Porcupettes Management at Wildlife Rescue Centers and Liberation into the Wild: Implications for Post-Liberation Success.

The crested porcupine is a frequent host species in wildlife rescue centers and no guidelines for its management, liberation and post-liberation monitoring are yet available. Here, captive-grown porcupines' behavior and survival in the wild after liberation were investigated and described for the first time. Management strategies adopted at the centers could affect porcupine adaptation to the natural environment. The detention of porcupettes in single cages and fed only human-supplied food may not ensure ethological welfare, nor a suitable behavioral development compatible with wildlife. The liberation of captive-grown porcupines should also be carefully planned to promote and increase the possibility of post-liberation success.

Contribution to the ecology of the Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus).

The Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) is endemic to Central-Southern Italy and Sicily, classified as vulnerable due to habitat alterations, low density and fragmented populations and ecological competition with the sympatric European hare (Lepus europaeus). Despite this status, only few and local studies have explored its ecological features. We provided some key traits of the ecological niche of the Italian hare as well as its potential distribution in the Italian peninsula. All data derived from genetically validated presences. We generated a habitat suitability model using maximum entropy distribution model for the Italian hare and its main competitor, the European hare. The dietary habits were obtained for the Italian hare with DNA metabarcoding and High-Throughput Sequencing on faecal pellets. The most relevant environmental variables affecting the potential distribution of the Italian hare are shared with the European hare, suggesting a potential competition. The variation in the observed altitudinal distribution is statistically significant between the two species.The diet of the Italian hare all year around includes 344 plant taxa accounted by 62 families. The Fagaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae and Solanaceae (counts > 20,000) represented the 90.22% of the total diet. Fabaceae (60.70%) and Fagaceae (67.47%) were the most abundant plant items occurring in the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter diets, respectively. The Spring/Summer diet showed richness (N = 266) and diversity index values (Shannon: 2.329, Evenness: 0.03858, Equitability: 0.4169) higher than the Autumn/Winter diet (N = 199, Shannon: 1.818, Evenness: 0.03096, Equitability: 0.3435). Our contribution adds important information to broaden the knowledge on the environmental (spatial and trophic) requirements of the Italian hare, representing effective support for fitting management actions in conservation planning.

Patterns of spatial overlap in a monogamous large rodent, the crested porcupine.

The crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is a large rodent which pairs for life. We studied the space use of 17 female and 9 male radio-tracked porcupines in an evergreen coastal woodland ("macchia", EW) and in an agricultural estate (AE), with special reference to the use of cultivations. Home range sizes of male porcupines (4.72-323.40) ranged around 114ha (median) during the warm period (April-September) and 162ha during the cold one (October-March). Home ranges of females (2.48-323.40) were c. 91ha during the warm period and c. 143ha during the cold one. Habitat composition and selection changed from the cold to the warm months, with porcupines being present in agricultural areas especially in the latter. Home range overlap between members of the same pair varied from 57% to 97% (median, 75%). Habitat selection was analyzed at the second (within study area) and at the third (within home range) order of selection. Within study areas, porcupines avoided cultivations and selected habitats with dense vegetation, providing cover and food. Within home ranges, in the warm period, porcupines selected agricultural areas in EW, where this habitat represented a minor portion of the study site. In that season, the Mediterranean "macchia" is a poor source of food, forcing porcupines to travel long distances to reach feeding sites. No significant difference of habitat selection within home ranges was detected between members of the same pair. Cultivations may play a key-role for porcupine survival, especially in poor habitats, as they provide abundant food resources in the warm period.