Download PREDA TOR-PREY RELA TIONSHIP BETWEEN RABBIT

PREDATOR-PREY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RABBIT
AND LYNX IN SOUTHERN SPAIN
by P.M. ROGERS
*
Department of Zoology, Uniuersify of Guelph,
Guelph, Ontario NtG 2W1, Canada
The Lynx Lynx pardina (Temminck) is one of the most impnr­
tant predators of the Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus L. in the Cota
Dofiana, Sevilla, Spain (Valverde, 1960, 1967). The Lynx is listed
as an endangered species by l.lJ.C.N. (Goodwin and Holloway,
1972).
To provide further information on the relationship between
the two species, Lynx faeces were collected whenever they were
seen in the Reserva Biologica de Dofiana as part of a 1973 field
project (Rogers, 1974). They were numbered, their location noted
and subsequently plotted on a map of the reserve. Faecal analysis
for food habits was done by Snr. D. Miguel Delibes of the Estaci6n
Biol6gica de Donana. Rabbits were counted from horseback along
8 transects (fig. 1), each of which was rMden six times in alternate
directions in bath spring and fall. The counts were converted to
indices of density using Hayne's (1949) method (Overton, 1969).
The land of the reserve was stratified according to the landscape
approach to land classification (Mabbutt, 1968 ; Rogers, 1974).
Three hundred and fifty-one Lynx faeces were collected from
December 1972 to October 1973. Of the faeces collected, 84 %
contained Rabbit remains, 11 % duck remains and 3 % small
mammal remains (Table I). Evidence of prey larger than Rabbit
occurred in only 3 % of the faeces. Birds other than ducks. were
found in 3 % of the faeces. Distribution of faeces throughout the
reserve showed a similar pattern to that of rabbits (fig. 1). Typt­
cally, faeces were found closely grouped on an open patch of
ground, often on tracks, especially those infrequently used by
man, and frequently on top of or, less often, in the immediate
*
Present address
Station
Biologique de la Tour du Valat,
Arles, France.
La Terre et la Vie, vol. 32, 1978.
Le
Sambuc,
13200
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- - ----------- --------�---
13
significont nos.
off, but
to
M
A
close
transect
0
R
R
A
;f
_
_
_
,
1- -
,.. ----_
I
I
4
j_
N9s of lynx
faeces
_.1
-0
---
1500
---Figure
M
1.
Index of
rabbit n9s
-
Distribution
of rabbits
(Oryctolagus cuniculus)
using an index of
in the
2
3
Kilometres
-
and of Lynx (Lynx pardina) faeces found on or near transects
1
numbers
Reserva
from
Biol6gica de
transect
Doiiana,
counts
Spain.
of animals
1973.
vicinity of rabbit warrens. Such warrens almost always showed
positive sign of predation on rabbits (e.g. excavation of nesting
burrows, rabbit fur) and were never entirely undisturbed.
TABLE
1. - Occurrence of food species in Lynx (Lynx pardina)
December 1972 to October 1973, Coto Doii.ana, Spain.
No. of faeces with
prey remains.n=351
Species
Deer Dama dama & �
elaphus
% of total
faeces
2.6
cuniculus
84.o
Small mammals
Eliomys, Apodemus
& Rattus spp.
Sylvaemus),
(=
3.1
Rabbit
Oryctolagus
1
0.3
1
0.3
40
11.4
Fartridge Alectoris �
4
1.1
Birds - species unidentified
5
1.1+
Hare
Lepus capensis
Mongoose
Herpestes
Duck
(= europaeus)
ichneumon
� spp.
Insects
(all Coleoptera)
9
16
Plant material
a
2.6
4.6
includes 5 of faecal pellets only
bincludes
18 identified
as
non-adult
The Lynx is thus heavily dependent upon the Rabbit for
food. This dependence is most evident from the faecal analyses
(Table 1), and is given additional emphasis by the similarity of the
population distributions of Rabbit and Lynx as represented in
figure 1. Delibes et al (1975) have collected additional data to
support the finding that rabbits form a high proportion of the
Lynx diet. The proportion increases in summer. Thus as other
prey, probably migratory birds in particular, become scarce the
Rabbit assumes a greater importance for Lynx survival, possibly
contributing to the observed decrease in Rabbit numbers from
their spring high (Rogers, 1974). The greater numbers of al.terna­
tive Lynx prey to be found on the border of El Matorral and Las
Marismas land systems (Rogers, 1974) probably account for the
relatively smaller numbers of rabbits to numbers of Lynx faeces
in the east part of the reserve compared to elsewhere (fig. 1).
Anas sp. particularly are more common toward the east border
of the reserve.
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These results indicate that the Lynx and Rabbit in Mediter­
ranean Europe may have evolved an ecological interdependence
similar to the well known relationship between Lynx L. cana­
densis and Snowshoe hare Lepus americanus (M acLulich, 1937;
and others), a possibility with critical implications for manage­
ment and conservation.
SUMMARY
A collection of 351 Lynx (Lynx pardina) faeces made from
December 1972 to October 1973 in the Resema Biol6gica de Dona­
na (Spain) was analysed for food remains. Rabbit (Oryctolagus
cuniculus) remains were found in 84 %, duck (Anas spp.) remains
in 11 % and small mammal remains in 3 % of the faeces. Distri­
bution of faeces showed a similar pattern to that of rabbits as
determined by sight counts along transects. It is suggested that
Lynx and Rabbit in Europe may have evolved an ecological rela­
tionship similar to that between L. canadensis and Snowshoe hare
Lepus americanus in North America.
RESUME
De décembre 1972 à octobre 1973, 351 crottes de Lynx (Lynx
pardina) ont été collectées et analysées dans la Reserva Biol6gica
de Donana (Espagne) en vue de déterminer le régime de cet ani­
mal. Des restes de lapin (Oryctolagus cuniculus) ont été identifiés
dans 84 % des déjections et ceux de canards (Anas spp.) et de
micromammifères dans 11 % et 3 % respectivement.
Les dénombrements directs sur transects ont montré que la
distribution spatiale des crottes de Lynx et de lapins était la même.
Il semblerait donc que la relation de ces deux espèces en Europe
soit la même que celle qui existe en Amérique du Nord entre L.
canadensis et le Lièvre variable (Lepus americanus).
ACKNO'WLEDGEMENTS
1 would like to thank Sr. M. Delibes for doing the faecal analyses, Dr D.M.
Lavigne, University of Guelph for critical reading of the manuscript and Professor
K. Myers, University of Guelph, for technical advice. The work formed part of a
thesis presented to the University of Guelph, Canada and was made possible
through
Myers.
National Research .Council of
Canada support to me and
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Professor
K.
RIBLIOGRAPHY
DELIBES,
M., PALACIOS, F., G A RZON, J. and CASTROVIEJO, J. (1975). - Notes sur
l'alimentation et la biologie du Lynx pardelle Lynx pardina (Temminck,
1924), en Espagne. Mammalia, 39 : 387-393.
GooowIN, H.A. and HoLLOWAY, C.W. (compilers) (1972). - Red Data Book, Vol. 1 :
Mammalia. International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Na­
tural Resources, Morges, Switzerland.
HAYNE, D.W. (1949). - An examination of the strip census method for estimating
animal populations. J. Wildl. Manage, 13 : 145-157.
MABBUTT, J.A. (1968). - Review of concepts of land classification. In Land Eva­
luation CG.A. Stewart, ed.), pp. 11-28.
bourne.
Macmillan Co. of Australia, Mel­
D.A. (1937). - Fluctuations in the numbers of the Varying hare
(Lepus americanus). Univ. Toronto Studies, Biol. Ser., N° 43.
MACLULICH,
ÜVERTON, W.S. (1969). - Estimating the numbers of animals in wildlife popula­
tions. In : Wildlife Management Techniques, R.H. Giles ed., pp. 403-455.
The Wildlife Society, Washington D.C.
ROGERS, P.M. (1974). - Land classification and patterns of animal distribution.s
in the management of national parks. Coto Donan.a, Spa'in. M. Sc. thesis,
University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
de Las Marismas del Guadalquivir. Arch.
Inst. Aclim. Almeria Esp. 9, 166 p.
VALVERDE, J.A. (1960). - Vertebrados
VALVERDE, J.A. (1967). - Estructura de una comunidad mediterranea de vertebrados
terrestres. Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Mono­
graficas de Ciencia Maderna 76, 219 pp.
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