Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)

Eurasian Lynx Photograph by Zefram. Some rights reserved.

Description

The Eurasian Lynx is a medium-sized cat with a stocky body and long legs and a short bobbed tail. The soft thick fur is yellow brown or grey brown in colour, and sometimes has indistinct lines or spots. They usually have a collar of longer hair round the necks and under the chins. They have prominent tufts of long, black hair on the tips of the ears. They are athletic cats capable of running quickly over short distances. The feet are large and furry and assist them to travel over snow.

Size

Length: 80cm - 130cm. Height: 70cm at the shoulder. Weight: males 18kg - 30kg; females 18 kg average.

Habitat

Eurasian lynx is found in forests in mountainous regions away from human settlement. The Eurasian lynx remains active in winter, only taking shelter in caves, logs or trees during extreme weather conditions. Young lynx often climb trees.

Food

feeds mainly on small mammals such as small deer, hares, marmots, foxes and squirrels. Eurasian lynx are skilled hunters, stalking their prey before running and pouncing on it from close range. The prey is killed by biting the neck breaking the spinal cord, or by biting the throat until it suffocates in the case of larger prey.

Breeding

The Lynx gives birth to one to four (usually two or three) kittens after a gestation period of about 73 days. The young are born in a cave, hollow log or hollow tree and weigh about 250g at birth. The kittens are born with their eyes closed, totally dependent on their mother. Their eyes open after about two weeks, and they start to leave the den with their mother after about six weeks and are fully weaned after about three to four months.

Range

Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mongolia, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Serbia and Montenegro.

Classification Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Lynx Species: lynx

Relatives in same Genus   Canada Lynx (L. canadensis)   Iberian Lynx (L. pardinus)   Bobcat (L. rufus)

Eurasian Lynxes (Lynx lynx) in Kerkrade's Zoo (Netherlands). Photograph by Gérard van Drunen. Some rights reserved.