Lynx
| Lynx | |
|---|---|
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| Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Subfamily: | Felinae |
| Type species | |
| Lynx lynx Linnaeus, 1758 |
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| Species | |
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| Lynx ranges | |
Lynx is the name of four species of wild cats.[1] Not all biologists agree about the taxonomy (scientific classification) of lynx in use today. A baby cat or lynx is called a kitten.
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Appearance [change]
Lynxes have short tails, and usually some hair on the ears. They have large paws (feet) padded for walking on snow, and long whiskers on the face. The color of the body is from light brown to grey and is sometimes marked with dark brown spots, especially on the legs. They about 5 kg or about 11 pounds (approximately the size of a large Domestic Cat) and can weigh up to about 30 kg (66 pounds).
Habitat [change]
The lynx live in the high altitude forests with many shrubs, reeds and grass. It hunts only on the ground, but it can climb trees and swim.
It can be found in the some places in northern Scandinavia, in North America and also in the Himalayas. Since the 1990s people try to move part of the population of the Eurasian Lynx to Germany. It can also be found in Białowieża Forest (northeastern Poland), and southern Spain.
Since 1999, the Colorado Division of Wildlife try to move other wild lynx populations from Canada back to the United States.
Life [change]
Usually, lynxes live alone, but a group can travel and hunt together. They sleep in crevices (openings in rocks) or under rocks. It gives birth to 2 to 4 kittens at a time. It eats birds and mammals, for example, rabbits, sheep and goats. A not so common animal is the Canadian lynx. The lynx is almost identical to a regular house cat, but larger. It has a powerful body on short, furry legs attached to hefty feet, and a bobbed, black-tipped tail. Its fur is spotted and yellowish-brown to grey. It has a collar of fur around its face, giving a triangular shape. It also has long black ear tufts.
The genus Lynx [change]
- Genus Lynx
- Canada Lynx, Lynx canadensis
- Eurasian Lynx, Lynx lynx
- Iberian Lynx or Spanish Lynx, Lynx pardinus
- Bobcat, Lynx rufus
Conservation [change]
The Iberian Lynx is the most endangered feline in the world. There are only two populations (together, 300 animals), in the southern Spain. Hunting lynxes is illegal in many countries.
References [change]
- ↑ Wozencraft W.C. 2005. Order Carnivora. In Wilson D.E.; Reeder D M. Mammal Species of the World. 3rd ed, Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 541–542. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0
Other websites [change]
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Wikispecies has information on: Lynx. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lynx |
- Canada Lynx in the Southern Rockies
- The Iberian Lynx The natural history of the Iberian lynx
- Hopes raised by Spain lynx births
