Facts about the north american lynx
By zteve t evans
The North American lynx (Lynx canadensis) is the largest species of lynx. They are members of the cat family and one of the bigger North American felines though not as large as the cougar.
Four species of lynx
There are four recognised species of lynx world wide. The North American lynx, or Canadian lynx, as it is also known, inhabits Canada, and parts of the USA. The bobcat is found in forests across North America. The Eurasian lynx is found in parts of Europe and much of Asia, and the Iberian lynx of southern Spain.
Distinctive appearance
They have a very distinctive appearance with short tails, long legs and tufts of black fur on their ears, and ruffs of fur on their cheeks. Their thick coat of tawny brown fur provides warmth in the freezing cold winters of North America. They have large furry paws with toes that spread wide and act like a snowshoe in snowy conditions. An adult lynx can weigh between twenty two and forty four pounds.
Formidable Hunters
Their habitat is thick scrub and grass areas in the North American forests where they tend to live a solitary life. They have been known to hunt in small groups, but it is very rare.
They are usually active during the day usually hunting in the dusk, or dawn hours and are very skilled and formidable hunters. They prey on mice, voles and other rodents, small deer, fish and birds, though their main source of food is the snowshoe hare which they are very dependent on. Around every ten years the snowshoe hare population drops resulting also in a corresponding drop in the lynx population.
Their tufted ears provide excellent hearing and their eyes are so sharp they can see a mouse from 250 feet away. Their large spreading paws help to stop them sinking in snow and give more speed and power in the chase. They have sharp teeth and powerful jaws to dispatch their prey.
The lynx can swim but is generally a ground animal. They will take to the trees as a means of escape, or after prey, waiting in branches to pounce on victims below.
The lynx has few predators though they may not be the dominant animal in their territory and need to be wary of mountain lions, wolves and bears.
There are four recognised species of lynx world wide. The North American lynx, or Canadian lynx, as it is also known, inhabits Canada, and parts of the USA. The bobcat is found in forests across North America. The Eurasian lynx is found in parts of Europe and much of Asia, and the Iberian lynx of southern Spain.
Distinctive appearance
They have a very distinctive appearance with short tails, long legs and tufts of black fur on their ears, and ruffs of fur on their cheeks. Their thick coat of tawny brown fur provides warmth in the freezing cold winters of North America. They have large furry paws with toes that spread wide and act like a snowshoe in snowy conditions. An adult lynx can weigh between twenty two and forty four pounds.
Formidable Hunters
Their habitat is thick scrub and grass areas in the North American forests where they tend to live a solitary life. They have been known to hunt in small groups, but it is very rare.
They are usually active during the day usually hunting in the dusk, or dawn hours and are very skilled and formidable hunters. They prey on mice, voles and other rodents, small deer, fish and birds, though their main source of food is the snowshoe hare which they are very dependent on. Around every ten years the snowshoe hare population drops resulting also in a corresponding drop in the lynx population.
Their tufted ears provide excellent hearing and their eyes are so sharp they can see a mouse from 250 feet away. Their large spreading paws help to stop them sinking in snow and give more speed and power in the chase. They have sharp teeth and powerful jaws to dispatch their prey.
The lynx can swim but is generally a ground animal. They will take to the trees as a means of escape, or after prey, waiting in branches to pounce on victims below.
The lynx has few predators though they may not be the dominant animal in their territory and need to be wary of mountain lions, wolves and bears.
The family home
They make dens under ledges, or crevices in rocks providing a safe family home for their kittens. Usually they do not take their food back to the den except when there are kittens to feed.
They mate in late winter resulting in the females having litters of two, to six kittens a year. These remain with their mother for around nine months through their first winter before going off on their own. Mother lynxes will sometimes provide their kittens with live prey to give them experience and to develop their skills. In the wild lynxes have been known to live up to around seventeen years.
Endangered species
In Canada and Alaska their population is more stable than other areas but the destruction of their habitat by human encroachment is beginning to take a toll on numbers. In other US states such as Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Maine and Colorado their numbers are becoming scarce. The North American lynx is now officially recognised as threatened species in the USA and was listed under the Endangered Species Act in March of 2000.
© 03/08/2009 zteve t evans
They make dens under ledges, or crevices in rocks providing a safe family home for their kittens. Usually they do not take their food back to the den except when there are kittens to feed.
They mate in late winter resulting in the females having litters of two, to six kittens a year. These remain with their mother for around nine months through their first winter before going off on their own. Mother lynxes will sometimes provide their kittens with live prey to give them experience and to develop their skills. In the wild lynxes have been known to live up to around seventeen years.
Endangered species
In Canada and Alaska their population is more stable than other areas but the destruction of their habitat by human encroachment is beginning to take a toll on numbers. In other US states such as Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Maine and Colorado their numbers are becoming scarce. The North American lynx is now officially recognised as threatened species in the USA and was listed under the Endangered Species Act in March of 2000.
© 03/08/2009 zteve t evans
References and Attributions
Copyright zteve t evans August 3, 2009
Copyright zteve t evans August 3, 2009
- Canada lynx by Michael Zahra CC BY-SA 3.0 view terms Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
- Canadian lynx by Keith Williams CC BY 2.0view terms kdee64 (Keith Williams) - Flickr - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
- Lynx From Wikipedia
- National Geographic - Lynx Felis lynx
- ZooAmerica > Animals > ZooAmerica - North American Wildlife Park - Canada Lynx