Clearing of a small lynx. Common lynx: where the animal lives and lives. Behavior and lifestyle

Lynx lynx

Squad: Predatory – Carnivora

Family: Felines – Felidae

Genus: Lynx – Lynx

Where he lives:

In Russia, the lynx is found in deaf, overmature coniferous forests from western borders all the way to Kamchatka and Sakhalin, where it penetrated relatively recently. Lynx is also found in the Carpathians, the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is scarce everywhere.

Countries of residence:

Lynx is found in Russia, Scandinavia, Finland, some areas of Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as in Spain.

Size:

The body length of males is 76-106 centimeters and that of females is several (3-6) centimeters less. The tail is from 10 to 20 centimeters. The weight of adult animals is 16-20, rarely up to 30 kg.

Appearance:

The lynx is a medium-sized animal with a relatively short body, raised high on its legs, a round head and a short, “stubby” tail. The ears are small, erect, crowned with long tassels, and “sideburns” are noticeable on the cheeks. The legs are relatively thick, but at the same time slender with a large rounded paw and sharp retractable claws.

Soft, long and thick winter fur of lynxes various areas their range has different colors: ash-blue, pale-smoky, gray-brown, red-red. The fur is almost always dotted with dark spots, large on the back and sides, small on the chest and legs. On the belly, the hair is especially long and soft, but not thick and almost always pure white with sparse specks. The summer fur of the lynx is coarser, shorter, and has a brighter coloring than the winter fur. The paws are well furred in winter. No other cat is as well adapted to snow and cold as the lynx.

Behavior and lifestyle

The lynx is very dexterous: it not only climbs trees and rocks beautifully, but also runs quickly, makes large jumps of up to 3.5-4 meters, makes long treks, and swims well.

The lynx leads a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, but during severe frosts with deep snow, when it becomes not only cold, but also very hungry, it embarks on long journeys and often climbs into the steppe and tundra. Moreover, it can travel up to 30 km per day.

When they meet, lynxes perform a greeting ritual - after sniffing each other’s noses, they stand opposite and begin to butt their foreheads so hard that a bone sound is heard when they collide. The friendly affection of lynxes is expressed in mutual licking of fur.

Nutrition:

The lynx is a “purebred” predator; it eats everything that moves and is within its reach. The lynx's hunting targets include hares, roe deer, musk deer, chamois, aurochs, various birds (primarily hazel grouse and black grouse), rodents, as well as young deer, wild boar, and elk. Hunting through deep snow and crust, the lynx defeats large adult animals. On occasion, it catches squirrels, martens, sables, weasels, and raccoon dogs. However, it is generally accepted that the lynx's diet consists of hares and small ungulates.

The constitution of the lynx with its narrow chest not adapted for long running, its favorite hunting methods are to watch for prey along the routes of movement, in places of concentration (watering places, salt licks, fluttering areas). For the same reason, any predator, including dogs, easily catches up with a lynx, the only salvation for which is to quickly climb a tree. That is why during the snowless period the lynx prefers to rest in the trees.

Wolves actively and purposefully pursue lynxes; lynxes are absent where there are many wolves. Wolves are also the main food competitors. In a conditional competition between these species, the lynx loses both in terms of reproduction rates and in the ability to adapt to changes environment. According to researchers, lynx also purposefully pursue foxes.

Reproduction:

The lynx rut begins at the end of February and lasts about a month. The female is usually followed by several males, constantly fighting among themselves. Being generally silent animals, lynxes purr and meow loudly and sharply during the rut, and when very excited, they scream furiously. Females meow deeply, males rumble dully. The ancestral den is primitive, but quite sheltered, under the roots of a tree or in a rock crevice, less often - in a hollow tree. Pregnancy lasts 63-70 days.

In May, the lynx gives birth to 2-3 cubs, less often - one or four. They are helpless, blind and deaf, and weigh only a quarter or a third of a kilogram. The cubs' eyes open after 16-17 days. When they are one month old, they begin to eat meat, however, they are fed on mother’s milk for another four months.

The hunting instinct awakens in early age. The cubs, which are about forty days old, are already trying to sneak up on the “prey” and attack it. Starting to leave the den with their mother, the lynx cubs get acquainted with difficult life forests. Adults bring them live mice, voles, hares, patiently teach them how to get them, touchingly and selflessly protecting the cubs from all adversity.

The male helps the mother feed and raise the offspring. The cubs grow quickly, already in October it is difficult to distinguish them from their parents, and the lynxes begin to hunt in families. The brood stays together all winter, breaking up at the beginning of the new rut. At the age of one year, the young animals finally move on to independent life.

Females reach sexual maturity at 21 months, males at 33 months.

Lifespan:

There are cases where lynxes lived in captivity for more than 20 years. In nature, life expectancy is shorter: 10-15 years.

Habitat:

Threats to the species:

Despite this widespread distribution, it is a vulnerable species with declining numbers.

The lynx's habitat is shrinking, and its numbers are falling due to the destruction of habitats and direct persecution of the animal. It was destroyed as a pest of livestock, a “exterminator” of game, and simply as a valuable fur-bearing animal.

Measures to increase the number of lynx should be recognized: preservation of optimal biotopes and food items (musk deer, roe deer and hare), reduction in the number of wolves, and, first of all, the fight against poaching of musk deer with snares that also trap lynx.

Lynx (lat. Lynx) – genus carnivorous mammals cat family, closest to the cat genus (Felis).

This includes several medium-sized cats:

• Common lynx
• Canadian lynx. Some sources consider it a subspecies of the common lynx
• Iberian lynx. Found in southwest Spain (mostly in national park Coto Doñana). One of the most rare species mammals.
• Red Lynx

Sometimes the caracal (Caracal caracal) and the marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) are also included in the genus Lynx.

The lynx is a typical cat, although the size of a large dog, which it partly resembles with its shortened body and long legs. The head of a lynx is very characteristic: relatively small, round and very expressive. Lynx cats are distinguished from other cats by their short tail and tufts at the ends of their ears.

Full description of the animal

The lynx is a relatively small representative of its family. The body length of an adult male is 76-130 cm, females are several centimeters shorter, about 73-124 cm. The weight of a lynx is 18-25 kg, sometimes very large specimens weighing 30 kg are also found. The body is short and tightly knit. A small, rounded head with elongated ears and characteristic tassels at the end. The lynx's muzzle is short with wide eyes, and on its cheeks there is elongated hair similar to whiskers. At the end of the body is a short tail with a blunt end, 20-35 cm long. The lynx's fur is very thick and soft, and has a dense undercoat. The fur is longest on the belly, but not very thick. Lynxes shed twice a year in spring and autumn. The fur that changes in the fall is fluffier and thicker. The summer pile is short, dense and not as thick with a more contrasting color than the winter one.

The color of lynxes is quite different, it all depends on their habitat and the species to which they belong. Most often, lynxes are found with a reddish-grayish or grayish-brown tint with pronounced large dark spots on the back and sides. Smaller spots cover the animal's legs and chest.

The hind legs of a lynx differ in structure from the legs of other cats; they are longer than the front ones. The lynx has 4 toes on its hind paws and 5 on its front paws. winter period The soles of the paws are covered with especially thick fur, which allows the lynx to easily move through the snow and not fall into snowdrifts. When a lynx walks, its hind paws follow the tracks of its front paws. Lynx tracks resemble those of a cat with large paws.

Where does the lynx live?

Lynxes live in the forests of Eurasia and North America. Sometimes this animal is found even beyond the Arctic Circle.

The lynx once inhabited almost the entire territory of Western and Central Europe. But due to the popularity of lynx fur on the world market and deforestation, already in the middle of the 20th century the lynx was exterminated in many European countries.

Now the lynx lives in the following countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Albania, Greece, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia. It has been reintroduced to some of these countries.

On the American continent, the lynx spread from southern Canada to Mexico. The largest population lives in the southeastern United States.

Lynx settled in Kamchatka relatively recently, around the beginning of the 20th century. The favorite habitats of Eurasian lynxes are taiga, mountain, coniferous and funny forests. Although lynxes are sometimes found in the forest-tundra and other areas with low-growing vegetation, such as bushes or reeds. Most often, it chooses dense forests or thickets of young animals for living, where it is easy to make its den.

What does the common lynx eat?

The main food of the lynx are hares, roe deer, rodents, and various birds.

For unknown reasons, he has a terrible dislike for foxes. She does not eat them, but does not miss the opportunity to kill them.

During the snowy season, the animal can attack larger animals. Thanks to long legs and fur-covered paw pads, the cat can move through the snow without difficulty.

The common lynx goes out in search of prey at nightfall. There is an opinion that it attacks prey from a tree, but this is not so. The predator prefers to wait patiently or sneak up with careful steps and attack sharply.

The animal tries to avoid people. It hears their approach several kilometers away and tries not to catch their eye. When they come Hard times and the lynx does not have enough food in the forest, it can enter the nearest settlements to profit from a cat or dog. This predator can overcome an adult shepherd. But cases when they appear among people are very rare; they can mainly be found in dense coniferous forests.

Reproduction and offspring

The common lynx is a predator leading a solitary lifestyle. The lynx rut begins in March. During this period, predators emit very characteristic loud screams, and also purr or meow loudly. At the rutting stage, each female is accompanied by several males, fiercely fighting with each other. Educated married couples perform a kind of greeting ritual, and affection is expressed by licking each other's fur.

This is interesting! The female's gestation period varies between 64-70 days. One litter usually consists of a pair of kittens, but sometimes their number can reach five. The born lynx cubs are blind and deaf, so the female initially hides them in a den, which is located under the roots of fallen trees, in deep holes or earthen caves. Also, some females sometimes make a den in low-lying hollows or in large rocky crevices.

The average weight of a newborn kitten, as a rule, does not exceed 250-300 grams. The baby lynx's eyes open only on the twelfth day. Until about a month, the female feeds her cubs exclusively with milk, after which gradual feeding of solid protein foods begins. Raising kittens is carried out by both parents, who not only protect their offspring, but also teach them how to get food for themselves and hide from enemies. Sexual maturity in females occurs closer to two years, and in males several months later.

Population and species status

Today in the territory Balkan Peninsula the presence of several dozen individuals is observed, and in Germany, Switzerland and France, mass extermination required the recolonization of the common lynx.

The largest lynx population is located in the Carpathians and Poland. Quite a large number of individuals are found in Belarus, Scandinavia, Central Asia, Latvia and Estonia. On the territory of our country you can most often find common lynx in Siberia.

For commercial purposes, the common lynx is not in great demand - only the fur of this predatory animal is used. It is distinguished by its thickness, silkiness and sufficient height, as well as the presence of a soft underfur. Average guard hair length adult is approximately 60-70 mm. But along with many other predators, lynxes play very important role in a natural biocenosis.

Despite the fact that the taste characteristics of lynx meat are very high - it is similar to veal, has a delicate texture, according to long-established traditions, in some countries it is not customary to use it for food purposes.

This is interesting! In Ancient Rus', rich nobles were treated to lynx meat, and dishes made from such meat were served on the table of boyars and princes as an expensive delicacy.

Back in the last century, on the territory European countries, the total number of common lynx has decreased quite sharply and greatly to only a few hundred individuals. Negative influence the total number of predatory animals was affected by destruction forest areas, poaching and a reduction in the overall food supply. Today, various measures are being taken to not only preserve, but also increase the number of this incredibly beautiful predator.

Population status and protection

Status of the lynx population in different countries:

• Balkan Peninsula: Several dozen lynxes in Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Greece.
• Germany: Exterminated by 1850. In the 1990s. repopulated in the Bavarian Forest and Harz.
• Carpathians: 2200 lynxes from the Czech Republic to Romania; the largest population besides the Russian one.
• Poland: About 1000 individuals per year Belovezhskaya Pushcha and Tatrakh.
• Belarus: up to 400 individuals, found throughout the country, but mainly in the Vitebsk region and Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
• Russia: 90% of the lynx population lives in Siberia, although lynxes are found from the western borders of the Russian Federation to Sakhalin.
• Scandinavia: Ok. 2500 lynxes in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
• France: Exterminated approx. 1900 Settled in the Vosges and Pyrenees.
• Switzerland: Extirpated by 1915, recolonized in 1971. From here they migrated to Austria and Slovenia.
• Central Asia: China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
• Transcaucasia: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia.
• Latvia: about 700 individuals in the Kurzeme and Vidzeme parts of the country.
• Estonia: As of 2008, there may be between 500 and 1,000 lynx living in the country.

Only in hunting farms where roe deer are bred, sika deer, pheasants, its presence is undesirable.

Lynx fur has always been highly valued. Since the 1950s, prices for it on the international market began to increase at an unprecedented speed. Thus, at the Leningrad fur auction in 1958, the best lynx skins fetched $73, in 1973 – $660, and in 1977 – $1,300. This is explained by the fashion that has persisted for decades (a fact in itself very rare) for long-haired fur, among which lynx fur took first place.

It should be noted that people who keep ordinary wild lynxes in captivity note their unpretentiousness and good adaptability. If the lynx did not have such a strong predatory element, it would be a very convenient pet. But the common lynx can be kept exclusively in an enclosure in compliance with all the rules for handling a predator. But the domestic lynx was bred to live in the house like a cat. And yet, although a cage is not necessary for it (no, not like that - a cage won’t do at all, but you can keep your pet in a spacious enclosure), in any case, this big cat needs some kind of corner, its own territory. It would be great if there was some kind of tree there, or, in extreme cases, shelves that you can climb and jump over. This is important, because by nature the lynx is given developed muscles and high motor activity, which must find a way out. A claw sharpener will also not be superfluous, otherwise the furniture in the house would cry. Well, and the tray, of course - you will have to be patient and accustom the kitten to it.

The domestic lynx is subject to the same misfortune as ordinary cats - it swallows fur when licking and can choke on it. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to periodically comb your cat and generally care for its fur. Medicines for cleansing the intestines, in which hair may accumulate, will also not be superfluous.

Subject to these maintenance rules, a domestic lynx can be a cozy and interesting pet, intelligent and trainable. However, it is still not recommended to have this animal in families with small children. After all, predatory instincts, even if somewhere very deep, still sleep in this graceful and calm-looking animal, and who knows what could happen if they are awakened.

What to feed a lynx?

You need to feed the lynx correctly. A large individual eats four hundred grams raw meat at once. And feed your own spotted pet need twice a day. In addition to meat, the lynx happily eats dry food and canned fish. But you need to gradually accustom your predator to canned food. In addition, it is imperative to add various vitamins, as well as minerals and calcium to your food. The diet of this pet must be very balanced and nutritious, and the presence of rough components (bones, veins, etc.) that provide regular load to the jaw muscles is required.

How does a lynx get along with children?

Lynx gets along very well with children. And besides, she can become a real nanny for the baby. The most interesting thing is that children can pull their pet's whiskers and tail. In response, the lynx will steadfastly endure all the “bullying of the little master.” But he does not forgive adults for insults. That's why you can't beat him. Since the lynx will take revenge for these blows for a very long time and cruelly.

A young male needs to be castrated, since otherwise there will be a very specific smell in the apartment. And finding a match for your pet will be almost impossible. Do you know what happens to your cat’s character after castration?

In general, keeping a predator at home is very difficult. Firstly, this big creature. And secondly, very often this pet exhibits hunting instincts. And then problems will arise for all living beings in the area.

Purchase and price of domestic lynx

Although such an unusual pet at home is a rather infrequent occurrence, buying one will not be difficult, although the pricing policy may be slightly intimidating. The average cost of such an animal varies from 40,000 to 100,000 rubles.

1. Lynxes do not really like foxes and try to destroy them at the first opportunity. This is due to the fact that foxes are very cunning and love to encroach on other people's prey. When a lynx sees a fox nearby, it leaves its prey and waits for the fox to approach it, then attacks it, but does not eat it, but simply leaves it in place;
2. The lynx has very sharp eyesight, and as one version says, even the coat of arms of Finland depicts a lynx, not a lion;
3. Thanks to its tufts on its ears, the lynx has incredible hearing; it can hear a person’s steps several kilometers away, so catching a lynx is very difficult;
4. The ancient Greeks believed that the lynx could see through objects;
5. An interesting fact is that if you cut off the tufts on a lynx’s ears, its hearing acuity will significantly decrease;
6. Only one species of lynx is listed in the Red Book - the Iberian lynx due to the fact that its fur is very beautiful and soft; people chasing expensive prey actively exterminated them for a long time;
7. While moving, the lynx places its hind leg in the trail of its front leg, just like wolves and tigers do;
8. Before forming a pair, lynxes intensively hit their foreheads until the crunching of their bones is heard;
9. Lynx never attacks from above; hiding on tree branches or on rock slopes, they track their prey or rest;
10. The maximum weight of an adult male lynx sometimes reaches 30 kg, while average females weigh only about 18 kg;
11. A female lynx bears offspring for about 70 days and usually gives birth to 2-3 kittens;
12. Lynx kittens begin to see only 13-14 days after birth;
13. A trot needs to eat about 2 kg of meat per day;
14. Lynxes prefer to eat voles;
15. Mother lynx has the ability to select physical qualities from different fathers for her kittens while she is pregnant;
16. Hevelius discovered a constellation called Lynx;
17. A cat's jump can reach 4m in length;

The lynx is a large taiga predator with a flexible body up to one meter long. Like all other wild cats, the lynx has webbed fingers that allow it to calmly move around without falling through. loose snow. The lynx is distinguished from other similar mammals by small tufts on its ears, thanks to which even Small child recognizes it easily.

Lynx lifestyle and hunting

Adhering to a sedentary lifestyle, this cat begins to wander when there is a lack of food. My favorite dish is the white hare. Also, a lynx will never refuse partridge, black grouse, hazel grouse, beaver, fox, wild boar, small rodent, fallow deer, roe deer, reindeer and moose.

The lynx hunts in a very interesting way: at first it hides, then silently creeps up, and then unexpectedly and quickly pounces on the prey, making a big jump towards it. To carry out the capture plan, this predator skillfully hides behind a thick branch, stone, old stump or fallen leaves. Having eaten a little of the caught trophy, the lynx skillfully hides the remains in the snow or other secluded place.

Lynx in contact with people

Cases of lynx attacks on humans are very rare. This cat is dangerous only if it is seriously wounded, then, defending itself from the hunter, it can attack him. The wounds she inflicts will be serious. Hunters are her only enemies. Having met a hunter, this predator tries to quickly hide from him: it climbs a tree or “gets lost” in dense thickets. Sometimes he has to stay on the ground for a long time, jumping from branch to branch.

Lynx very rarely approaches settlements. Exceptions occur during a long period of famine or the absence of white hares (crop failure), only then this cat can be found near a populated area located close to the forest. But she practically does not manage to feast there; she is discovered and killed before she has time to catch someone.

The silent and calm lynx changes dramatically in mating season, begins to purr, meow and scream loudly. February and March are considered a suitable period for creating a cat family. There is a serious struggle for the female, in which each male shows his strength and power.

The mating pair formed after the victory of one of the males performs an interesting greeting ritual. First they sniff each other’s noses, then they butt their foreheads vigorously (sometimes to the point of a bone-chilling sound). Licking each other's fur speaks of friendly affection and devotion.

Lynx as a mother

Lynxes can have many cubs: up to five or six, but hunger does not always allow them to feed and raise them all. Often, out of four lynx cubs, only one survives. Little kittens are born helpless and blind. During the first week, no one leaves the den. The first and main rule of the lynx, which it passes on to its cubs: you can play with anything, but not with food.

By winter, the lynx cubs grow up and begin to move away from their home for a long time. She leaves the mother of her children unnoticed, gradually teaching them to live independently. This happens around the ninth or tenth month of the kittens’ life.

• having by nature perfect pitch and vision, a lynx is able to distinguish a sound several kilometers away;
• Among the many celestial constellations, one is dedicated to the lynx, this is explained by the fact that it consists of large quantity small stars that can only be seen with acute vision;
• in the 50s of the last century, lynx fur was recognized as the most fashionable and in demand, for this reason a large number of these cats were mercilessly exterminated;
• It has been scientifically proven that while pregnant, a lynx is able to choose the character and qualities for its future babies, for example, tassels from one male, and a tail and habits from another.

Common lynx (lat. Lynx lynx) Yakut. bader

Lynx is a very beautiful predatory cat that lives in the taiga. These wild animals have not been fully studied by humans, they are secretive and cautious, and it is not so easy to get close to them. Given this character of forest cats, it remains completely incomprehensible that they easily tolerate human proximity and live close to settlements and they are not even afraid to visit the villages. IN winter time can freely use paths trodden by people.

Etymology

The Russian word lynx goes back to the Proto-Slavic form *rysь. In word-formation terms, this is a derivative noun from praslav. adjective *rysъ “red”. It is assumed that the original form was *lysь< и.-е. *lūḱsis, родственные формы которой сохранились в балтийских языках (лит. lūšis, латышск. lūsis), древних германских (др.-в.-нем. luhs) и древнегреческом (λύγξ), которая была изменена под влиянием прилагательного *rysъ (по рыжеватому окрасу животного).

Appearance

The body length of the lynx is 80-130 cm and 70 cm at the withers. Typically, a lynx is the size of a large dog. The weight of adult males is from 18 to 25 kg, very rarely it can reach 30 kg; females weigh on average 18 kg. The body, like that of all lynxes, is short and dense. There are long tassels on the ears. The tail is short with a “chopped off” end (20-40 cm). The head is small and rounded. The elongated hair on the sides of the muzzle forms "whiskers". The muzzle is short, the eyes are wide, the pupils are round. Shedding occurs twice a year: in spring and autumn. Lynx fur has no equal among cats - very thick, tall, and silky. Especially long hair on the belly. The belly is pure white with sparse speckling.

The paws are large and well furred in winter, which allows the lynx to walk on the snow without falling through. In winter they grow from below long hair and become like skis, so the specific load on the support of the lynx is several times less than that of other cats. This, along with high legs, serves as an adaptation to movement on loose, deep snow.

There are many color variations of the lynx, depending on the geographical area - from reddish-brown to fawn-smoky, with more or less pronounced spotting on the back, sides and paws. On the belly, the hair is especially long and soft, but not thick and almost always pure white with sparse speckling. Southern forms are usually more red, their hair is shorter, and their paws are smaller.

The lynx's footprint is typically cat-like, without claw marks; the hind paws step exactly in the footprint of the front paws.

At first glance, the predator may seem awkward and awkward: the hind legs are too long, and it seems as if there is no tail at all! But the forelimbs are wide and massive for such a relatively small animal. But it was no coincidence that Mother Nature awarded this wild cat such a disproportionate body structure. All this helps the animal survive in harsh northern conditions.

Spreading

Lynx is the northernmost species of the cat family. In Scandinavia it is found even beyond the Arctic Circle. It was once quite common throughout Europe, but by the middle of the 20th century it was exterminated in most countries of Central and Western Europe. Successful attempts have now been made to revive the lynx population.

In Russia, the lynx is found in dense, heavily cluttered, overmature coniferous forests up to Kamchatka and Sakhalin, where it penetrated relatively recently. Lynx is also found in the Carpathians, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. It is scarce everywhere.

Lynx is found in middle lane Russia, Georgia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Belarus, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine (in the Carpathians), Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Why is lynx so difficult to see in the wild?

Once upon a time a doctor biological sciences N. N. Drozdov said that the lynx is “a creature that is difficult to see in freedom. It’s rare that anyone in nature manages to get valuable photo and video footage of this cat.” The professor was right, lynxes hunt secretly: early in the morning and at sunset (almost twilight). These cats, like tigers, prefer to do everything alone and in a pre-marked territory. Males are practically indifferent to their territories and easily tolerate intrusion by other males. At the same time, both individuals try to avoid each other. Females are not as peaceful as males. If two individuals meet on someone’s territory, a bloody battle cannot be avoided. That is why this animal is so rarely caught on camera.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Lynx prefers deaf people dark coniferous forests, taiga, although it is found in a wide variety of plantations, including mountain forests; sometimes enters the forest-steppe and forest-tundra. She climbs trees and rocks very well and swims well. She also survives well in the snow (in the Arctic Circle), catching fur-bearing animals. The spotted coat makes the lynx invisible during the day among the sunlight falling on the ground from the illuminated crowns of trees and hides at dusk and at dawn, making it easier to attack prey.

When there is an abundance of food, the lynx lives sedentary; when there is a shortage, it wanders. It can travel up to 30 kilometers per day. The basis of its diet is white hares. She also constantly hunts grouse birds, small rodents, and, less often, small ungulates such as roe deer, musk deer, sika and reindeer, and occasionally attacks domestic cats and dogs, in addition to foxes, raccoon dogs and other small animals. In addition, the lynx attacks partridges, hazel grouse, foxes, beavers, small rodents, young wild boars, fallow deer, elk.

Lynx hunts at dusk. Contrary to popular beliefs, she never jumps on her prey from a tree, but prefers to watch for game in ambush or to stealth (that is, she approaches the victim as close as possible, favorable for a lightning throw), hides behind fallen trunks, old stumps, stones, sometimes sits on a thick horizontal branch, and then attacks with large, up to 4 m, jumps. The victim is pursued at a distance of no more than 60-80 m, after which it runs out of steam. Having approached a distance of about 10-15 meters, the lynx covers it with several jumps 2-3 meters long. If the attack is immediately unsuccessful, the huntress makes a dozen more shorter jumps into the hijack, which most often ends in nothing. Having rushed at large prey, the lynx digs its claws into the front of its body, and torments its neck or throat with its teeth. The victim, maddened by pain, drags the predator on him for some time until he falls from the wounds inflicted. It is also known that the lynx kills foxes and martens, even if there is no need for food. She eats a little food at a time, and hides the rest in a secluded place or buries it in the snow.

Usually an adult animal catches and eats a hare once every 2-4 days; a brood of this amount of food is only enough for one day. A lynx kills a killed roe deer in 3-4 days, and kills a hunted sika deer for up to a week and a half. A well-fed lynx can even stay with a hare for several days until it eats it entirely, so as not to waste energy on a new hunt. She buries the uneaten remains of her prey with snow or earth. But she does it so sloppily that her supplies are very quickly stolen by smaller predators - sable, weasel. The wolverine also follows the lynx, as a more successful hunter, and sometimes drives it away from its freshly caught prey. The lynx itself often chases foxes, preventing them from hunting in their area.

Despite all the caution, the lynx is not very afraid of people. She lives in secondary forests created by them, young forests, in old cutting areas and burnt areas; and in years of trouble enters villages and even cities. The lynx usually does not attack a person, but if wounded it becomes dangerous, causing serious wounds to a person with its teeth and claws.

Lynxes are considered harmful predators, but in nature they play the same role as wolves: they destroy mainly sick, weak, and inferior individuals among taiga animals.

According to Russian zoologist Mikhail Kretschmar, there is not a single confirmed case of a lynx attacking a person. “To some extent it’s even surprising. A leopard weighing thirty-five kilograms easily kills people. An adult male lynx can easily deal with trained shepherd dogs twice his weight. However, cases where a lynx deliberately concealed and killed a person are still unknown to us. Pseudo-taiga fabulists have devoted dozens of pages to cases of lynx attacks on a geological party, a commercial hunter, a lone prospector, a Komsomol shock member, etc. Reasoning impartially, it is difficult to reproach them: according to all physical indicators, a lynx seems to be able to attack a person. Maybe, but it doesn't attack. Moreover, the lynx is known as one of the most easily tamed animals. In particular, even adult lynxes caught in traps can be tamed. Sometimes they get used to a person to such an extent that they allow themselves to be picked up, and the purring of this huge cat resembles the hum of a powerful electric motor.”

Social structure and reproduction

The lynx's rut ​​is in March, and at this time lynxes, usually silent, emit loud screams, purrs and loud meows. Outside the breeding season, the lynx leads a solitary lifestyle. During the rut from February to March, the female is followed by several males who fight fiercely among themselves. When meeting, lynxes who have formed a mating pair perform a greeting ritual - after sniffing each other’s noses, they stand opposite and begin to butt heads. Friendly affection among lynxes is expressed in mutual licking of fur.

Pregnancy in females lasts 63-70 days. In a litter there are usually 2-3 (very rarely 4-5) deaf and blind lynx cubs; their refuge is a lair under the upturned roots of a fallen tree, a hole, an earthen cave, in a low hollow or among a windfall, a rock crevice. The weight of newborns is 250-300 g. Lynx cubs' eyes open on the 12th day. At one month, the mother begins to feed the kittens solid food. Both parents participate in raising kittens. Grown-up lynx cubs hunt together with adults until the next breeding season, and then switch to independent existence and live alone. Females reach sexual maturity at 21 months, males at 33 months. Life expectancy is 15-20 years.

Population status and protection

Russia: 90% of the lynx population lives in Siberia, although lynxes are found from the western borders of the Russian Federation to Sakhalin.

The commercial value of the lynx is small (fur is used). Like many predators, it plays an important selection role in forest biocenoses. Only in hunting farms where roe deer, sika deer, and pheasants are bred, its presence is undesirable. Lynx fur is excellent: thick, silky and tall. The length of the guard hairs on the back reaches 5 centimeters, and on the stomach - 7 centimeters, under which there is abundant soft underfur. The color of the skin varies from reddish to bluish tones with a spotted pattern. Lynx fur has always been highly valued. Since the 1950s, prices for it on the international market began to increase at an unprecedented speed. Thus, at the Leningrad fur auction in 1958, the best lynx skins fetched $73, in 1973 - $660, and in 1977 - $1,300. This is explained by the fashion that has persisted for decades (a fact in itself very rare) for long-haired fur, among which lynx fur took first place.

Despite the fact that lynx meat, similar to veal, is tender and tasty, according to established tradition it is not customary to eat it (like the meat of any predator in general). It is interesting that in Ancient Rus' lynx meat was famous for its high quality and was served as a delicacy during boyar and princely feasts.

Lynx are considered a pest predator. The animal destroys commercial game even at the moment when it does not want to eat at all! From the point of view of hunting, the common lynx is classified as a commercial fur-bearing animal, which greatly reduces its population. In this regard, the entire genus of lynx is listed in the International Red Book, while the common lynx is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region. Why did the common lynx appear in this book?

The lynx is widely used in heraldry, symbolizing completeness and sharpness of vision. Her image can be seen on the coats of arms or flags of cities such as Rezh or Gomel. According to some versions, it is the lynx, and not the lion, that is depicted on the coat of arms of Finland. The Ust-Kubinsky district of the Vologda region also has a lynx on its coat of arms.

Due to its visual acuity, the constellation was named after the lynx by John Hevelius in 1690. Hevelius commented on the choice of name: “In this part of the sky there are only small stars, and you need to have lynx eyes to distinguish and recognize them.”

The Ubuntu Linux distribution version 10.04 is called “Lucid Lynx”.

Lynx belongs to the cat family. This is the most close relative cats though appearance the lynx is very different.

The lynx genus has four species:

• Common lynx or Eurasian lynx;
• Red Lynx;
• Iberian lynx or Spanish lynx;
• Canadian lynx.

The lynx is a relatively small representative of its family. The body length of an adult male is 76-130 cm, females are several centimeters shorter, about 73-124 cm. The weight of a lynx is 18-25 kg, sometimes very large specimens weighing 30 kg are also found. The body is short and tightly knit. A small, rounded head with elongated ears and characteristic tassels at the end. The lynx's muzzle is short with wide eyes, and on its cheeks there is elongated hair similar to whiskers. At the end of the body is a short tail with a blunt end, 20-35 cm long. The lynx's fur is very thick and soft, and has a dense undercoat. The fur is longest on the belly, but not very thick. Lynxes shed twice a year in spring and autumn. The fur that changes in the fall is fluffier and thicker. The summer pile is short, dense and not as thick with a more contrasting color than the winter one.

The color of lynxes is quite different, it all depends on their habitat and the species to which they belong. Most often, lynxes are found with a reddish-grayish or grayish-brown tint with pronounced large dark spots on the back and sides. Smaller spots cover the animal's legs and chest.

The hind legs of a lynx differ in structure from the legs of other cats; they are longer than the front ones. The lynx has 4 toes on its hind paws, and 5 on its front paws. In winter, the soles of its paws are covered with especially thick fur, which allows the lynx to easily move through the snow and not fall into snowdrifts. When a lynx walks, its hind paws follow the tracks of its front paws. Lynx tracks resemble those of a cat with large paws.

Where does the lynx live?

Lynxes live in the forests of Eurasia and North America. Sometimes this animal is found even beyond the Arctic Circle.

The lynx once inhabited almost the entire territory of Western and Central Europe. But due to the popularity of lynx fur on the world market and deforestation, already in the middle of the 20th century the lynx was exterminated in many European countries.

Now the lynx lives in the following countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Albania, Greece, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia. It has been reintroduced to some of these countries.

On the American continent, the lynx spread from southern Canada to Mexico. The largest population lives in the southeastern United States.

Lynx settled in Kamchatka relatively recently, around the beginning of the 20th century.

The favorite habitats of Eurasian lynxes are taiga, mountain, coniferous and funny forests. Although lynxes are sometimes found in the forest-tundra and other areas with low-growing vegetation, such as bushes or reeds. Most often, it chooses dense forests or thickets of young animals for living, where it is easy to make its den.

What does a lynx eat and its way of life?

The lynx is a predator, and like all predators, its diet consists of meat. The usual prey of the lynx are mouse-like rodents (voles, lemmings), hares, and birds (grouse or hazel grouse). In addition to small rodents and birds, it hunts larger prey: roe deer, spotted and reindeer, musk deer, seren. If possible, you won’t mind feasting on young elk, wild boars and red deer. Sometimes the lynx's catch can even be fish. In places where the lynx lives near humans, it often preys on domestic animals and livestock.

The lynx goes hunting mainly from 3 to 6 in the morning under the cover of darkness. The only exception is Canadian lynx, which hunts during the day. She carefully tracks her prey, sneaks up and suddenly attacks on the sly, making several long jumps, each from 2 to 3 meters. If it fails to catch the prey the first time, it chases it for 60-80 meters and then retreats.

There is an opinion that lynx attacks prey by jumping from trees, but this is not so. Sitting on a tree, the animal is just looking for her.

To get enough food, a lynx must eat from 1 to 3 kg of meat per day; a hungry predator can eat 5-6 kg per day. Uneaten large prey or its remains are always hidden by burying it in the snow or covering it with earth. She does this so sloppily that other predators easily find and steal all the supplies. A well-fed lynx does not hunt; it prefers not to waste energy.

Wolverine and fox often follow on the heels of the lynx to feast on the achievements of its successful hunt. Wolverine often takes prey and drives away the lynx. With a fox, the opposite is true: if a lynx sees it on its territory, it will certainly kill it, but will not eat it. This aggressiveness towards foxes is due to food competition.

As a rule, the lynx leads a sedentary lifestyle and only in case of a shortage of food resources does it migrate to places with sufficient food.

The animal's domain ranges from 70 to 250 sq. km. To get around its territory, a lynx needs from 5 to 10 days.

Reproduction

The mating season for lynxes begins in February and lasts until the end of March. At this time, the female is accompanied by several males, constantly fighting among themselves. At the same time, they publish all the time different sounds, growl, meow deeply, scream. Such battles can be heard over very long distances.

Pregnancy in females lasts for 1.5-2 months. To produce offspring, lynxes set up a den and look for it 4-5 hours before giving birth. More often, tree hollows at a height of 14-15 meters or splits in rocks serve as such lairs. In April or May, lynx cubs are born. A litter often produces 2-3 babies, rarely 4-5. Newborn kittens are blind and helpless, weighing about 300 grams. Babies open their eyes only at 12-14 days of life.

The female raises her offspring herself without the participation of the father. For the first month, the mother feeds the cubs with milk, and at two months of age she begins to feed them with prey. To teach her offspring to hunt, the female brings them live mice and hares. At three months of age, lynx cubs leave their den and begin to follow their mother. The female teaches kittens to hunt only after reaching the age of five months.

Lynx kittens begin independent life at the age of 1 year, when the mother drives them away to acquire new offspring. Female lynxes become sexually mature at the age of 1.5 years, and males at 2.5 years.

Lynxes live in wildlife 15-20 years, in captivity life expectancy can be more than 25 years.