Information about Lynx

Lynx[1]
Canadian Lynx Canadian Lynx
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Subfamily: Felinae Genus: Lynx Kerr, 1792
Type species
Felis lynx Linnaeus, 1758
The overall range of Lynx species. The overall range of Lynx species.
Species
Lynx lynx Lynx canadensis Lynx pardinus Lynx rufus

A lynx is any of four medium-sized wild cats. All are members of the genus Lynx, but there is considerable confusion about the best way to classify felids at present, and some authorities classify them as part of the genus Felis.

Species

The four species placed in this genus are:

• Canadian Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
• Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)
• Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)
• Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Appearance

Lynxes have short tails and usually a tuft of black hair on the tip of the ears. They have a ruff under the neck which has black bars (not very visible) and resembles a bow tie. They have large paws padded for walking on snow and long whiskers on the face. The color of the body varies from light brown to grey and is occasionally marked with dark brown spots, especially on the limbs. They range from about 15 kg (33 pounds) to about 30 kg (66 pounds). The Eurasian Lynx is significantly larger than the other species, while the Iberian Lynx is significantly smaller than the other species.

Habitat

The lynx inhabits the high altitude forests with dense cover of shrubs, reeds, and grass. Though the cat hunts only on the ground, it can climb trees and swim. Though it can be found in the northern regions of Scandinavia, it is primarily found in North America and also in pockets in the Himalayas.

The Eurasian Lynx was considered to be extinct in the wild in Slovenia and Croatia since the beginning of the 20th century, but a resettlement project which begun in 1973 was a success. Today, lynx can be found in the Slovenian Alps and in the Croatian regions of Gorski Kotar and Velebit. In both countries, lynx is listed as an endangered species and protected by law. Lynx-spotting in nature can be arranged in cooperation with Croatian National Park "Risnjak". Several lynx-resettlement projects have also been carried out successfully in various regions of Switzerland since the 1970's. Since the 1990s, there have been numerous efforts to resettle the Eurasian Lynx in Germany. It can also be found in Białowieża Forest in northeastern Poland. The critically endangered Iberian Lynx lives in southern Spain and before, eastern Portugal. Lynx is more common in northern Europe - especially in Estonia, Finland and northern parts of Russia.

Starting in 1999, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has begun a program reintroducing a wild lynx population back to the United States. The animals' distribution was restricted to Canada before being brought to the Colorado Rockies, where after being tagged with radio collars they frequently migrated throughout the western United States. While showing early signs of promise, biologists say it will take more than a decade to determine whether the program is a success. However, in 2006 the first case of a native-born Colorado lynx giving birth since 1999 was documented: it gave birth to 2 kittens, affirming the possibility of successful reintroduction.

In 2007 several of these lynx have been shot and killed by unknown persons. In some cases only the radio tracking collars were found, leading to suspicions of fur poaching, in other cases the animals were shot and the body left intact.^[2]

Behavior

General behavioral traits resemble that of a leopard. Lynx are usually solitary, although a small group of lynx can travel and hunt together. Mating takes place in the late winter and they give birth to 2 to 4 kittens once a year. Their desired resting place is in crevices or under ledges. They feed on a wide range of animals up to the size of Reindeer, Roe Deer and Chamois, but more often birds, small mammals, fish, sheep and goats. Lynx have been observed (2006) in the Wet Mountains of Colorado. In recent years a few Lynx sightings have started to pop up in the southern Appalacian Mountains of western North Carolina, specifically in the area from Mount Mitchell across to the Shope Creek Forest area (part of Pisgah National Forrest). One Lynx was even caught alive in a cage trap at Graystone Cabins near Barnardsville, NC - the animal was later released alive in a wilderness area within Madison County, NC. Although USFWS officials still deny the presence of Lynx in the southern Appalacians, the most recent sighting was reported in Sept 2007, along the Shope Creek Forest area. USFWS officials say that if these sightings were in fact Lynx, that they were most likely illegally held pets that were either let go or had escaped. Spotting a lynx is a very rare event in and of itself, due to the extremely shy and solitary nature of the animal. It is a secretive cat and usually avoids people; it has been reported to attack humans, but very rarely, almost exclusively in defense.

Legal status

• Hunting lynxes is illegal in many countries.
• The Canadian Lynx is an endangered species in the United States.

See also

• Lynx (mythology)
• Wildcat, a small predator native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa

References

External links

• Canada Lynx in the Southern Rockies
• The Iberian Lynx The natural history of the Iberian lynx
• The Nature Conservatory's Species Profile: Lynx
• Canada lynx (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service