Improving the method of lens mass preparation  for age assessment in the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus)

Nikola Mihajlović; Stefan Stepić; Vukan Lavadinović; Dejan Beuković; Aleksandar Ignjatović; Zoran Popović

doi:10.17109/AZH.69.4.399.2023

Nikola Mihajlović Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Stefan Stepić Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Vukan Lavadinović Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Kneza Višeslava 16, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia
Dejan Beuković Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Aleksandar Ignjatović Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Zoran Popović Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17109/AZH.69.4.399.2023

Keywords: Brown hare, age determination, eye lens, age structure, real growth rate.

Abstract

Research was conducted on the European hare (Lepus europaeus Pall.), one of the most numerous and important small game species both in Europe and in the Republic of Serbia. The aim of the research was to examine the possibility of modifying the standard method, which is a standard in the Republic of Serbia, for determining the age of hares based on the mass of their lenses in order to shorten its duration. Additionally, the goal was to investigate whether there was a difference in the age structure determined by the standard and modified methods. For the purpose of processing and analyzing samples, a total of 410 hare heads were collected from hunting grounds in Central Serbia and Vojvodina, and only heads with intact lenses of both eyes (399) were included in the analysis, resulting in the examination of 798 lenses. It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference in the lens mass between the standard and modified methods, both for age categories of hares up to one year and over one year. High correlation coefficients were found, indicating a strong relationship between the lens mass obtained by the standard and modified methods within both age categories. Furthermore, the real growth rates of hares determined by the standard and modified methods were equal.

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