A comparative study of the reproductive activities of European hare (Lepus europaeus) populations in Turkey

Abstract

To explore whether the reproductive cycle of Lepus europaeus differs within Turkey, a total of 182 hares from Turkish Thrace (transition climate), Central Anatolia (continental climate), the Black Sea (oceanic climate), and the Turkish Mediterranean (Mediterranean climate) were collected between June 2006 and September 2014. We present the length of breeding season, sex ratio, mean litter size, and testicle position of European hares distributed in Turkey for the first time. Among these features, length of breeding season and mean litter size of European hares showed moderate variation in Turkey.