The Awesome Knowledge of Lynx
= ) Created by Zakiy Z. (Felis Lynx)
Introduction
A lynx is a spectacular and powerful medium sized wildcat. There are four species known as the Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis), the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx), the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), and the Bobcat (Lynx rufus). Did you know they have really sharp vision, and long ago people thought lynx could see through walls? To prove that, it's a fact that during hunting a lynx can find prey 250 feet (75 meters) away.
Appearance
The lynx is a member of the cat family, therefore they resemble house cats and also large cats. They are long legged and large pawed cats with heavy bodies. Their paws can adapt to moving quickly on the snow. It has a broad small head. Their thick fur can also shield itself from the cold northern weather. The color can range from grey or golden brown to white. Some also have dark colored stripes or spots. Most lynxes are 80 - 120 cm long in height and 10 to 20 kg in weight. Here is another image.
Habitat
Lynxes live all around the world! The Canada lynx and the bobcat inhabit North America while the Eurasian lynx lives in Europe and Asia. Unfortunately since the Iberian lynx is endangered it is now found only in mountains of southern Spain. All lynx live in northern forests although it is normal for bobcats to be found in deserts and swamps. Here is a map of the range of a lynx's population.
(Red = Iberian lynx, orange = Eurasian lynx, purple = Canada lynx, green = Bobcat.)
Hunting and Food
Lynxes are carnivores and eat a variety of animals. They usually chase other animals but sometimes they climb trees or wade through water for hunting as they are good at running, climbing, and swimming. A lynx consumes small mammals, birds and fish such as arctic hare, rabbits, squirrels, mice, voles etc. Lynx occasionally try to catch deer and elk. A lynx can hunt by silently stalking an animal and then, when close enough, start chasing and pounce on the animal and kill it with a swift claw or bite to the neck. There will now be a video of how a lynx hunts a rabbit and a lynx's food web.
الوشق يفترس ارنب Lynx hunting Rabbit
Life
An average life span of a lynx is about 10-15 years. They are mostly nocturnal and silent except during mating season. They are usually solitary animals since they rest and hunt alone although it is possible for some lynxes to live in small groups. At birth a litter of 2-6 kittens are born and the young lynx live with their mother for about nine months and then they move out as adult lynxes. During childhood lynx learn fighting and hunting skills by playing with their kill and by wrestling with each other. Later the mating season begins at late winter and the female lynx has a gestation period for about 2 months before giving the next offspring.
History
A cool fact is about the very first lynx — called the Issoire lynx — that lived almost 4 million years ago. It was the largest lynx of all species today. Here are some fossils discovered of this ancient lynx.
Thank you!
References
"lynx." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/49530>.
"Lynx - Wikipedia, the free encylopedia." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://www.wikipedia.org/>.
"lynx - Google Search." Google Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://images.google.com/>.