K. Hacklander et al., On fertility of female European hares (Lepus europaeus) in areas of different population densities, Z JAGDWISS, 47(2), 2001, pp. 100-110
We examined the reproductive rate and health status of 57 adult female Euro
pean bares (Lepus europaeus) in seven hunting districts in Lower Austria in
the year 1998. Females from areas of different population density showed n
o differences regarding body weight, health status, or numbers of placental
scars. 82,5 % of all females had placental scars. The mean number of place
ntal scars of parous females was 9,6, the maximum was 19. There was a tende
ncy toward a higher proportion of non-parous females in areas of below-aver
age population density (27 %) than in areas of above-average population den
sity (7 %). Because of lower hunting pressure, females from areas with belo
w-average population density were older. With increasing age the proportion
of females with pathological uteri increased. Nearly all of these patholog
ical uteri were combined with infertility. Areas of different population de
nsities did not differ in habitat structure or in the proportion of natural
parts (e.g., fallow fields). Annual precipitation was higher in areas of l
ow population density. We suggest that differences in population density in
our study sites are not due to different fertility of females or males, bu
t could be ascribed to different mortality rate in leverets due to differen
t climatic conditions.