HOME-RANGE SIZES OF IRISH MOUNTAIN HARES ON COASTAL GRASSLAND

The home range sizes of eight adult Irish hares on a coastal grassland habitat were studied using radiotracking. The total home ranges of ma le hares had a median size of 50ha and ranged between 30ha and 70ha, w hereas female total ranges had a median size of 21.5ha and ranged betw een 12ha and 50ha. This difference, however, was not significant. Rang e sizes did not change significantly across the year for either males or females. There was no significant difference between the sizes of d ay and night ranges for either males or females. Male day ranges were significantly larger than female day ranges while there was no signifi cant difference between the sexes in night ran There was a large, thou gh variable, degree of overlap (20-84%) between day and night range ar eas. Hares showed no signs of dispersing from areas in which they were originally caught. Range sizes in this study were substantially small er than those reported for mountain hares on montane habitats in other countries but were similar to home ranges of brown hares on grassland habitats elsewhere.