Revised distribution of an Alaskan endemic, the Alaska Hare (Lepus othus), with implications for taxonomy, biogeography, and climate change

Abstract

The Alaska Hare (Lepus othus Merriam 1900) is the largest lagomorph in North America but remains one of the most poorly studied terrestrial mammals on the continent. Its current distribution is restricted to western Alaska south of the Brooks Range, but historical accounts from north of the Brooks Range (the North Slope) have led to confusion over its past, present, and predicted future distributions. To determine if L. othus occurs or historically occurred on the North Slope, we surveyed museum collections, vetted observational accounts, and produced a spatial distribution model based on the resulting georeferenced records. We located a historic specimen long presumed lost that suggests the occurrence of L. othus on the North Slope as recently as the late 1800s. We also uncovered evidence of L. othus and (or) Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus Linnaeus 1758) on several islands in the Bering Sea, raising the possibility of recurring gene flow between these closely related species across seasonal ice connecting Asia and North America. While our results paint a more complete picture of the current distribution of L. othus, persistent uncertainties surrounding its taxonomic status and potential northward range shift onto lands reserved for oil and gas development call for additional study.

Keywords

• Alaska Hare
• Arctic Hare
• Lepus othus
• Mountain Hare
• North Slope
• lièvre d’Alaska