The Corsican Hare (Lepus corsicanus) is endemic to Europe, where it is native to the peninsula of Italy and Sicily, with introduced subpopulations on Corsica (which are excluded from this assessment). This assessment is based on field surveys (spotlight censuses, hunting bags, captures, etc.) and on molecular analyses of specimens collected by a network of helpers (hunters, park rangers, etc.). This species has been monitored since 1997 in continental Italy and Sicily. The Corsican Hare shows a variable conservation status across its distribution range. Due to the fragmentation and scarcity of Corsican Hare populations in continental Italy, its mainland status was classified as nationally endangered (following Angelici and Luiselli 2001). However, the creation of several protected areas in southern and central Italy should help the populations to recover. In Sicily, the Corsican Hare is widespread and the populations are locally abundant, although in this restricted area. Furthermore, since its official recognition as a true species (1998), the local government has forbidden hare hunting on the island. However, hunting of this species was permitted during the 2004-2005 hunting season in Sicily. Therefore, on Sicily, the Corsican Hare does not appear to be threatened, and the Italian national Red List status of the species is currently Least Concern (Rondinini et al. 2022).

This species is classified as Vulnerable due to its variable conservation status across its geographic range. Utilizing information currently available regarding the historical range on continental Italy, we replicated this portion of the range using GIS to calculate the total area (Pierpaoli et al. 1999). The result showed that the historical range on continental Italy was approximately 79,700 km². Online sources gave an area of approximately 25,700 km² for Sicily. This provides a total area of 105,400 km² as the historical range for the Corsican Hare. We infer an approximate decline of 91% for the actual continental occupancy areas of populations in 2015 from the map provided in Pierpaoli (1999). From this, we derived an overall decrease in the occupied area of 69.2% for the species as a whole. Over the past decade, Corsican Hares have declined 50% for continental populations, and thus an estimated 38% for the species as a whole (Schai-Braun and Hackländer 2018). These declines have resulted from a variety of causes. The generation length of the species is estimated as 2.9 years, hence a period of ten years is applied here. Although the species is protected from hunting in continental Italy and Sicily, it remains difficult to distinguish the species from the European Hare and there may be significant collateral deaths due to hunting and illegal poaching. Additionally, increasing habitat degradation and predation by foxes and feral dogs negatively impact Corsican Hare populations. The species has undergone significant fragmentation of populations which reduces gene flow and may lead to inbreeding depression. Corsican Hares are susceptible to EHBS and RHDV₂ viruses (Camarda et al. 2014), which can lead to severe local declines in numbers. The species is confirmed as Vulnerable under criterion A2bcde.

L. corsicanus occurs as native in central and southern peninsula Italy and on Sicily (Angelici 2022). The species is extinct on the Italian island of Elba (Tuscany), where it is considered to be native, with reintroduction attempted in 2016 (Scarselli et al. 2016). The extent of occurrence (EOO) is large, at c.236,821 km². The area of occupancy (AOO) has not been estimated due to the absence of representative locality data but is assumed to greatly exceed 2,000 km².

The species occurs on Corsica (France) as a result of historical introduction (Angelici 2022). The species was probably introduced to Corsica in the first half of the 14th century, and the species was wrongly considered extinct on the island in 1984 (Dubray and Roux 1984) and later rediscovered by Scalera and Angelici (2002). These introduced populations are excluded from this assessment.

On Sicily, L. corsicanus is widespread and the populations are locally abundant, although within a restricted area. In Peninsula Italy, the population is fragmented and scarce. Over the past decade, Corsican Hares have declined 50% for continental populations, and thus an estimated 38% decline for the species as a whole (Schai-Braun and Hackländer 2018).

The population density of the species is not well-known, although some estimates, done by counting with night lights in transects, were carried out both in mainland Italy and in Sicily: it was noted that the estimated density in mainland Italy, in protected areas (5.54–7.06 individuals/100 ha) is significantly lower than that found in Sicily in comparable areas (11.73–11.98 individuals/100 ha; Trocchi and Riga 2001). Lo Valvo et al. (1999) studied the dynamics of a small subpopulation of Apennine Hares in a protected Sicilian area, through nocturnal counts made throughout the year. In this study, hare density increases from mid-February to June (average 17.5 individuals/ 100 ha) with a peak around mid-April, while in other seasons the number is fairly constant (average 12.0–14.5 individuals/100 ha). Lo Valvo (2007) reported density data in Sicily ranging from a minimum of 12.0 to a maximum of 103.0 individuals/100 ha (Angelici 2022).

On Corsica, the introduced populations are increasing in the northern region of the island, but are found in a more precarious status in the south (Pietri 2015).

Information about the ecology of this species is still limited. However, it seems well adapted to the Mediterranean environment, although it has been recorded from sea level to 2,400 m asl on Mount Etna (Sicily). The preferred habitats are the Mediterranean maquis and the mosaic of clearings (also cultivated), bushy areas, and broad-leaved woods. Furthermore, L. corsicanus inhabits also coastal dune habitat. When it is in sympatry with the European Hare, the latter species tends to be more a habitat generalist, while the Corsican Hare seems to inhabit almost only pastures and grasslands. In Sicily, the species inhabits a variety of natural and artificial habitats: open grassland, bushy pastures, cultivated areas, etc.

In terms of elevation, the European Hare and Corsican Hare do not differ significantly when they live allopatrically. According to Angelici and Luiselli (2001), when the two species coexist in sympatry, the Corsican Hare occurs at elevations significantly higher than the European Hare. The Corsican Hare inhabits significantly higher elevations when it lives allopatrically than when it lives sympatrically, and the Corsican Hare inhabits significantly higher elevations when it lives sympatrically than when it lives allopatrically. However, this ecological allocation is not shared by Trocchi and Riga (2005) who always directly observed, in sympatric conditions, the European Hare occupying the mountain grassland and the Corsican Hare inhabiting the lower and warmer areas with thermophilous oak woods.

The diet of the Corsican Hare, studied in Sicily, varies seasonally as the available vegetation changes. Monocotyledones, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae, are ingested year-round, while Gramineae and Labiatae are consumed during spring and summer, respectively (De Battisti et al. 2004). Dicotyledones ingested year-round by the Corsican Hare are Leguminosae and Compositae (De Battisti et al. 2004). In southern Italy, the Corsican Hare is known to consume over 70 different species of plants, primarily grasses and herbs (Freschi et al. 2014, 2015, 2016).

The Corsican Hare may serve as a prey item for native carnivores and endangered raptors.

The main threats to the Corsican Hare have been identified in the following aspects: fragmentation of the range through habitat conversion and loss driven by urbanisation, agricultural development and change; low or absent genetic flow between subpopulations; low population densities (in peninsula Italy); disease; interspecific competition (resulting from the introduction of the European Hare Lepus europaeus in central and southern Italy, and competition with European Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus - mainly in Sicily, where this species is widely distributed); over-hunting and poaching; and predation by foxes and feral dogs (both abundant and largely distributed in southern Italy).

The Corsican Hare is fully susceptible to European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV; Lavazza and Chiari 2015, Domanico et al. 2023) and Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2; see Camarda et al. 2014).

The Corsican Hare is also susceptible to accidental mortality due to difficulties in distinguishing it from the European Hare by hunters (Angelici and Luiselli 2001).

Potential hybridisation between the European Hare and Corsican Hare could constitute a future threat to the species in continental Italy (Pierpaoli et al. 2003, Mengoni et al. 2014); however, hybridisation with the Iberian Hare and the European Hare has been assessed in Corsica (Pietri et al. 2011).

Agricultural and forestry pollution may also impact the species, as well as changes in fire frequency and intensity.

From 1999 to 2003, any form of hare hunting was prohibited in Sicily. The introduction of L. europaeus is also forbidden; up to 1995 the species had been introduced in large numbers but, fortunately, does not seem to have formed naturalized populations in Sicily (Angelici and Spagnesi 2008a,b). Starting from the hunting calendar 2004–2005, in Sicily L. corsicanus has been included among the game species, albeit for a limited period of the year. The situation in continental Italy is different. This hare is not a game species, and it is protected. Nevertheless, a fundamental problem exists, as it is almost impossible for hunters to distinguish in the field L. corsicanus (a protected species) from L. europaeus (a game species). As a consequence, many Corsican Hares might be unintentionally killed annually during the hunting season, because they are confounded by L. europaeus. There is no quantitative data on these illegal kills, but it is reasonable to assume that the number is not negligible. The only populations of L. corsicanus where this erroneous hunting does not occur are those present in protected areas (National Parks, Regional Parks, Natural Reserves, Restocking and capture areas, Oasis, etc.). Nevertheless, these populations may suffer also from poaching (Angelici 2022).

The Corsican Hare was assessed as Vulnerable for the IUCN Red List (Randi and Riga 2019). It was assessed as Least Concern for the Italian national Red List as Least Concern in 2013 and 2022 (Rondinini et al. 2013, Rondinini et al. 2022).

The Corsican Hare can be found in many protected areas in Italy. It has been estimated that 70% of Corsican Hare populations reside in protected areas in continental Italy, and 20% in Sicily. The following is a partial list of protected areas with Corsican Hares:

Continental Italy
Parco Regionale Monti Lucretili, Parco Regionale dell'Appennino "Monti Simbruini", Parco Regionale del Cilento, Parco Regionale Gallipoli Cognato e Piccole Dolomiti Lucane, Parco Nazionale della Sila, Parco Nazionale del CirceoParco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, Parco Nazionale della Majella, Parco Nazionale del Gargano, Parco Nazionale del Pollino, Parco Nazionale dell'Aspromonte.

Sicily
Parco Regionale dell'Etna, Parco Regionale dei Monti Nebrodi, Parco Regionale delle Madonie.

The species is legally protected in continental Italy because of its poor conservation status (primarily low population size). However, problematic discrimination in the field between L. corsicanus and L. europaeus (a game species) hinders effective protection (Angelici and Luiselli 2007). On Sicily, hunting has been banned since 1998 (when L. corsicanus was recognized as a true species). The ban was temporarily lifted for the 2004-2005 hunting season, but it is now again in place. On Corsica, it is a game species, since it cannot easily be distinguished from L. europaeus in the French Hunting Act.

The main conservation actions are:

• Improve data on the distribution and status of the species in the Italian Peninsula.

• Conservation and improvement of natural populations-habitat improvement.

• Minimizing risk factors-planning specific oriented management both in protected areas and in hunting territories at a local level.

• Carrying out a number of enclosures for captive breeding and initiating behavioural study on the Corsican Hare. Currently, there are ex-situ breeding programs in PN Cilento e Vallo di Adriano and PR Gallipoli Cognato and in a private estate in Sicily.

• Promote a public educational campaign to develop the awareness and understanding of the Corsican Hare.

• Prepare a training program on biology and conservation of the Corsican Hare for field biologists, conservationists, gamekeepers, and protected areas staff.

• Creation of a data bank on the species-improvement of scientific research-place the species on a suitable legal status for international legislation.

• Reintroduction of Corsican Hares; the species was reintroduced to Elba Island (Tuscany) in 2016 (Scarselli et al. 2016), but the current status of these reintroduced subpopulations is not known.

• With regard to potential invasive competitors, in some areas in continental Italy the introduction of European Hares has been forbidden.