Space use patterns of mountain hare (Lepus timidus) on the Alps.

Populations on the limits of species’ distribution could adapt their behaviour under strong ecological pressure. We investigated space use patterns of two alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus) populations on the southern edge of the species’ range. We monitored 34 hares between 2005 and 2008, estimating home range size, overlap and site fidelity, and compared our data with space use in Scottish and North-European populations. Home ranges of mountain hares did not differ between two study sites with different habitat types. Subadult animals used larger ranges than adults and both age groups reduced home range size in autumn, a period that might be critical for hares due to changes in diet and/or high energy expenditure during the previous breeding season. Younger hares probably made exploratory movements to gather information about surrounding habitats. Home ranges in these ‘edge’ populations were smaller than in Scandinavian populations, but within the range of populations in different habitat types in Scotland. Seasonal home ranges overlapped considerably, but differed among the sexes: intersexual overlap in males (thus with females) was larger than spatial overlap among other sexes. Seasonal shifts of home ranges were small and site fidelity remained constant over the different seasons, suggesting that resource distribution remained constant throughout the year and that the knowledge of an intensively frequented area is an important element of habitat quality. We concluded that habitat structure and availability of mates interact in affecting mountain hare space-use in alpine habitats.