Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6376899 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6772740 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5923B274-4679-C81A-E2E7-CECBF9399F08 |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Lynx lynx |
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Eurasian Lynx
French: Lynx d'Europe / German: Eurasischer Luchs / Spanish: Lince boreal
Taxonomy. Felis lynx Linnaeus, 1758 View in CoL ,
Wennersborg, S Sweden.
Seven subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
L. l. lynx Linnaeus, 1758 — N and W Europe E to the Yenisei River in Russia.
L. l. carpathicus Kratochvil & Stollman, 1963 — Carpathian Mts S to Bulgaria and Greece.
L. l. dinniki Satunin, 1915 — Caucasus Mts S to Turkey and N Iran.
L. l. isabellinus Blyth, 1847 — Pamir and Kunlun Mts, Kashmir, C & W China.
L. l. kozlovi Fetisov, 1950 — C Siberia, from the R Yenisei to Lake Baikal.
L. l. neglectus Stroganov, 1962 — Russian Far East, Korea, and NE China (Manchuria).
L. l. wrangeli Ognev, 1928 — E Siberia, S to the Stanovoy Mts. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Largest of the four lynx species. Head-body 80-110 cm, tail 16-23 cm; weight 15-29 kg (unconfirmed over 30 kg) for adults; males 25% heavier than females. The speciesis largest in the eastern portion ofits range. Characteristic of the genus,it has a short, black-tipped tail, black ear tufts up to 6 cm long, and relatively long legs. The hindlegs are longer than the front legs. The round face is framed by pronounced sideburns. Reduced number of molars and 28 teeth in total: 13/3, C 1/1, P 2/2 and M1/1. About 30% of the animals have a second reduced molar in the lower jaw. There are four different coat patterns on a ground color that varies (grayish, rusty, yellowish, or reddish): large black spots, small black spots, no spots, and spots in form of brownish rosettes. The proportion of these types varies greatly between populations.
Habitat. Deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forests in Europe and Siberia; fairly open and sparsely wooded regions, including semi-deserts in Central Asia. Thick scrub woodland and barren, rocky areas throughout the northern slopes of the Himalayas. In northern latitudes, also roam in the tundra.
Food and Feeding. In contrast to the three other lynx species, the Eurasian Lynx is not a hunter of lagomorphs, but of smaller ungulates. Although the diet often contains a long list of species, the staple prey is roe deer, chamois (Rupicara), or musk deer. In northern Scandinavia, the most frequent prey is semi-domestic Reindeer. In many areas also prey on livestock, mainly sheep, goats, and farmed Fallow Deer ( Dama dama). Larger prey such as Red Deer, Wild Boar, or ibex is only sporadically taken. In areas where small ungulates are lacking, feed on smaller prey such as hares or grouse. Eat 1.2-5 kg of meat/day, and return to a kill until all edible parts are consumed. Kill 50-70 ungulates/year.
Activity patterns. Mainly active during dawn and dusk, but there is no hour during the day with less than 25% activity. In the Bialowieza Primeval Forest, Poland, radio-tagged Eurasian Lynx had a peak in activity between 15:00 and 07:00 h and on average they were active and moving for 6-5 h/day. The majority (73%) of movement by males occurred at night, whereas females were as active during the daytime as they were at night. While the general pattern of activity of females with and without kittens was similar, females with young were active twice as long per day than non-reproducing females. Males were active significantly longer in the mating season (January-March). The length of time of activity on a daily basis varied greatly and depended largely on whether the cat had a kill. On the first day after killing a deer, only active 1-6 h/day, but the time spent moving increased steadily with each day afterwards, reaching 6-8 h/day by the fourth day post-kill and thereafter increasing to as much as12-5 h/day on days when searched for prey but made no kill. Activity was not greatly affected by temperatures and rainfall, except that they moved little on days with heavy rains or when ambient temperatures exceeded 30°C.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Daily movements vary between a few hundred meters and 40 km, but the average from several areas is about 10 km /day. Especially during the mating season, males are roaming far. Eurasian Lynx are solitary animals, except for females with young of the year. Both sexes occupy exclusive territories, with one male usually covering the range of 1-3 females. Home range size varies greatly with the region. In central and western Europe, males roam over 100-450 km? and females over 45-250 km?, whereas in Scandinavia males roam over 400-2200 km? and females over 200-1850 km*. The range size depends on the productivity of the habitat.
Breeding. Mating occurs from March to mid-April and is frequently marked by calling by both sexes. Gestation length ranges from 68-72 days. Kittens are usually born in late May to earlyJune. Females will recycle if they lose theirlitter soon after birth, but otherwise they are not polyestrous. Litter size is 1-4; two is most common. Cubs stay with the mother for 9-11 months. Young females reach sexual maturity at 22 months, males at 34 months. Females reproduce the first time at the age of two, but often not until three years.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. Vulnerable to the destruction of their ungulate prey base and the habitat. In certain areas, clear-cutting can have at least a short-term negative effect on abundance. Other examples show that they can adapt to more open habitat over time. There is no information on the impact of commercial trapping on the population status. In Russia, 2800-5800 pelts were harvested annually until the late 1980s. Since 1993, Russia and China have set export quotas of 2800 and 1000 per year, respectively. However, fewer than 1000 total have been exported lately, which could indicate a decrease in the population. Predation on livestock and wild ungulates can lead to severe conflicts with sheepbreeders and hunters, and poaching can threaten a local population. Dispersing subadult Eurasian Lynx showed little ability to cross highways, which has consequences that need to be considered in recovery strategies of the species in fragmented landscapes.
Bibliography. Andersen et al. (1998), Andrén et al. (1998), Breitenmoser & Haller (1993), Breitenmoser, Kaczensky et al. (1993), Breitenmoser-Wirsten et al. (2001), Goszczynski (1986), Haller (1992), Heptner & Sludskii (1992a), Herfindal et al. (2005), Jedrzejewski, Jedrzejewska et al. (1996), Jedrzejewski, Schmidt et al. (1993), Jobin et al. (2000), Kvam (1991), Linnell et al. (1996), Matjuschkin (1978), Nowell & Jackson (1996), Okarma etal. (1997), Pulliainen et al. (1995), Schmidt (1999), Schmidt et al. (1997), Sunde & Kvam (1997), Sunde, Kvam, Moa, Negard & Overskaug (2000), Sunde, Kvam, Moa & Overskaug (2000), Sunquist & Sunquist (2002), Tumlinson (1987), Zimmermann etal. (2007).
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