than five leverets per litter; however, a
single female may produce up to seven litters per year. Unlike rabbits, they do not
dig full burrows but create a shallow depression in the ground called a “form”, in
which to give birth.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
There is currently no information available regarding the parental investment of Iberian hares.
Lifespan/Longevity
Like most hares, the life expectancy of Iberian hares is low. The closely-related
and overlapping species,
European hares
, have a life expectancy of just 1.04 years. Information pertaining specifically to
Iberian hares is not available, but they are likely similar to European hares.
Behavior
Iberian hares make forms in the ground for resting and raising young. These forms
are made by scratching a depression into the soil. Hares lie in the form with their
lumbar region facing outward, forms become larger with increased use. Forms are usually
found in sheltered areas, such as under brush and logs. This species is nocturnal,
however, activity periods can vary and Iberian hares are commonly seen during daylight
hours. They are solitary animals, except when mating and raising young.
- Key Behaviors
- terricolous
- saltatorial
- nocturnal
- motile
- sedentary
- solitary
Home Range
No information is available regarding the home range size of Iberian hares.
Communication and Perception
Like other hares of the world, Iberian hares are mostly quiet under normal conditions.
However, when in extreme distress, hares may emit a high-pitched screech or scream-like
call. Hares also sometimes stomp the ground violently with their hind legs in order
to warn others of danger.
- Communication Channels
- acoustic
Food Habits
Like all hare species, Iberian hares are herbivores, feeding on plant material. They
are commonly found in agricultural regions where they feed on crops and in vineyards.
In forested areas, hares feed on buds, twigs and bark, especially in winter.
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- wood, bark, or stems
- flowers
Predation
Little is written on predation of Iberian hares, but predators of other hare species
worldwide are likely similar. Common hare predators include dogs such as
coyotes
,
foxes
and
wolves
, as well as wild and domestic felines. Predatory birds such as hawks and eagles are
also a threat.
- Anti-predator Adaptations
- cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
The intestinal coccidian,
Taenia pisiformis cysticercus
, has been found using Iberian hares as hosts. These parasites may decrease hares'
survivability when attempting to escape predators.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Iberian hares are a very common and important game species in Europe.
- Positive Impacts
- food
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Iberian hares tend to frequent agricultural habitats and may cause some crop damage,
especially where their populations are high.
- Negative Impacts
- crop pest
Conservation Status
Iberian hares are listed as a “Least Concern” species by IUCN Redlist; however the
species is believed to be extinct on the island of Mallorca and around Galacia and
Asturias, although their numbers have been trending upward in many other areas.
Additional Links
Contributors
Derek Weaver (author), Northern Michigan University, John Bruggink (editor), Northern Michigan University, Leila Siciliano Martina (editor), Texas State University.
- Palearctic
-
living in the northern part of the Old World. In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- holarctic
-
a distribution that more or less circles the Arctic, so occurring in both the Nearctic and Palearctic biogeographic regions.
Found in northern North America and northern Europe or Asia.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- scrub forest
-
scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- suburban
-
living in residential areas on the outskirts of large cities or towns.
- agricultural
-
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
- polygynandrous
-
the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- saltatorial
-
specialized for leaping or bounding locomotion; jumps or hops.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- solitary
-
lives alone
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- cryptic
-
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
- food
-
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- folivore
-
an animal that mainly eats leaves.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
References
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