North American Lynx

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The North American lynx is a medium-sized cat. It is clearly smaller than its Eursian cousin. Head-body length ranges from 67 to 107 cm, and the short tail is from 5 to 130 cm. Animals typically weigh between 8.5 and 17 kg. On average, males weigh slightly more than females.

Like other lynxes, the North American lynx has whiskers. The triangular ears are tipped with tufts of long black hairs. The paws are quite large and furry, helping to distribute the weight of the animal when moving on snow.

The fur of the body is long and thick. Its colour varies, but is normally yellowish-brown. The upper parts may have a frosted, grey look and the underside may be more buff. Many individuals have dark spots. The tail is often ringed and has a black tip (note: in the bobcat (Lynx rufus) only the upper side of the tip is black.

The North American lynx is a solitary animal. The vast home ranges of males and females overlap. Mating season is February and March. After a gestation period of 9 to 10 weeks, the female gives birth to a litter of 1-5, usually 2-3 kittens in fallen logs, rock cervices or similar shelter. The young have a birth weight of about 200 g. They are weaned at about 5 months but remain with their mother until the following winter's mating season. Females reach sexual maturity at 21 months and males at 33 months.

The North American lynx feeds mainly on snowshoe hares, but takes opportunistically rodens, gallinaceous birds, young or weakened ungulates, and even fish.

Did you know?
that the population size of the North American lynx is linked to the abundance of its main prey item, the snowshoe hare? The populations of the two species are known to fluctuate in linked cycles with periods of about 9.6 years. In these cycles, there is a slight lag between hare and lynx populations.

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	CARNIVORA
Suborder	FISSIPEDIA
Family	FELIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Lynx canadensis
Name (English)	North American Lynx
Name (French)	Lynx du Canada
Name (German)	Kanadaluchs
Name (Spanish)	Lince Canadiense
CITES Status	Appendix II
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Canada, northern USA
Habitat	Boreal forest, rocky areas, tundra
Wild population	No global data. IUCN red list rating is based on more than 50,000 adult animals.
Zoo population	68 animals reported to ISIS (2008)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

Transport crates should be sufficiently large to meet legal requirements and sufficiently strong to prevent escape or damage to the crate and animal. Basic design should allow free flow of air through multiple sides of the container. Preferably, a double door design at least on one end of the crate should be used. The "inner" door should have bars or wire mesh to contain the animal, and the "outer" door should consist of a thin panel of expanded metal or plywood that provides safety for the handlers and isolation for the animal. The doors should travel vertically to facilitate animal transfer and contain a secure locking system. The crate should drain well, and absorbent bedding should be used to prevent the animal from being exposed to or lying in urine or excreta.

The shipment should be organised in a way to minimise stress. The animal should have access to its transport crate for 2 weeks before shipment, preferably being fed within it. If an extended trip is anticipated, water and food as may be required should be provided while the animal is in transit.

For air transport, Container Note 82 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Matthew Hewett

Why do zoos keep this animal

The North American lynx is globally not threatened. Zoos keep the species therefore primarily for educational reasons and for awaking sympathy for a species, which is not everywhere popular with deer hunters and occasionally may cause problems to small livestock farms. Only few animals are kept by zoo's outside the species' range states.

How this animal should be kept

Minimum space requirements: Eurasian lynxes need an outdoor enclosure of at least 50 m² per pair, or a female with offspring if kept separate. Covered enclosures should be at least 3 m high. The lynx is a species living in climates with cold winters and does not need indoor enclosures, but simple shelters should be provided to protect the animals from incelement weather.

The enclosures should be well drained. They should have natural soil, possiblly with a grass cover or a layer of sand or marly limestone, or concrete or epoxy covered with sand or soil planted in places with grass or low bushes. Enclosures must not be empty but suitably furnished to meet the linx' needs such as the following: Visual barriers to enable the Eurasian lynxes to hide from one another, e.g. rises/dips in the ground, logs, rocks, plantings, but these should not allow one cat to corner another, there should always be an escape route. Rock cavities, or similar structures for hiding and resting. Trees for scratching and shade. Elevated structures, such as rocks or boards, for sitting on and overlooking a view. Plants that smell strong and/or attract insects add interest. There must be several resting places providing some protection from inclement weather.

The diet must be as varied as possible including freshly killed small fully-feathered birds (day-old chicks, pigeons) and small mammals (rats, mice guinea pigs), and meat with mineral and vitamin supplement.

Lynxes may be kept together as a pair, only to be separated when the female is giving birth and while raising small kittens. The offspring should stay with their mother for not less than a year.