How tall is a lynx. What does a lynx eat in the forest? What does lynx eat in the taiga? What does the common lynx eat?

The lynx belongs to the cat family. Although the lynx differs significantly from the cat in appearance, it is its closest relative.

Tassels on the ears are a decoration for any lynx. With their help, a predatory animal picks up even the slightest sounds, which is necessary for it when hunting. In addition to her keen vision, her sense of smell is well developed.

In nature there are 4 species of lynx:

1. Eurasian lynx (common).
2. Canadian.
3. Redhead.
4. Pyrenean or Spanish.

The Siberian animal is considered the most major representative class of cats inhabiting numerous forests in Europe. The common lynx lives on the European continent. It is also called European or Eurasian. The European population is small and leads a secretive lifestyle. Therefore, it is very difficult to see it in nature.

Its body can reach 130 cm in length and up to 70 cm in height. An adult animal can weigh from 20 to 25 kg. Females are slightly smaller than males. Have a short but very fluffy tail– no more than 30 cm. The animal’s muzzle is very similar to the muzzle of a domestic cat.

The animal's fur is very thick and warm, especially in winter time. The Siberian animal has a valuable skin, not inferior in quality to the fur of other fur-bearing animals. The color of the fur depends on the region where the animal lives. The Siberian lynx has a smoky color with spots of a darker color or brownish-red. The skin on the belly is white and very thick.

Lifespan of an animal wildlife– 15 years, in captivity a lynx can live 25 years. But keeping this wild animal in captivity is difficult. It is very picky about food. He eats only good meat, his diet must be constantly changed. Otherwise, the animal dies very quickly.

Wild animals can be found in the forests North America and Eurasia. The beast can also be found beyond the Arctic Circle. Due to the value of its fur and deforestation, a huge number of the animal were exterminated already at the beginning of the 20th century in most European countries.

Today the lynx can be found in:

The wild animal also lives in the Baltic countries, Mongolia, China, Greece and Albania. In most of these countries the animal has been reintroduced.

In America she lives in the territory from southern Canada to Mexico. The largest percentage of the population lives in the eastern and southern parts of the United States. At the beginning of the 20th century, the beast settled in Kamchatka.

In Russia, 90% of the Eurasian lynx population lives in Siberia. Although you can meet her in the territory from western borders Russian Federation and to Sakhalin.

Habitats

It is difficult for even an experienced hunter to get to the places where the animal lives. He prefers cluttered old windbreaks, taiga forests with dense undergrowth, where it is always dark. Her favorite forests are coniferous.

The wild animal tries to avoid people. The animal senses a person hundreds of meters away and silently leaves. But in times of hunger, he can even enter populated areas for food. She confidently attacks domestic animals. She has enough strength to kill even an adult shepherd dog.

Like a predator, a beast leads night look life. It only goes out to look for prey at dusk. Most often it hunts hares. But it can catch a marten or a squirrel. If possible, it can attack wild boar, roe deer, and wapiti. She likes the meat of wood grouse, hazel grouse, and black grouse.

Lynxes have a dislike for foxes. When meeting a fox, she tries to kill it, but will not eat it.

One hare is enough for her for 2 days, and a roe deer is enough for 7 days. It buries large prey, which cannot be eaten right away, in the ground in the summer, covered with snow in the winter, and is always close to the buried prey.

He leads a sedentary lifestyle. But in search of a victim, they can travel more than 30 km in a day. Lynx by nature is read alone. How much time she spends alone depends on the availability of food.

Reproduction

A female with cubs lives only for a few months. During this period of time she teaches kittens hunting skills and how to defend against enemies.

The female first brings live hares and mice to the babies, with which they play. Then she takes them hunting. In February, the female usually drives the lynxes away. But by this time they are already independent taiga life ready.

How does a lynx protect itself from enemies?

In taiga forests, the main enemy of the lynx is the wolf. They look for lynxes and, having caught them, try to strangle them. The Siberian beast hides from its enemies in trees, having strong paws and sharp claws. She can also swim well.

The enemy of the lynx is also the wolverine. In strength and size, one is not inferior to the other. But this animal is better adapted to life in winter period. She is much hardier and not very picky about her diet. Wolverine can eat the scraps left by the lynx. Or maybe even drive her away from her prey. During periods of hunger, a wolverine can kill and eat an animal. Usually these are weakened animals.

A case was recorded in Siberia where a tiger killed this animal. Feral dogs can also be enemies of this beast. But this happens rarely. Habitat areas wild dogs and lynxes, as a rule, do not touch.

There are very few places on the planet where lynx do not live. But The population of the species is constantly declining. This is affected by destruction natural environment habitat of the beast and excessive hunting of this beautiful animal. In some European countries these animals have been practically exterminated.

The lynx is the largest representative of the cat inhabiting the forests of Europe. There are several species: common (Eurasian), Canadian, red, Iberian (Spanish) and Barbary lynx (caracal). This predatory forest cat is not like its fellow cats and stands out among all others due to its body structure.

Appearance

The appearance of this cat is very deceptive, as the lynx looks completely harmless and cute, but in fact, it is a predator with sharp claws and teeth.

Unlike other representatives of the cat family, the lynx has a short body and long legs. The hind legs are longer with 4 toes, the front legs have 5 toes.

Males are slightly larger than females. The body is short and dense with a short, blunt tail (15-25 cm). The average body length is from 80 to 130 cm. The weight of lynx rarely exceeds 25 kg, males weigh on average 19-20 kg, and females about 18 kg.

The head is small, rounded with pointed ears of medium size. A distinctive feature is the fluffy tassels at the ends of the ears. The muzzle is short with large, widely spaced eyes. Long hair grows on the sides of the muzzle, reminiscent of whiskers.

The lynx has very soft fur with a thick undercoat. The fur on the belly is longer. The wide paws are densely overgrown, hair grows even between the toes, which creates a kind of skis and allows it to easily walk on the snow.

The common lynx sheds twice a year - in spring and autumn. Winter hair is thicker and fluffier, lighter than summer hair. What color a lynx is depends on the species and habitat. Usually the fur is grayish-red in color, with dark spots expressed to varying degrees on the sides and back. There are smaller spots on the legs and chest. The belly is white and the tip of the tail is black.

Habitats

Habitat: forests of Eurasia and North America. This wild cat can be found even beyond the Arctic Circle.

Previously, this predator was distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Central and Western Europe. But by the middle of the twentieth century, the number began to decline rapidly due to uncontrolled shooting and deforestation.

Now this wild cat lives in Russia, on Balkan Peninsula, in Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, France, Switzerland, Central Asia and Transcaucasia. In some countries, to preserve the population, the lynx had to be reintroduced.

IN THE USA greatest number These animals live in the southeast, with smaller populations spread from Mexico to Southern Canada. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the common lynx was settled in Kamchatka.

Where does the lynx live? Favorite places are taiga, coniferous and mixed forests. Sometimes it also settles in the forest-tundra or other places with low vegetation, among bushes or reeds. But most often the lynx chooses habitats in thickets of young animals or dense forests, where they can find a secluded place for a den.

Lifestyle and habits

The lynx leads a solitary and sedentary life, moving around its territory. This wild cat is an excellent swimmer and climbs trees and rocks. She is not afraid of people, but tries to avoid meeting them; she senses their approach from afar and tries to hide silently. In winter, a lynx can walk 20-30 km in a day in search of prey. In times of famine, the predator can visit populated areas, where chickens, dogs and even sheep can become its prey.

The European lynx is not adapted to long running, so if threatened, the animal flees to the trees.

The greeting ritual of these cats is very interesting. When meeting, friendly individuals sniff each other's noses and then “butt” their foreheads. A sign of the highest affection is mutual licking of fur.

The predator can rest almost the entire daylight hours in the trees or spend it in its lair, which it makes in secluded places, among windbreaks, in rock crevices or caves, low hollows or under upturned tree roots.

The European lynx hunts, as a rule, in the early morning, under the cover of darkness. Only Canadian lynx goes out hunting during the day. Having tracked the prey, the predator sneaks up on it and, in several long jumps (2-3 meters), overtakes the victim.

Often a fox or wolverine follows on the heels of a lynx, hoping to profit from its prey. Wolverine can also take away prey by attacking a lynx and driving it away. But the forest cat does not stand on ceremony with a fox. If they encounter each other in a lynx's territory, the wild cat will most likely kill the fox. She will not eat a fox; food competition causes aggression towards foxes.

Nutrition

The main food is hares, birds, rodents and young ungulates.

For complete nutrition adult 1-3 kg of meat is required per day; if a predator has not eaten for a while and is hungry, it can eat 4-5 kg ​​at once. If the lynx is not hungry, it prefers not to waste its energy and does not go hunting.

This wild cat hides the remains of its prey in the snow or covers it with earth. But it camouflages its reserves extremely ineptly, which is why other predators often steal its supplies.

Reproduction

The lynx's rut ​​lasts from February to March. The female is courted by several males at once, who constantly fight among themselves, making loud sounds that carry over long distances.

Pregnancy lasts about two months and offspring appear in April-May. There are usually 2-3 kittens in a litter and much less often 4 or 5. Newborn lynx cubs weigh about 300 g, like all cats, they are born blind and open their eyes at about two weeks of age.

The male does not take part in raising the cubs. The female feeds the kittens with milk for up to two months, then begins to accustom them to animal food. Often the mother brings live hares or rodents to the kittens so that the young lynxes develop hunting skills. Lynx cubs and their mother go on their first hunt after they are five months old.

Tanks and tassels in young individuals are fully formed by 1.5 years.

By the beginning of the next rut, the female drives the cubs away to continue breeding. If she does not have a new litter, the lynx cubs live with their mother for some time.

In the wild, the life expectancy of this cat is 15-20 years, and in captivity, with good care, they can live more than 25 years.

Lynx hunting

The lynx is listed as an endangered species in the Red Book, therefore in Russia a shooting limit and hunting periods have been established. They hunt lynx during a thaw, in deep snow, usually by rounding up, with dogs or by setting traps.

The lynx can be called conditionally dangerous for humans, since it avoids meeting him. An animal can attack a person only in defense of its own life or the life of its cubs.

There are many stories about the taming of the lynx by humans and their peaceful coexistence.

Video

See below - documentary about the life of a lynx in the wild.

And about the tamed one:

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, they 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 not by chance that Mother Nature endowed this wild cat with 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 mid-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 remote, heavily cluttered, overmature areas. coniferous forests 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.

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, spotted and reindeer, 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 are bred, sika deer, pheasants, 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's 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 their 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”.

It just so happens that some of the most formidable predators on our planet are representatives of the cat family, and every kind and affectionate cat has very formidable relatives. One of them is the lynx, which, in fact, is a large, wild and, of course, very predatory animal that lives in forests. Our article today is about her.

Lynx: description, structure, characteristics. What does a lynx look like?

The average body length of a lynx is from 80 to 130 cm. The weight of a lynx, if it is a male, is from 18 to 25 kg, females are slightly smaller and correspondingly lighter, their weight is usually 17-18 kg. The body of this animal is short and dense.

It has, like all cats, a tail, although it is a lynx tail, usually with a chopped off end. The lynx's ears are decorated with fluffy tassels. Also, these “cats” have elongating hair on the beard, creating a kind of sideburn. The lynx's muzzle is round and small, but its eyes bigger size, moreover, with vertical pupils. Her vision is very good, besides, the lynx is able to see in the dark, the same can be said about hearing and smell, all these senses in lynxes are as well developed as in ordinary cats.

The lynx's fur is thick, silky and beautiful. Large and fluffy paws give great opportunity for an animal to move through the snow in winter. The color of the lynx varies depending on its species and habitat, from red to gray-brown.

How long does a lynx live?

Life expectancy of a lynx natural conditions is 15-20 years.

Where does the lynx live?

The lynx lives over a very wide geographical range, but exclusively in the northern hemisphere of our planet: in North America (in the USA and Canada), in the north of Eurasia: these cats can also be found in Siberian taiga, and in the mountains of China and Tibet, and on the Scandinavian Peninsula. As for our country Ukraine, the common lynx is found, among other things, in the Carpathian forests.

The lynx always chooses dense forest areas as its habitat. It happens that in search of prey, lynxes can go to forest edges or meadows, but they do not stay there for long, always returning to their native forest thickets.

What does a lynx eat?

It will probably be unnecessary to say that the lynx is an incorrigible predator (like all felines), so its diet consists of various forest animals, most often hares. The lynx also hunts various small rodents, roe deer (but young deer, which also have powerful antlers, are not always easy to deal with), and black grouse birds. Sometimes her prey includes partridges, hazel grouse and even.

Enemies of the lynx

As for the lynx itself, besides humans, its main enemy in natural conditions is. Or rather, wolves, who, when gathered in a pack, can easily tear a wild cat apart. Knowing this, lynxes try to avoid places where there are many wolves. As you can see, here in the battle between the collectivism of representatives of the canine family - wolves, and the individualism of representatives of the cat family - lynxes, collectivism wins, despite the fact that a single lynx is stronger than a single wolf; it cannot resist a well-coordinated wolf pack.

Lynx lifestyle

As we wrote just above, lynx prefers dense forests as habitats. Taiga is an ideal place for lynx. All lynxes can climb trees well and swim well. The spotted color of the lynx helps to camouflage it. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, at most in pairs of male + female, in which they lose to their competitors, wolves.

In search of food, a lynx can walk up to 30 km a day. They go out hunting at dusk, lying in wait for potential prey in ambush, then making a sharp dash - the speed of a lynx during a rapid rush can reach up to 40 km per hour. It is interesting that the lynx is not too afraid of people, and may well attack, including a person, but only if it is very persistent and careless, it usually prefers other loess game.

Types of lynx, photos and names

There are several types of lynx, below we will describe them in more detail.

The most common representative of this species, everything that we wrote above, is primarily swayed by the common lynx.

Some zoologists consider it a subspecies of the common lynx. As the name suggests, this lynx lives mainly in Canada, but it can also be found in a number of northern states USA (Idaho, Montana). It also differs from the ordinary lynx in being half the size; its body length is 48-56 cm. The fur of the Canadian lynx is grayish-brown in color.

This species of lynx is found in the southwest of Spain, nowadays mainly only in the territory national park Coto Doñana is the rarest in nature. If the lynx as a whole species is listed in, since it is endangered, then the Iberian lynx is on this moment is not a lot, not a little, but one of the rarest mammals on planet Earth - according to zoologists, at the moment its population is only about 100 individuals, and all measures must be taken to preserve the Iberian lynx in the future.

By appearance The Iberian lynx differs from the usual lynx in its lighter coat color and the presence of pronounced spots, which gives it a resemblance to a leopard.

Living in the United States, Red Lynx, is distinguished by its reddish-brown color, with gray shades, and the presence of white markings on inside the tip of the tail (in other lynxes it is black). It is also smaller in size compared to the common lynx; the weight of the red lynx is 6-11 kg. And what’s most interesting is that among red lynxes there are sometimes melanists, that is, representatives with a completely black color, which, like representatives of melanistic jaguars and melanistic leopards, are called.

Lynx breeding

The mating season for lynxes, like their close relatives cats, begins in March. And it is also accompanied by loud purring and meowing (those who have domestic cats know what this is). It happens that several males begin to court one female at once, and she chooses the strongest and most worthy among them. As a sign of love, lynxes often lick each other's fur.

Lynx pregnancy lasts 65-75 days, usually 2-3 lynx cubs are born at a time. Again, like their closest feline relatives, they are born blind, their eyes appear only on the 12th day of life. At first, the mother lynx takes every possible care of the babies and feeds them. In general, with lynxes everything happens here very similar to domestic cats.

• Since ancient times, the lynx was considered a sacred animal in Scandinavian mythology; it was depicted harnessed to the chariot of the goddess Freya.
• Maine Coon cats, which are essentially the largest cats in the world, according to some theories, trace their ancestry back to the lynx.
• The lynx also has its place in heraldry; the lynx depicted on various medieval coats of arms symbolizes visual acuity.

Lynx, video

And in conclusion, we invite you to watch an interesting documentary about the lynx from the National Geographic channel - “Lynx - the Elusive Hunter.”

It is believed that the lynx was named after the mythical hero Lucius, who was able to see through things.

There is even a special community called the “Lynx Academy”, it was formed in Italy in the 17th century.

Peculiarities

This animal lives in Eurasia, Kamchatka, and North America. Previously, the lynx was also found in European countries, but due to the demand for its fur, it was almost completely exterminated in these territories. Currently listed in the Red Book.

There are the following varieties: Canadian, Iberian, red and common lynx, below are several photos of this animal.

Externally, the lynx looks like a huge cat, usually about 1 meter long. The weight of males can reach 25-30 kg, females weigh about 20 kg. The lynx's fur is very thick.

As for color, it can be reddish, brown or gray (it all depends on where it lives). The sides and back are covered with dark spots.

It should also be noted that the lynx has a tail that is very unusual shape, it seems to be deliberately shortened. Winter wool is longer than summer wool and thicker.

Molting occurs twice a year. The front legs are longer than the hind legs, which allows the lynx to make very impressive jumps.

Also interesting feature is that the lynx's hind paws have five toes, and the front paws have four.

In winter, the lynx's sole is covered with dense fur to make it more comfortable for it to move through snowy areas. The lynx's walking style is the same as that of a wolf and a tiger; its hind paws follow the tracks of its front paws.

The lynx is an animal that has excellent hearing, all thanks to special tassels on the edge of the ears; these tassels act as a kind of antenna.

Lifestyle and habits

The lynx mainly lives in the taiga or mountain forests. Excellent for climbing trees. Lynx feels great even at temperatures of minus 60 degrees. The territory where the lynx lives and hunts can reach an area of ​​more than 200 square meters. km, and she can cover this territory in about a week and a half.

The lynx changes location only due to food shortage. One of the lynx's most important enemies is wolves. A lynx cannot escape from wolves. Only those who hide in the trees are saved.

But it should be noted that the most main danger for the lynx it represents people, namely poachers.

The lynx often allows it to hide from hunters perfect pitch. A lynx's claws, as well as its teeth, can cause very significant harm to a person who disturbs it.

Nutrition

Lynx is an excellent hunter. What allows her to hunt successfully is her ability to easily climb branches and even rocks, as well as the fact that she has excellent hearing and vision.

She goes out hunting very early in the morning (at about three o'clock in the morning). She can wait for the victim absolutely motionless for several hours.

To reach her prey, she easily jumps several meters forward. The speed at which a lynx pursues its prey can reach 20-40 km/h.

For a lynx to live comfortably, it is necessary to consume more than three kilograms of meat per day. If she is very hungry, she will easily eat more than five kilograms; the remaining food, as a rule, is very carelessly buried, which is why other animals discover it.

The lynx mainly feeds on hares, birds, as well as squirrels and other rodents. But larger victims also happen: deer, elk, and even wild boars. Also the lynx will not pass by livestock. In the spring it can catch fish that spawn near the shore.

Reproduction

The lynx's mating season begins in early spring, and lasts until summer. As a rule, several males permanently follow the female, while starting fights and growling.

The female then makes a choice and the couple starts a family.

They often line their house with feathers or grass.

Lynx cubs appear after approximately 2.5 months, usually three or four of them. Each weight is approximately 300-350 g. After a week, the kitten begins to develop hunting instincts. To do this, not far from the kitten, the parents hide some kind of small rodent, and he has to find it himself.

When the lynx cubs are about two months old, both parents go hunting and leave them unattended, which is why the lynx cubs sometimes become victims of predators, most often they are attacked by foxes, but attacks by dogs also happen.

At about six months of age, they are already trying to get their own food without outside help.

When the kittens turn one year old, their mother separates them from herself in order to have new offspring.

Life expectancy in the wild is approximately 20-25 years. At the moment, a breed called “domestic lynx” has been bred, this was done specifically for those who want to have such an animal in their home, or even apartment.

Photo of lynx