The Eurasian Lynx
By Nicole Shanks
Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family felidae
Genus lynx
Species lynx lynx
- Closely related to: Cats / Bobcats
Habitat and Location
Europe and Siberia - inhabit forested areas with dense ungulate populations
Central Asia - open, thinly, wooded areas
Desert - rocky hills and mountains
Northern Himalayas - rocky areas and thick woodlands
- About 2,800 live in the Carpathian Mountains in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and many other places
Type of diet
- They are carnivorous animals that tend to prey on rodents but also eat deer. Some examples include rabbits, squirrels, red deer, reindeer, and moose.
Social Interaction
Mating season each year: Feburary - April
- Once a male and receptive female encounter each other, they follow each other for days and mate many times a day
- female no longer in estrus = male leaves to find another mate
- females have one mate per season
Movement
- They are skilled at climbing, swimming, jumping
- Most active during the early morning and evening and rest under tall grass or trees
- They can jump 2m in the air to strike
Size and Weight
- A lynx is usually 32 - 40 in long with additional 4 - 8 in for the tail.
- They weigh 22 to 44 lbs
Fun Facts
- Lynx have very good eyesight and can spot prey from 250 feet away
- They also have large, heavily padded paws that help them walk on snow