The species of June 2013

Name: Cyprus Hare
Scientific name: Lepus europaeus cyprius

Description
Mammal of the hare family and hunting species. Very fast and smart animal, it has a disadvantage in its vision but balances with its very good developed hearing. It has a brown-yellow color, depending on the age and the environment in which it lives.

Spreading
An endemic subspecies of Cyprus that is found in many habitats.

Ecology – Behavior
It lives in all the provinces of the island and its population is satisfactory compared to the strong pressure it receives from hunters. Herbivorous animal that feeds on grass, leaves, shrub fruits. Its predators are the vulture, the fox and the snake, with the snake being considered a predator only for young hares. He searches for food at night while during the day he hides from his predators. It is a solitary animal with the exception of its breeding season, where the female remains in the place where she grew up, while the male travels long distances to find the female. During the middle of summer the female usually gives birth to 1-2 young and rarely 3-4.

Sources:
[1] Η πανίδα της Κύπρου. Υπουργείο Γεωργίας, Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος, Τμήμα Δασών
[2] Θηλαστικά του Κυπριακού Δάσους. Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Τμήμα Δασών
[3] http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/fd/fd.nsf/9977a096e421fe9fc2256f2c003876c4/72DB9E695ADBE608C2257A31003B72F2/$file/%CE%98%CE%B7%CE%BB%CE%B1%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AC%20%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85%20%CE%BA%CF%85%CF%80%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%8D%20%CE%B4%CE%AC%CF%83%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%82.pdf
[4] http://www.schools.ac.cy/eyliko/mesi/themata/viologia/ekpaideftiko_yliko/a_gymnasiou/2011_2012/enotita_6/vivlio_ekpaideftikou_meros_b.pdf