Morphological criteria for lynx. Common lynx (lat

Lynx belongs to the cat family. This is the closest relative of the cat, although the appearance of the lynx is very different.

The genus of lynxes has four species:

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

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. Lynx weighs 18-25 kg, sometimes very large specimens with a weight of 30 kg are also found. The body is short and tightly knocked down. A small, roundish head with oblong ears and characteristic tassels at the end. The muzzle of the lynx is short with wide eyes, on the cheeks an oblong coat similar to whiskers. At the end of the body there is a short tail with a blunt end 20-35 cm long. The lynx fur is very thick and soft, has a dense undercoat. The longest hair on the abdomen, but not very thick. Shedding at lynxes occurs twice a year in spring and autumn. The coat, which has changed in the fall, is more fluffy and thick. Summer pile is short, dense and not so dense with a more contrasting color than winter.

The color of the lynx 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 hue with pronounced large dark spots on the back and sides. Smaller spots cover the legs and chest of the animal.

The hind legs of a lynx differ in structure from other cat's paws, they are longer than the front. On the hind legs of the lynx, 4 fingers, and on the front 5. In winter, the sole of the paws is covered with especially thick fur, which allows the lynx to easily move around in the snow and not fall into the snowdrifts. When the lynx steps, then its hind legs follow the tracks of its front legs. Lynx footprints resemble the footprint of a cat with large paws.

Where does the lynx live?

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

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

Now the lynx lives in such countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Albania, Greece, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia. In some of these countries, it was repopulated.

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

Relatively recently, lynxes settled in Kamchatka, around the beginning of the 20th century.

Favorite places to live Eurasian lynx taiga, mountain, coniferous and funny forests. Although lynxes are sometimes found in the forest-tundra and in other areas with low vegetation, for example, shrubs or reeds. Most often, he still chooses dense forests or young growths for living, where it is easy to arrange his den.

What feeds the lynx and its lifestyle

Lynx is a predator, and like all predators, its diet consists of meat. The usual prey for a lynx is mouse-like rodents (field voles, lemmings), hares, birds (grouse or hazel grouse). In addition to small rodents and birds, it hunts for larger prey: roe deer, sika and reindeer, musk deer, and seren. If possible, do not mind eating young moose, wild boars and Manchurian deer. Sometimes even a fish can become a catch of a lynx. In places where a lynx lives near a person, it often hunts pets and livestock.

Lynx goes hunting mainly from 3 to 6 in the morning under the cover of dusk. The only exception is the Canadian lynx, which hunts in the afternoon. She carefully tracks her prey, sneaks up and stealthily attacks, making several long jumps, each from 2 to 3 meters. If it was not possible to catch the prey the first time, it pursues it 60-80 meters, and then retreats.

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

To eat, a lynx should eat from 1 to 3 kg of meat per day, a hungry predator can eat 5-6 kg per day. Unfinished large prey or its remains are always hidden by digging in the snow, or by digging it with the earth. She does it so sloppy that other predators easily find and steal all the supplies. A well-fed lynx does not hunt; it prefers not to waste strength.

Often on the heels of a lynx, a wolverine and a fox walks to feast on the achievements of her successful hunt. Wolverine often selects prey and drives off the lynx. With a fox, the opposite is true, if a lynx sees it on its territory, it will certainly kill, but it won’t eat. Such aggressiveness towards foxes is due to food competition.

As a rule, the lynx leads a sedentary lifestyle and only in case of lack of fodder resources migrates to places with enough food.

In the possession of the animal from 70 to 250 sq. Km. To get around your site, lynxes need from 5 to 10 days.

Breeding

The mating season in 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 all the time make different sounds, growl, meow bassily, shout. Such fights are heard over very long distances.

Pregnancy in females lasts for 1.5-2 months. To produce offspring, lynxes arrange a den, look for it 4-5 hours before birth. More often such a den is hollow trees at a height of 14-15 meters or splits in the rocks. In April or May, lynxes are born. In the brood, 2-3 babies are often born, rarely 4-5. Newborn kittens are blind and helpless, weighing about 300 grams. Kids open their eyes only on the 12-14th day of life.

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

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

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

Lynx lynx

Squad:Predatory - Carnivora

Family:Feline - Felidae

Gender:Lynx - Lynx

Where lives:

In Russia, lynx is found in dense, overgrown coniferous forests from the western borders up to Kamchatka and Sakhalin, where it has entered relatively recently. Lynx is also found in the Carpathians, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Everywhere it is small.

Habitats:

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

The size:

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

Appearance:

Lynx is a medium-sized beast with a relatively short body, raised high on its legs, a round head and a short, as if “kutsim” tail. The ears are small, erect, crowned with long tassels, “tanks” are visible on the cheeks. The legs are relatively thick, at the same time slim with a large rounded paw and sharp retractable claws.

The soft, long and thick winter fur of lynxes in different areas of their range has a different color: ashen-blue, fawn-smoky, gray-brown, red-red. Almost always, the fur is streaked 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 a rare speck. Summer lynx fur is coarser, shorter, has a brighter coloring than winter. Paws are well-pubescent in winter. No other cat is adapted to snow and cold like a lynx.

Behavior and lifestyle

The lynx is very clever: it not only perfectly climbs trees and rocks, but also runs fast, makes big jumps up to 3.5-4 meters, makes long transitions, swims well.

Lynx leads mainly a 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, up to 30 km can pass per day.

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

Nutrition:

The lynx is a “purebred” predator; it eats everything that moves and is accessible to it by force. The objects of hunting lynx are hares, roe deer, musk deer, chamois, tours, various birds (primarily hazel grouse and black grouse), rodents, as well as young deer, wild boars, and moose. Hunting in deep snow and crust, the lynx defeats large adult animals. On occasion, catches squirrels, martens, sables, columns, raccoon dogs. However, it is believed that the basis of lynx nutrition is hares and medium-sized ungulates.

The constitution of the lynx with its narrow rib cage is not adapted for long running; the favorite hunting methods are to watch the victim on the paths of movement, in places of concentration (watering places, salt licks, flutters). For the same reason, any of the predators, including dogs, easily catches up with a lynx, the only salvation for which is to quickly climb a tree. That is why in a 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 the main food competitors. In the conditional competition of these species, the lynx loses both in breeding rates and in its ability to adapt to environmental changes. According to researchers, a lynx also deliberately pursues foxes.

Reproduction:

The race for lynxes begins in late February and lasts about a month. The female usually goes several males, constantly fighting each other. Being generally silent animals, lynxes during the rutting purr loudly and sharply and meow, and with strong excitement they shout furiously. Females meow low, males growl muffled. The ancestral lair is primitive, but fairly sheltered, under the roots of a tree or in a cleft of rocks, less often in a hollow of a tree. Pregnancy lasts 63-70 days.

In May, 2-3 cubs appear in the lynx, less often one or four. They are helpless, blind and deaf, and weigh only a quarter or a third of a kilogram. The eyes of the cubs open after 16-17 days. When they turn one month old, they begin to take meat food, however, they feed on mother milk for another four months.

The hunting instinct awakens at an early age. Cubs, who are about forty days old, are already trying to sneak up on "prey" and attack it. Starting to go out of the den with the mother, the lynxes get acquainted with the complex life of the forest. Adults bring them live mice, field voles, rabbits, patiently teach how to get them, touching and selflessly protecting the cubs from all adversities.

The male helps the mother to feed and raise offspring. Cubs grow quickly, already in October they are difficult to distinguish from their parents, and lynxes begin to hunt in families. All winter the brood keeps together, breaking up to the beginning of a new rut. At the age of one year, young growth finally switches to an independent life.

Females reach puberty at 21 months, males at 33 months.

Life span:

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

Habitat:

Threats to the mind:

Despite this widespread occurrence, it is a vulnerable species with a declining population.

The range of the lynx is reduced, and the number decreases with the destruction of habitats and the direct pursuit of the beast. It was destroyed as a pest of animal husbandry, a “fighter” of game and simply as a valuable fur-bearing animal.

Measures to increase the number of lynx should be recognized: the preservation of optimal biotopes and forage objects (musk deer, roe deer and hare), the reduction in the number of wolves, and especially the fight against poaching of musk deer with loops into which the lynx also falls.

Lynx (lat. Lynx) - a genus of carnivorous feline mammals, closest to the genus of cats (Felis).

It includes several medium-sized cats:

• Lynx
• Canadian Lynx. Some sources consider it a subspecies of the common lynx.
• Iberian Lynx. It is found in the south-west of Spain (most of it is in the Coto Doñana National Park). One of the rarest species of mammals.
• Red Lynx

Sometimes Caracal (Caracal caracal) and the marble cat (Pardofelis marmorata) are also referred to the Lynx family.

Lynx is a typical cat, although the size of a large dog, which is partly reminiscent of its shortened body and leggy. The head of the lynx is very characteristic: relatively small, rounded and very expressive. They differ from other cat lynxes by their short tail and tassels at the ends of their ears.

Full description of the animal

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. Lynx weighs 18-25 kg, sometimes very large specimens with a weight of 30 kg are also found. The body is short and tightly knocked down. A small, roundish head with oblong ears and characteristic tassels at the end. The muzzle of the lynx is short with wide eyes, on the cheeks an oblong coat similar to whiskers. At the end of the body there is a short tail with a blunt end 20-35 cm long. The lynx fur is very thick and soft, has a dense undercoat. The longest hair on the abdomen, but not very thick. Shedding at lynxes occurs twice a year in spring and autumn. The coat, which has changed in the fall, is more fluffy and thick. Summer pile is short, dense and not so dense with a more contrasting color than winter.

The color of the lynx 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 hue with pronounced large dark spots on the back and sides. Smaller spots cover the legs and chest of the animal.

The hind legs of a lynx differ in structure from other cat's paws, they are longer than the front. On the hind legs of the lynx, 4 fingers, and on the front 5. In winter, the sole of the paws is covered with especially thick fur, which allows the lynx to easily move around in the snow and not fall into the snowdrifts. When the lynx steps, then its hind legs follow the tracks of its front legs. Lynx footprints resemble the footprint of a cat with large paws.

Where does the lynx live?

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

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

Now the lynx lives in such countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Albania, Greece, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia. In some of these countries, it was repopulated.

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

Relatively recently, lynxes settled in Kamchatka, around the beginning of the 20th century. Favorite places to live Eurasian lynx taiga, mountain, coniferous and funny forests. Although lynxes are sometimes found in the forest-tundra and in other areas with low vegetation, for example, shrubs or reeds. Most often, he still chooses dense forests or young growths for living, where it is easy to arrange his den.

What does common lynx eat?

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

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

In the snowy season, the animal can attack larger animals. Thanks to the long legs and the paw pads overgrown with fur, the cat can move around in the snow without difficulty.

Common lynx goes in search of prey with the onset of night. It is believed that she attacks the prey from the tree, but this is not so. The predator prefers to patiently watch for it or sneak up with cautious steps and abruptly attack.

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

Breeding and offspring

The common lynx is a predator leading a solitary lifestyle. The trot race starts in March. During this period, predators emit very characteristic loud screams, as well as rumble or meow loudly. At the rutting stage, each female is accompanied immediately by several males fiercely fighting each other. Educated marriage couples perform a kind of welcome ritual, and affection is expressed in licking each other's wool.

It is interesting!  The gestation period of a female varies between 64-70 days. One brood usually consists of a pair of kittens, but sometimes their number can reach five. Lynxes are deaf and blind, which is why the female first hides them in the den, which is located under the roots of fallen trees, in deep holes or earth 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. Lynx eyes open only on the twelfth day. Up to about a month, the female feeds her cubs exclusively with milk, after which a gradual feeding of solid protein foods begins. Kittens are raised by both parents, who not only protect their offspring, but also teach them how to get food and hide from enemies. Sexual maturity in females comes closer to two years, and in males a few months later.

Population and species status

Today, the presence of several tens of individuals is observed on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, and in Germany, Switzerland and France, mass extermination required the re-settlement of an ordinary lynx.

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

In commercial terms, the common lynx is not very popular - only the fur of this predatory animal is used. It is distinguished by its density, silkiness and sufficient height, as well as the presence of a soft underfur. The average length of the outer hair in an adult is approximately 60-70 mm. But along with many other predators, lynxes play a very important role in the natural biocenosis.

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

It is interesting!  In ancient Russia, rich nobles were treated with lynx meat, and dishes from such meat were served on the table of the boyars and princes as an expensive delicacy.

Even in the last century, on the territory of European countries, the total number of common lynx was quite sharply and greatly reduced to only a few hundred individuals. The destruction of forest zones, poaching and a reduction in the total food supply had a negative effect on the total number of animals of prey. To date, various measures are being taken to not only preserve, but also increase the number of this incredibly beautiful predator.

Population Status and Protection

Lynx population status in different countries:

• Balkan Peninsula: Several dozen lynxes in Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Greece.
• Germany: Exterminated by 1850. In the 1990s. re-populated in the Bavarian Forest and Harz.
• Carpathians: 2,200 lynxes from the Czech Republic to Romania; the largest population besides the Russian one.
• Poland: About 1,000 individuals in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Tatra Mountains.
• 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: approx. 2,500 lynxes in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
• France: Exterminated approx. 1900 Settled in the Vosges and Pyrenees.
• Switzerland: Exterminated by 1915, re-settled 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: according to 2008 data, 500 to 1000 lynxes can live in the country.

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

Red fur has always been highly regarded. Since the 1950s, prices for it in the international market began to increase at an unprecedented rate. So, at the Leningrad fur auction in 1958, $ 73 was received for the best lynx skins, $ 660 in 1973, and $ 1,300 in 1977. This is due to the fashion that has been preserved for decades (a fact in itself is very rare) for long-haired fur, among which lynx fur took the first place.

It should be noted that people holding in captivity ordinary wild lynxes note their unpretentiousness and good adaptability. If the lynx did not have such a predatory start, it would be a very convenient pet. But the ordinary lynx can be kept exclusively in the 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 the cage is not necessary for her (no, not that way - the cage will not work at all, but you can keep your pet in a spacious enclosure), in any case, this big cat needs some kind of corner of its own, its own territory. It’s great if there will be some kind of tree, in extreme cases, shelves where you can climb and jump. This is important, because by nature a lynx is given developed musculature and high motor activity, which should 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 have to be patient and train a kitten to it.

Domestic lynx is subject to the same misfortune as ordinary cats - it swallows wool when licking and can choke on it. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to periodically comb the cat and generally take care of its hair. Medications for cleansing the intestines, in which wool can accumulate, will not be superfluous.

Subject to these rules of keeping, domestic lynx can be a cozy and interesting pet, smart and trained. However, it is still not advised to get this animal in families with small children. After all, the predatory instincts, though somewhere very deeply, but still sleep in this graceful and calm-looking animal, and who knows what can happen if they are woken up.

How to feed a lynx?

You need to feed the lynx correctly. A large individual eats four hundred grams of raw meat at a time. And you need to feed your spotted pet twice a day. In addition to meat, lynx eats dry food and canned fish with pleasure. But you need to train a predator to canned food gradually. In addition, it is necessary to add various vitamins to food, as well as minerals and calcium. The diet of this pet should be very balanced and nutritious, while the presence of coarse components (bones, veins, etc.) that ensure a regular load on the jaw muscles is mandatory.

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 mustache and tail. In response, the lynx will steadfastly endure all the "bullying of the little master." But adults, he does not forgive insults. Therefore, it cannot be beaten. Since the lynx will take revenge for such a long time and cruelly.

The young male needs to be neutered, since in the opposite case there will be a very specific smell in the apartment. And to find a pair for your pet will be almost impossible. And you know what happens to the character of your cat after castration.

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

Purchase and price of domestic lynx

Although such an unusual pet at home is a rather infrequent phenomenon, it will not be difficult to buy it, though the pricing policy may slightly scare it off. The average cost of such an animal varies from 40,000 to 100,000 rubles.

1. Lynxes do not really like foxes and at the first opportunity try to destroy them. This is due to the fact that foxes are very cunning and love to encroach on someone else’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, but simply leaves it in place;
2. The lynx has very keen eyesight, and as one version says, even the coat of arms of Finland shows a lynx, not a lion;
3. Thanks to its tassels on the ears, the lynx has an incredible hearing, it can hear a person’s steps for several kilometers, so it’s very difficult to catch a lynx;
4. The ancient Greeks believed that a lynx can see through objects;
5. An interesting fact is that if you cut the tassels on the ears of a lynx, then the acuity of its hearing will decrease significantly;
6. Only one species of lynx is listed in the Red Book is 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. During the movement, the back leg of the lynx puts on the track of the front, just like wolves and tigers do;
8. Before forming a pair, lynxes intensively beat their foreheads until the sound of the crunch of their bones is heard;
9. Lynx never attacks from above, hiding on tree branches or on the slopes of rocks, they track their prey or rest;
10. The maximum weight of an adult male lynx sometimes reaches 30 kg, and average females weigh only about 18 kg;
11. The female lynx carries offspring for about 70 days, usually gives birth to 2-3 kittens;
12. Lynx kittens begin to see only 13-14 days after birth;
13. For a day, lynx is required to eat about 2 kg of meat;
14. Lynx prefer to eat voles;
15. Mom-lynx has the ability to choose its kittens physical qualities from different fathers while still pregnant;
16. Hevelius discovered a constellation called Lynx;
17. A cat's jump can reach 4m in length;

The word lynx lives in our language not only as the name of an animal. We say - trot, trot. Lynx is also a way of moving, fast running, just characteristic of a lynx. Lynx also has other interesting properties and habits.

Appearance

Lynx is a feline mammal. It differs from ordinary cats in the first place in size - about three times larger, more likely the size of an average dog. Body length up to a meter, height at the withers about 60 cm, weight about 15 kilograms.

It has a short tail, like a chopped off one, and tassels on the ears, these are its most famous signs. The head is massive, eyes are large, round. On the sides of the muzzle are fluffy whiskers.

The fur is very thick, fluffy, especially in winter. The skin color is grayish-brown, iridescent spots are scattered on it, dark specks on the paws. It is interesting that the spots on the skin can be clear or blurry, in different numbers, even in the same area in different animals, and even more so in the inhabitants of different places. The abdomen is usually white, with delicate long hair in rare specks.

Paws powerful, long, hind legs longer than front ones. Strong claws, like cats, usually hide and release if necessary.

Lynx runs fast, including in the snow - like on the ground. Climbing trees perfectly, jumping to a distance of 5 meters. Swims well if necessary.

The beast has good hearing and quick response. Smart, prudent, in case of danger acts without panic.

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

Lynx habitat

Lynx is distributed over a large area in the Northern Hemisphere. This is taiga, mixed forests, partially the tundra of Europe, Asia, North America. About 30 thousand of these animals live in Russia - the figure is not so big. Before, lynx was quite actively hunted because of the beautiful fur, and animal meat is also considered tasty. In addition, the danger of a lynx was often exaggerated, supposedly it often attacks people, pets. If the latter happens during a lack of food, then lynx attacks humans very infrequently. Usually - for self-defense, being wounded or very alarmed by a person.

Lynx lives more often in a dense forest, can live in rocky places. The lair with the cubs is comfortable in the inaccessible more often or very well disguises itself, rarely anyone succeeds in seeing it.

Nutrition and Hunting

Lynx predators eat various animals. They prey on:

• Ungulates - deer, roe deer, Manchurian deer;
• Pine forest - grouse, black grouse, hazel grouse;
• Small animals, rodents.

The main object of lynx hunting is a hare, often a white hare. It is estimated that, on average, one lynx catches a hare every four days. In summer, food is more diverse and plentiful, in winter it is mainly small animals.

Lynx goes hunting late in the evening, before this day, resting in its den in a secluded place. The method of hunting is from an ambush. In this case, the lynx does not rush to prey from the trees, as is usually believed. Chasing a hare in the wake, unraveling its loops. It is known that these predators have a very strong hunting instinct, they kill more prey than they can eat, and even when they are not particularly hungry. At the same time, even a lynx that has sat in ambush for several days is quite a bit. The daily portion of this beast is about one and a half to two kilograms of food. He eats only fresh meat, does not return to the remains of prey, except in the most hungry times. Carrion does not feed. Often kills foxes, but does not eat them: foxes are rivals of a lynx, since they feed on the same animals.

Lynxes live and hunt alone, the exception is the time when the female has cubs. With older children, a lynx hunts in a corral, a pack. It is interesting that the animals go trace by trace, while widely spreading their fingers on their paws. Because of this, it is not clear in the footsteps, one beast passed here or several.

Each individual has its own area of \u200b\u200bseveral square kilometers. Usually, an animal travels 5-10 kilometers per night, after eating, it lays down to rest if it finds a suitable quiet place. So a week usually goes around all of their land completely.

Breeding

During the rut - it takes place in February-March - you can hear the voice of a lynx: a lynx is usually an animal silent, but during mating, males cry, like ordinary cats, only more loudly and sharply. Pairs form for a long period, the male helps to raise cubs, although the rest of the time, lynxes live alone.

At the end of spring, the female brings posterity: from one to four, usually two or three kittens. They really resemble cubs of a domestic cat, but they grow quickly: a six-month-old animal is almost indistinguishable from an adult, and by the year he already lives separately, hunts independently.

In the meantime, little lynxes, their parents are involved in the hunt. Already a two-month-old cub catches field mice, weasels, birds. In the fall, the whole family goes hunting already, using corral tactics.

Wolves, wolverines are enemies of the lynx. Lynx sometimes successfully copes with such an opponent, in another case it loses, especially if it is attacked not by one individual, but, for example, by a wolf pack. In case of danger, the lynx escapes on a tree, where it is often impossible for other animals to climb. Another enemy of the lynx is a person whose hunting activity also affects the number of these animals.

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Origin of view and description

Lynxes are ancient animals. Their evolution has been going on for more than 4 million years. Common Lynx, it is also Eurasian. descended from a common ancestor of the lynx genus - Issoire Lynx (Issoire Lynx). This is a large feline mammal. The appearance of this cat is peculiar - the body is short, and powerful legs are quite long.

Lynx belongs to the subfamily Felinae, which means Small Cats. Their main feature is the hardening of the hyoid bone, which prevents the animal from growling loudly. But this cat can make subtle screeching sounds that look like a roar of a bear. Well, a lynx can moo and meow, like any cat.

Video: Lynx

Lynxes are unusually beautiful. They are so full of wool that it sticks out even between the pads of their fingers. In winter, their legs become especially fluffy, this helps the cat walk without difficulty through a thick layer of loose snow and not fall through. Forelegs shorter than hind legs. They are located on 4 fingers. And on their hind legs there are 5 of them, but one pair is reduced. Finger-lynxes, like all cats.

They have very sharp, bent retractable claws, so these animals climb trees and rocks very well. They move in steps or with a cat trot, sometimes they make jumps 3-4 m long, but rarely enough. They are capable of speeds up to 65 km / h, however, for a short time. But in general, these cats cover decent distances. They also swim great.

The tail of an adult lynx can be from 10 to 30 cm, which for felines is considered an unenviable length. The tip of the tail is blunt, usually black, but there is also a white color. The weight of the common lynx is about 20 kg. Occasionally, individuals weighing up to 25 kg are found. Males, as expected, are larger than females.

Appearance and features

The head of these cats has several characteristic features. On the sides are the so-called whiskers - elongated areas of wool. Another sign is the famous tassels on the ears. The lynx has powerful narrow jaws, a large wide nose. On the upper lip there are several rows of vibrissae, rigid and long.

The lynx itself is short. Her eyes are large, sand-colored, with round pupils. Her fur is simply excellent - soft, thick and very high. In the abdomen, the coat is particularly long and white, with small specks. The color of the lynx varies from fawn-smoky to rusty-red. It all depends on the geographical area of \u200b\u200bhabitat - the farther south it is, the more red is the color of the lynx.

Spotting can be expressed more or less. As a rule, spots on the back, sides and head of the cat focus. On the belly, the speck is rare, there the coat is almost always pure white. Moulting occurs twice a year. Lynx's summer coat is coarser and darker than winter. Speckles are marked in summer much more clearly. Tassels on the ears are always dark in color, their length is 4 cm.

The lynx has excellent hearing, and last but not least the merit of the brushes. During the hunt, the cat is able to hear even the most fleeting sounds. For example, she can hear crisp twigs beyond 100 m. Her vision is also well developed, a lynx can distinguish colors and even the degree of their brightness! But the cat’s sense of smell is rather weak, but if the trace is fresh, it can easily track its prey.

Where does the lynx live?

Lynx lives in impenetrable forests, where a lot of prey is found. In sparse forests or thickets of shrubs, it is much less common. This cat is also found in the mountains and cactus thickets. In an open area, the lynx will never settle. In general, she tries to stay in the territories she has inhabited as far as possible.

Common lynx lives only in the Northern hemisphere of the Earth. Its habitat extends across almost all of Scandinavia, Europe, to the east and north of Russia, then to Central Asia.

Countries where common lynx is found:

• Balkan Peninsula: Serbia, Macedonia, Albania;
• Germany;
• Carpathians: from the Czech Republic to Romania;
• Poland;
• Belarus;
• Ukraine;
• Russia;
• Scandinavia: Norway, Finland, Sweden;
• France;
• Switzerland;,
• Transcaucasia: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia;
• Central Asia: China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan;
• The Baltic states.

Among the entire family of cat lynx, the common lynx is the most cold-resistant animal. It is found even beyond the Arctic Circle, in Scandinavia. Once this animal could be seen in any part of Europe. But by the middle of the 20th century, it was almost completely exterminated in Central and Western Europe.

Today, they are trying to restore the population of these cats, and very successfully. However, everywhere it is small. In Russia, 90% of lynxes live in Siberian coniferous forests, although they are found from the western borders of the country to Sakhalin.

What does a lynx eat?

If there is a lot of food in the area, the lynx leads a sedentary lifestyle. Otherwise, she has to wander in search of food.

The basis of the diet of the lynx is usually composed of:

• grouse birds;
• small rodents ();
• foxes;
• raccoon dogs;
• occasionally small ungulates: roe deer, northern and;
• rarely domestic cats and dogs.

Lynx hunts, contrary to all ideas about it, not jumping on a victim from a tree, but staring it on the ground. Ambush is the cat’s favorite hunting method. She also loves to sneak up to the victim as close as possible, and then rush at her with lightning speed, so to speak to hide her. Lynx can hide behind stumps, trunks of fallen trees, and she attacks, making huge jumps, 4 m long.

She does not pursue her prey for long, if she runs 60-80 m, the cat exhales. But this is often enough to grab a gaping animal. If the attack fails, an angry lynx will make another couple of jumps after it and stop. Sometimes a predator kills small fur-bearing animals just for fun.

It strikes a large victim in the front of the body, clings to the throat or neck with claws, bringing the animal excruciating pain. A wounded beast can drag a cat on itself for a while, until it runs out of steam. At one time, the lynx does not eat a lot of meat, it hides the bulk of it in reserve.

So the killed roe deer is enough for an adult for 4 days, for almost two weeks, and a hare for only 2-3 days. Cats do not really know how to hide their prey; they hastily sprinkle it with snow and foliage. Therefore, small animals often pull it away before the cat herself returns to feast on the remains of the feast.

Features of character and lifestyle

Lynx is a night hunter. She hides in the daytime, and when night falls she leaves her hiding place. As a place to relax, the lynx often chooses other people's burrows, foxes or. If they are not, any crevice in the rock, a hole, a branch of a tall tree or impassable thicket will do. The lynx approaches the place of its lying carefully so as not to leave any traces, it jumps there from afar, imitating its absence in such a way.

This animal survives perfectly among the snows, if there is enough prey. Thanks to its spotty coat, lynx can easily hide in the crowns of trees at dusk or at dawn. The game of sun glare allows the predator to disguise its bright fur from prey.

Lynx is a cautious animal, but it is not too afraid of people. Often it settles in the secondary forests created by the human hand. In hungry years, a cat even comes to villages and small towns. A predator does not attack people only if it is injured or protects kittens. Although it can cause significant harm, it has powerful claws and jaws.

Lynx is considered a harmful predator, although it, like a wolf, on the contrary benefits, killing sick and weak animals. Russian zoologists claim that there are no known cases of lynx attacks on humans. And this is surprising, because an adult male can easily break a trained shepherd, which is twice as heavy as him.

According to all physical data, a lynx may well attack a person, but does not. On the contrary, there were cases when a lynx was easily tamed by a person. Being rescued from a trap, cats were so mastered among people that they willingly walked into their arms and purred with a roar of a motor.

Social structure and reproduction

Lynx lifestyle is solitary. However, at the end of February, the rutting period begins, and all individuals begin to search for a company. Usually silent cats, start to meow, rumble and scream a lot. During estrus, several males can go for the female at once. Which often provokes violent fights between them.

When the female chooses a mate, they begin to show each other signs of attention: when they meet, they “butt” their foreheads, sniff their noses. But the biggest manifestation of feelings is licking the hair of your partner. In the den, where the lynx will appear soon, the bottom is carefully lined. For this, the female uses bird feathers, ungulate hair and dry grass.

Pregnancy is short - only 60-70 days, at the end of April - May a brood appears. Usually 2-3 kittens are born, weighing 250-300 g. They are deaf and blind. All cares for the offspring are the mother's business. She makes sure that it is warm, cleans the litter, licks and feeds the lynx, drives away predators from the nest.

For two months, babies eat breast milk, and after this period they have teeth. After that, they can already pat the meat that the mother brings, but milk still continues to play an important role in their diet. At three months, the kids leave the nest and go everywhere with the female.

Kittens at this time are not quite like their mother. Their fur is light brown, with a small number of specks. And their brushes and whiskers will appear only by one and a half years. The family will be inseparable until the next rutting season. Then she herself will leave the lynxes, but they will still stick together for a while.

If pregnancy does not occur next year, the female can live with the kittens this whole year until they become completely adults. Lynx reaches puberty at 1.5-2 years. And the life expectancy of a cat as a whole is about 15 years. In captivity, they can live up to 25 years.

Natural enemies of the lynx

In addition to the man who has been engaged in the extermination of the lynx for many years, she also has natural enemies.

First of all, these are all the other big cats:

• jaguars
• cougars;
• canadian lynx.

In winter, especially in the hungry years, a significant danger for a lonely cat is a pack of wolves. They surround their victim and ruthlessly tear to shreds. If the lynx meets the wolf face to face, she has every chance of defeating him, but she is powerless against a whole flock.

In a battle for prey, a lynx can be defeated in a fight with a tiger or snow leopard. They can fight with her for prey already killed by a cat, and often the lynx flees in such situations. For the same reasons, Wolverines are considered her enemy. The animals, although small, but bother the cat very much, they are able to drive away a larger predator from their own prey.

But small lynxes can become the prey of literally any predator that is larger than them. Not only foxes, wolves and other cats are trying to get into the family nest, but also bears. However, the female rarely leaves her kittens, she violently protects them from any uninvited guests.

Population and species status

Lynx is a long-standing object of fur trade, the thirst for its valuable fur still excites the hearts of poachers and hunters. For centuries, the skins of these noble cats went to hats and fur coats. Yes, and people did not like lynxes, despite the fact that they rarely touched pets, as well as the people themselves. All this led to total extermination.

In many European countries, Lynx is a rare species. Despite the protection and attempts to restore this geographical race, it is in danger of extinction. This species is listed in the Moscow Red Book, it was awarded the 1st degree. Since near the southern border of the Moscow region this animal is on the verge of extinction.

However, in general, lynx is quite common in Russia. In other countries, the situation is completely different. On the Balkan Peninsula there are only a few dozen individuals. In Germany, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Bavarian Forest and Harz were re-populated with these animals.

The largest population, except the Siberian, is located in the Carpathians. There are about 2200 individuals. In Belarus, 1,000 lynxes live in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Tatra Mountains. Nearly 2,500 animals are found on the Scandinavian Peninsula. In France, lynxes were also exterminated and in 1900 they were again brought to the Pyrenees and Vosges. Switzerland was re-populated by common lynxes in 1915, and from there they spread to Austria and Slovenia.

Lynx guard

The number of predatory cats is reduced not only due to mechanical extermination, but also due to the destruction of its habitats: deforestation, extermination of game.

Conservation measures for the lynx population are:

• Strict regulations for hunting these animals;
• Preservation of biotopes in their original form;
• Care for the conservation of its feed resources: hares, roe deer;
• The reduction in the number of wolf packs;
• Active struggle with poaching fishing loops, which are often caught by lynxes.

A graceful long-legged animal lynx, attracts attention and fascinates. No wonder in ancient times she was a totem animal among the Slavs. Some sources even talk about the similarity of the words “lynx” and “Russia”. In Gomel, this forest cat is still the main symbol of the city. Dangerous and fast, but not without grace and grace, this cat is of great scientific interest. To save such a beautiful animal and increase its population is the first task of man today.