Reducing visual stimulations in european hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas) captured for translocation

Stress may be an important variable affecting the survival of the captured hares, for this reason the Authors studied the effect of the use of a blindfolding hood applied to the hares immediately after net trapping. A total of 119 hares were captured by coursing with 3-4 dogs (greyhounds or lurchers) in no hunting areas of Tuscany. Immediately after net trapping 38 hares were blindfolded with a hood and 81 were normally handled to the wooden darkened capture- boxes without blinding their eyes (control). From all the hares a sample of blood was collected within 1-2 min by the auricular vein. Blood samples were analyzed for haemocromocytometry and metabolic profile determination. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. Sub-clinically stressed hares were discriminated from nonstressed hares by the use of the discriminant function based on CK, AST and glucose and the differences were tested by chi2c Results showed that body temperature, heart and respiratory rates, glucose, cholesterol, CK, AST, ALT, BUN, total protein and some haemocromo-cytometric parameters were significantly higher in captured hares without blindfold. The incidence of subclinically stressed hares was 26% in the hares equipped with the blindfold and 81% in the hares without blindfold (chi2c=32.98, P<0.0001) (presence of subclinical stress discriminated by the use of a discriminant function based on CPK, AST and glucose). For this reason the procedures designed for the translocation of the hares could take advantage by the use of a blindfold which should be applied to the hares immediately after their trapping

Effect of perches on morphology, welfare and behaviour of captive reared pheasants

This study investigated the effect of providing elevated perches in growing pens on the morphology and behaviour of young pheasants. Pheasants reared with perches from one week old were observed roosting off the ground significantly more frequently when moved into a pen containing trees at five weeks old than pheasants reared without perches (roosting pheasants: 24.3% vs. 6.7%; p < .01). The presence of perches reduced the level of plumage damage caused by feather pecking (damage scores: 2.3% vs. 2.1%; p < .05). Pheasants reared in huts with perching were larger overall than those from control huts, in particular were heavier (weights: 356.9 g vs. 345.2 g) and had longer and thicker tarsi than control pheasants (60.61 mm vs. 59.35 mm and 4.715–6.571 mm vs. 4.705–6.412 mm, respectively). Since roosting on tree branches is an important anti-predator behaviour, providing perches at an early stage of life in the captive rearing environment may be helpful in order to improve survival of the captive reared pheasant after release in the wild. Furthermore, the study suggests that a simple and easy husbandry technique, providing elevated perches, may improve the welfare and fitness of farm-reared game birds

Winter habitat selection by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) during feeding activity in a farmland area of southern Tuscany (Italy)

We investigated the winter habitat use by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) at the macro-habitat level in a farmland area of southern Tuscany during feeding activity using spot-light counts. Olive tree groves, cereal stubbles and winter cereals were used more than their availability, whereas ploughed fields, alfalfa and fallow fields were used less than their availability. Olive tree groves were the most used, followed by cereal stubbles. Since approximately 50% of over-wintering cereal stubbles were the result of economic agreements between the hunting district and local farmers, the study confirms the importance of this kind of agro-environmental measure for hare conservation

Relationship between habitat, densities and metabolic profile in brown hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas)

Some habitat traits and haematic parameters were studied to understand the relationships between the hare densities, habitat characteristics and physiological and nutritional condition of the animals. A total of 33 protected areas, reserved for wild game reproduction, located in the Province of Florence (Central Italy), were monitored during a 2-year period. In each protected area the hares were submitted to census. The habitat features of the protected areas were studied and the following parameters were categorised: altitude; cleared-land/total-land ratio; main exposure; main ground composition; water availability; main slope; anthropogenic presence; predator presence; wooded borders; presence of trees and shrubs; surveillance against hunting; demographic predator control; kind of cultivation; unharvested crops for game. After the census the hares were captured for translocation outside in "free" hunting areas. During capture the hares were put in darkened, wooden capture-boxes and remained inside for a variable period of time (10min to 3h). A sample of 3 to 7 hares, captured per year and per each protected area, were removed from the boxes (physically restrained, with covered eyes) for blood sample collection, sex, age and live weight determination. The following analyses were performed on frozen plasma samples: ALanine aminoTransferase (ALT), ASpartate aminoTransferase (AST), glucose, cholesterol, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, and Cl concentrations. The relationship between hare density and habitat characteristics was analysed by single regressions analysis. Then the habitat characteristics were subjected to multivariate analysis in relationship to hare body condition. The haematic parameters were analysed by least square means considering habitat traits, animal density, age and sex, as main categorical factors, interaction sex*age, and "pregnant and non-reproducing" nested within sex. Results showed that the highest density and best body conditions can be found in highlands, open fields with low tree presence and wooded borders, medium mixture soils, scarce predator presence and limited anthropogenic presence and with abundant water availability and shrubbiness. The study of the absolute values of metabolic profile, indicator of the physiological and nutritional condition of the reared animals, did not show any nutritional winter deficiency in wild hares and, as census data, should be repeated for several years since, probably, only their variations can be used as indicators of preliminary problems

Captive rearing technologies and survival of pheasants (Phasianus colchicus L.) after release

Studies have repeatedly emphasized the limited survival of pheasants reared using traditional methods compared to the wild one. For this reason we performed a field trial to compare survival rates, home ranges and habitat uses of pheasants artificial hatched and reared (traditional method) with pheasants artificial hatched and reared by fostering mothers (hens). A total of 117 artificially hatched pheasants, 57 artificially brooded after hatch and 60 brooded by fostering hens, were equipped with a radio necklace tag or a poncho tag. Both groups were localized two-three times a week after their release in the wild. The survival rates of the brooded-by-hen pheasants showed an improvement of survival rates, either poncho or radio tagged (P<0.05), 90.0% vs 57.1% and 35.0% vs 21.1%, respectively. The average maximum dispersion was 390 and 426 m and the home range were 12.0 and 11.6 ha in artificially brooded and brooded-by-hen pheasants, respectively. The land use showed that the woods were less represented than the available in the home range of every pheasant. For this reason the woods can be reduced in the agricultural areas interspersed with natural Mediterranean vegetation

Appennino: A GIS Tool for Analyzing Wildlife Habitat Use

The aim of the study was to test Appennino, a tool used to evaluate the habitats of animals through compositional analysis. This free tool calculates an animal's habitat use within the GIS platform for ArcGIS and saves and exports the results of the comparative land uses to other statistical software. Visual Basic for Application programming language was employed to prepare the ESRI ArcGIS 9.x utility. The tool was tested on a dataset of 546 pheasant positions obtained from a study carried out in Tuscany (Italy). The tool automatically gave the same results as the results obtained by calculating the surfaces in ESRI ArcGIS, exporting the data from the ArcGIS, then using a commercial spreadsheet and/or statistical software to calculate the animal's habitat use with a considerable reduction in time

Evaluation of some habitat improvement actions in a Mediterranean area through observation of reared pheasant and red-legged partridge land uses

Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) and pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) have suffered population decline in the last decades. Research suggested that decline is mainly related to the intensification of agricultural techniques and land abandonment. We evaluated habitat use and distribution of reared red-legged partridge pairs and cock pheasants in an estate representative of most of the agricultural Mediterranean areas from 2007 to 2012. Particular attention has been addressed to the effect of artificial habitat improvement actions (HIAs) and other management options such as supplemental feeding and hedgerows maintenance. We compared habitat use with its availability and analyzed spatial distribution by comparing points with pheasant cocks and partridge pairs with random ones. HIAs were used more than their availability by both species and resulted to have an important role in their distribution like hedgerows. Feeders resulted to have a strong effect on pheasant distribution, but not on pairs of red-legged partridges. Our results show that habitat management could be a fundamental tool for game-bird conservation, though the effects of feeders on red-legged partridge distribution need to be further investigated

Relationship between Anti-European Brown Hare Syndrome Serological Titers and Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas) Densities

Thirty-three protected wild game reproduction areas, located in the province of Florence (Central Italy), were monitored for habitat characteristics and hare census over a period of 2 years. A total of 172 hares was captured, checked for sex, and age, and blood samples were taken. Serum samples were analyzed by competitive ELISA test for detection and titration of anti-European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) antibodies. Results showed that EBHSV seropositive hares from areas with high and medium population densities had higher antibody titers than those coming from low-density areas and that adults showed lower values than young animals. Anti-EBHSV antibody levels were inversely related to the distances between protected areas and private hunting areas while a high density of protected areas was not associated with any similarity in the values or prevalence of EBHSV

Habitat use and home range traits of resident and relocated hares (Lepus europaeus, Pallas)

The aim of the study was to know the habitat preferences and home range of resident and relocated brown hares during the no hunting period. The trial was carried out in a protected area (PA) and in a free hunting territory (FHT), both located in Florence province. During captures 21 hares were equipped with a necklace radio tag: 7 hares, resident group, were released in the same area of capture and 14 hares, relocated group, were relocated in six different locations within the FHT. The effect of place of release was analyzed by ANOVA and/or non parametric methods. Results showed that the home ranges of the resident group were characterised by a greater presence of fallow land and shrub land than relocated group (P< 0.05). Home range sizes and Max distances from the releasing sites differed between the two groups. Resident hares preferred landscape characterized by a higher density of patches than the relocated hares (152 vs. 70 n/100ha, 43 vs. 12 n/100ha, 4703 vs. 8142 sq.m respectively; P<0.01). The landscape structure indexes, the home range sizes and the maximum distance from the releasing sites suggest that the relocated hares even if released in suited habitats, will move from their releasing point to look for better habitats. Landscape with most complexity are preferred from the resident hare, and this result should be consider when a project to reintroduction of this lagomorph in a territory is programmed, or when it is necessary to improve the dynamic of a natural population