Family: Felidae, Cats view all from this family
Description A medium-size cat. Light gray, with scattered pale brown to blackish hairs; underparts cinnamon-brownish. Short tail wholly tipped with black. Long black ear tufts. Large, pale cheek ruffs, whitish with black barring, forming a double-pointed beard at throat. Feet very large and well furred. Male larger than female. L 30–42" (74–107 cm);T 2–5 1/2" (5–14 cm); HF 7–13" (18–33 cm); Wt 11–40 lb (5.1–18.1 kg).
Endangered Status The Lynx is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as threatened throughout its range in the lower 48 United States: Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. This wildcat is naturally rare in the U.S., mainly because its prey species, the Snowshoe Hare, is found chiefly in Canada and Alaska. It is possible that human disturbance in Lynx habitat has driven it out of some parts of the U.S., but there is no conclusive evidence of this. There is no doubt, however, that it no longer lives in areas it once inhabitated, and that the species needs to be studied and monitored so that it isn't completely driven from the contiguous U.S.
Similar Species Bobcat is browner, with indistinct spotting and dark bars on forelegs; legs are shorter; tail is black above but not below; ear has smaller tuft.
Breeding Mates February–March; 1 litter of 1–6 young born April–early June; gestation 63–70 days.
Habitat Deep, coniferous forest interspersed with rocky areas, bogs, swamps, or thickets.
Range Much of Canada and Alaska south into much of Washington, n Oregon, n Idaho, and extreme nw Montana. Also Rocky Mountain areas of Wyoming and n Colorado. Nearly eradicated in e U.S. in the 20th century, but still occurs in n New England; a few apparently still remain in n Wisconsin, n Michigan, and extreme n New York.
Discussion By day, the Lynx rests under a ledge, the roots of a fallen tree, or a low branch. It frequently climbs trees and sometimes rests in them, waiting to leap down on passing prey. The Lynx’s long ear tufts serve as sensitive antennae, enhancing its hearing, while its big feet help make it a powerful swimmer. The animal’s thick fur permits silent stalking and speed through soft snow, in which some animals may flounder—although not the well-named Snowshoe Hare, the Lynx’s chief quarry, which makes up about three-fourths of its diet. The Lynx also eats birds, meadow voles, the remains of dead Moose and Caribou, and occasionally small, winter-weakened deer, Caribou, or sheep, especially when the snow is deep. This cat will cache meat, particularly a large kill, by scantily covering it with snow or ground litter. Usually silent, during the mating season the Lynx may shriek or utter a scream that ends in a prolonged wail. The Lynx establishes and maintains a home range for several years. It is a solitary animal, associating with the opposite sex only during mating, at which time several males may follow a female. Females with young are tolerated within a male’s home range. Kittens are born streaked and spotted, and remain with the mother through the first winter; they begin foraging with the mother at about two months, and are weaned at three months. Young Lynx bury their scat; adults do not. Lynx often urinate on stumps or bushes, which is suggestive of territorial marking, but little is known of territoriality in this cat. The populations of this species are characteristically cyclic, peaking about every nine to ten years, parallel to the population cycle of the Snowshoe Hare. Although the Lynx occasionally preys on domestic animals in remote areas, it usually poses no threat to humans or livestock. Its main natural predators are wolves and the Mountain Lion, but humans, who destroy its habitat and value its long, silky fur, are its chief enemy today.
