Survey of hare tracks on the snow

Abstract

The movement of three Japanese hares of the spcies (Lepus brachyurus) in Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan was investigated using radio telemetry during the night, and the tracks remaining on the snow were traced during the following days. The average track lenght for a night was 1176 m (range : 841-1729 m), and the average are covered by tracks was 5.9 ha (range : 3.2-10.4 ha). The average number of pellets per night was 79.7 (range : 41-118). Feeding signs were found on 8 kinds of plants, such as Rubus palmatus, Lolium sp. etc.