POPULATION-SIZE AND HOME-RANGE OF BLACK-NAPED HARES LEPUS-NIGRICOLLIS-NIGRICOLLIS ON COUSIN-ISLAND (SEYCHELLES, INDIAN-OCEAN)

Hares (Lepus spp.) often occur at high densities in populations on sma ll oceanic islands. We assessed the population size of the introduced black-naped hare Lepus nigricollis nigricollis on Cousin Island (29 ha ), Seychelles, Indian Ocean, during the dry season, using mark-recaptu re techniques. An estimated 128-170 hares occurred on the island, or a density of 4-6 hares/ha. Home ranges of an adult male and female hare were 0.99 ha and 1.79 ha, respectively. Leverets (hares < 0.6 kg) com prised 7.9% of hares sighted during population counts. Based on sighti ngs of leverets, hares probably breed in the wet and dry season.