How the lynx adapted to its environment. Common lynx. Lifestyle and social behavior

The common lynx (Eurasian) belongs to the cat family (lat. Lynx lynx) and is the closest relative of the domestic cat.

Appearance

The common lynx is small compared to other members of the family, but is the largest among other lynx species. The weight of a large male can reach 36 kg, medium-sized individuals have a mass of 20-25 kg. The length (excluding the tail) ranges from 70 to 130 cm. The height of most animals is no more than 70 cm. Males are stronger and larger than females.

The body of animals is short, dense. The head has a rounded outline, the muzzle is shortened with wide-set large eyes. The tail is short with a black tip, it seems slightly truncated, its length rarely exceeds 35 centimeters. Such dimensions and shape of the tail help the animal to deftly climb trees, using it as a balancer.

The coat of the lynx is very soft and thick, especially after the autumn molt. The coat that grows back in the spring is shorter and less dense, the pile pattern is much clearer, more contrasting.

The color of animals can be red, yellow or gray. Depending on the habitat, patterns on the fur of animals can be striped and spotted (spots and rosettes of various sizes). There are representatives with a solid color. On the neck, belly, ears and paws, the patterned color is less contrasting. On the cheeks, as well as on the stomach, the pile is longer and thinner, resembling sideburns. At the tips of the ears, lynxes have special tassels that allow them to capture sound waves that are not available to other mammals. Thus, these brushes are like a direction finder. If they are cut off, then hearing is immediately noticeably dulled.

The anatomical structure of the paws has some difference from the structure of other members of the family. The forelimbs are noticeably longer than the hind ones and the lynx has 5 fingers on them, and 4 on the hind legs. But the footprint of the front, like the hind legs, will still have an impression of only four fingers, since the fifth finger is located above the rest and does not touch the snow or the ground when walking.

The size of the paw print of an ordinary lynx is quite large and is approximately 10 cm in diameter. In winter, due to the thick fur that grows in animals even between the fingers, the footprint diameter can reach 20 cm.

By winter, the paw pads are overgrown with thick, hard fur, thanks to which the lynxes quickly and easily overcome snow drifts and move along the ice crust without injuring the sole.

Behavior, lifestyle

The trajectory of the lynx has a tortuous character. If the snow drifts are not deep, the animal places its paws in such a way that the impressions from the hind legs are in front of the front ones. If the depth of snow is significant, then it moves, placing its hind limbs in the tracks of the front ones. If camouflage is necessary, the lynx tends to make a route through stumps and trees.

Cats hunt alone. Females with a brood forage for food together. These predators prefer a settled way of life and leave their territories only in case of depletion of food resources. The area of \u200b\u200bthe possessions of one predator is sometimes 70 square kilometers. Animals periodically make their rounds, which often take up to two weeks. In a day, a lynx can walk 8 km in search of prey.

Depending on the habitat, several subspecies of predators are distinguished:

East Siberian (Yakutian) lynx. At the beginning of the twentieth century, this subspecies independently settled in the southern territories of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Yakut lynxes are the largest of the common ones. Their fur is fluffy and soft with a distinct pronounced spotting. With an abundance of food supply, animals lead a sedentary lifestyle in Yakutia. In the event of a decrease in the number of game, animals migrate to areas richer in food. 80% of the diet of lynxes is made up of hare hares, the rest is accounted for by birds and large horned animals.
Central Asian (pale) lynx. Representatives of this subspecies live in the mountainous areas of Kazakhstan and the central part of Asia. The color of these animals is predominantly monophonic, light. The spots are weakly expressed on the limbs and back.
Caucasian lynx. Medium sized predators compared to other members of the species. They have a characteristic chestnut or reddish chestnut pile color with bright spotting.

The habitats of the common lynx

Until the end of the 19th century, these animals inhabited the forests of Central and Western Europe. Due to the popularity of lynx fur and the destruction of forests, by the beginning of the 20th century they were exterminated in Germany, Switzerland and France. Since the 70s of the last century, thanks to the activities of wildlife advocates, this type of cat has been repopulated in some countries.

To date, the common lynx is listed in the Red Book. Predator populations ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 individuals inhabit the forests of Sweden, Poland, Norway, and Finland.

In the states of the Balkan Peninsula (Macedonia, Greece, Albania), the number of the Eurasian lynx has decreased over the past 20 years. Which is directly related to human activity. Their number in these countries is less than 100 individuals.

Most of the habitats of the common lynx are located on the territory of Russia, mainly in the regions of Siberia. There are animals on the western borders of the country to Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and also in the Caucasus.

Lynxes prefer mixed and coniferous forests on rocky mountain landscapes. They settle in the forest-tundra and in those areas where stunted shrubs grow. To raise offspring, they go deep into the forest, where the vegetation is thicker and denser.

The enemies of the lynx, in addition to humans, are wolves. The lynx is able to cope with one wolf, but it will not overcome the pack. Therefore, in the territory where wolves live, lynxes prefer not to linger. If the number of wolves is reduced due to their extermination by man, then their number in the same area increases. In some regions of Russia, individuals were shot, as it was believed that the predator destroys a lot of valuable game (for example, roe deer, black grouse, hares). But given that the rate of reproduction, and, consequently, the increase in the number of animals eaten by lynxes is much higher than that of predators, the harm from hunting is highly doubtful.

Lynxes, like all cats, eat animal food. Daily prey of these predators are lemmings, voles, hares and some birds. Sometimes young individuals of moose and wild boars become victims. Also, lynxes prey on larger animals: deer, roe deer, musk deer, chamois. If the hunting grounds of the lynx are located near human settlements, then often livestock and poultry become its prey.

Lynxes begin hunting at the end of the night or early in the morning, when the area is not yet sufficiently illuminated by the sun. The predator carefully and patiently tracks down the prey, and then attacks, making 2-3 sharp jumps up to 3 meters long. If the prey escapes, then he follows it for about 80 meters, in case of failure, he retreats. The lynx does not jump on the victim from a branch or tree trunk, but looks out for it from a height. The average daily portion of meat is approximately 3 kg, in which case the lynx will not feel hungry. An animal after a long hunger strike can eat six kilograms of meat.

The lynx never hunts for the future, that is, well-fed. The animal buries the remains of the carcass in the snow or sprinkles it with earth, but not so neatly that other predatory animals easily find the “cache”. Foxes and wolverines often follow lynx tracks. The latter can sometimes beat off the caught prey and drive away the lynx. With foxes, the situation is different: foxes compete with lynxes in the food chain, in addition, they are much weaker. A fox seen on the territory of the lynx hunting grounds will most likely be killed by the "mistress". At the same time, these predators never eat foxes.

On their hunting routes, the lynx leaves traces in the form of scratched tree bark, as a kind of signal that the territory is occupied.

Reproduction and brood rearing

The wedding time for lynxes begins in February and lasts until the end of March. The female is followed by 2-3 males, sometimes more, who constantly fight for her location. The battles are accompanied by menacing growls and a low-pitched meow, spreading for many kilometers around. Having formed a pair, the animals sniff each other's noses, then begin to lightly butt their foreheads, standing opposite.

A pregnant female bears a fetus for 60-70 days. Before the birth of offspring, the mother is looking for a secluded lair, which she chooses as a sloping base of trees, hollows or splits in the rocks. In April-May, 2-3 kittens are born, rarely their number is more than four. Like all members of the cat family, newborn cubs are completely blind. Two weeks later, the babies open their eyes, but still move very poorly.

The females raise their young on their own. At the age of two months, the mother begins to gradually feed the kittens with meat. Before reaching the age of five months, the babies still do not leave the lair and learn to hunt mice and hares brought by the female. By six months, the lynxes are already learning to hunt for real.

The cubs leave the "parental home" when they are 1 year old. The mother female drives them into independent life and acquires new offspring. Lynx males reach sexual maturity at the age of two and a half years. Females - at 1.5 years.

The life expectancy of lynxes in the wild is an average of 20 years. In zoos, some individuals can live up to 25 years.

Video: common lynx (Lynx lynx)

The common lynx or Eurasian lynx is a small cat of the lynx genus, for which about ten subspecies are known. The species lives in the north of Eurasia, its range begins in Scandinavia and continues to Sakhalin Island and Kamchatka. There is a lynx in China, in Iran, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Turkey, and Siberia.

In the center and west of the European continent, lynxes were exterminated in the middle of the last century. Now the population is successfully restored in the Carpathians (Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, Herzegovina). So, on the territory of Romania, it has already grown to 2000 individuals.

The lynx is a large cat with a body length of 80-130 cm, a height at the withers of about 70 cm. The length of the animal's tail ranges from 11 to 25 cm. The weight of males is 18-30 kg, for females it is less, 8-21 kg . The largest individuals live in Russia in Siberia. The weight of local lynx males reaches 38 kg, and even 45 kg. The limbs are strong and long. The ears are adorned with black tufts of hair. Down on the muzzle, the hair is long, gray-white. Summer fur is short, reddish or brown. In winter, it becomes thick and silky, and the color changes to silver gray or grayish brown. The belly and neck are white throughout the year. On the main background there are black dots and stripes. Dark brown stripes are located on the forehead. Lynxes that live in the south of the range are more spotted than those living in the north. The gait of the lynx is such that the hind legs follow the trail of the front ones.

The diet of the common lynx includes small as well as large mammals and birds. She hunts hares, rabbits, squirrels, martens, foxes, roe deer, chamois, deer, wild boars. Can feed on carrion, but prefers ungulates, especially in winter when small prey becomes less available. The predator also attacks domestic animals. An adult lynx eats about 2 kg of meat daily.

The common lynx is the northernmost species of the cat family. In Scandinavia, it can be found even beyond the Arctic Circle. On the territory of Russia, the lynx lives in dense coniferous forests up to Kamchatka and Sakhalin. The species is also found in the Carpathians, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and in countries such as Georgia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Belarus, Croatia, Albania , Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Populations are small everywhere.

Previously, the species was widespread throughout Europe, but in the middle of the last century it was exterminated in the center and west of the continent. Now the population is gradually increasing.

Lynx males are on average larger than females by 10 kg, which is the main manifestation of sexual dimorphism in this cat species.

For life, the common lynx chooses dense coniferous forests and taiga. It can live in the forest-steppe, mountain forests, forest-tundra. This animal swims well, climbs rocks and trees. The lynx is characterized by a nocturnal and twilight lifestyle. At other times she sleeps in secluded places.

Adults live in separate areas of about 20 km2. Males always have more territory than females. During the day, the lynx overcomes about 10-20 km. Prefers to hunt from ambush.

The lynx is a very cautious animal, but it is not afraid of people. It can live in secondary forests, young forests, with a lack of prey visits neighboring villages and even cities. Lynxes rarely attack people, they become dangerous only when injured, when they can inflict serious wounds on a person.

Lynxes are often called harmful predators, but their role in nature is equated with the importance of wolves: they exterminate mainly sick and weak animals.

The mating season for the common lynx lasts from January to April. The duration of pregnancy is 67-74 days. Childbirth takes place in secluded places that are protected by branches and tree roots. The female makes a litter of dry grass and animal fur in it. 1-4 kittens are born, blind and helpless, weighing 240-420 g. The fur of the babies is gray-brown. Adult coloring appears at the age of 3 months. Their eyes open at 2 weeks. Milk feeding lasts about 5 months, solid food appears in the diet from 6 weeks. Kittens spend the first 9 months of their lives around their mother until the next mating season begins. Females reach puberty at 2 years old, males at 3 years old. Under natural conditions, the common lynx lives up to 15 years. Lives up to 20 years in captivity.

The natural enemies of the common lynx are gray wolves and wolverines, which can catch and kill them. Therefore, their places where many wolves live, lynxes leave. Amur tigers also hunt these cats. In the south of the range, the danger for the predator is the snow leopard and leopard.

The industry uses lynx fur. It is thick, silky and tall, with a length of guard hairs on the back up to 5 cm, on the belly - about 7 cm, the underfur is plentiful and soft. The skin is colored from reddish to bluish, the pattern is spotted. Lynx fur has always been highly valued. And from the middle of the last century, its price began to grow rapidly, and within 20 years it grew from $73 to $1,300. This is due to the fashion for long-haired furs, among which lynx fur was the best and most popular.
The main role of this predator is to regulate the natural balance of animals, since the predator exterminates weak and sick individuals.
The tender lynx meat tastes like veal, but it is practically not eaten. It was popular only in Ancient Russia, where it was considered a delicacy and served as a decoration for the richest feasts.
The lynx is a symbol of completeness and visual acuity. It adorns the emblems and flags of many cities and countries.

The most “northern” cat, contrary to popular belief, does not attack its prey by jumping from a tree, but hunts by carefully sneaking up on it.

Systematics

Russian name - lynx
English name - Northern lynx
Latin name - Felis (Lynx) lynx
Squad - predatory (Carnivora)
Family - cats (Felidae)
Genus - cats (Felis)

The status of the species in nature

In many European countries, the lynx has become a very rare animal. Despite protection, some of its geographical races are endangered. The species is listed in the IUCN Red List. On the territory of Russia, especially in Siberia, the lynx is still quite common.

View and person

Once upon a time, the lynx lived on a much larger territory than at present. Hunting and deforestation have led to a significant reduction in its range. The lynx has long been a desirable hunting trophy, as the fur of this animal was highly valued in the fur market. In some areas, lynx meat is considered a delicacy. Today, the lynx is treated differently. In Europe, the lynx was very widespread, then practically disappeared. 20 years ago, this predator began to settle in the places where he once lived, catching on the territories of other states, and releasing in the least populated areas. On the territory of Russia, this animal remains quite numerous, and in some places where the lynx is common, it can cause some harm to hunting farms specializing in breeding deer, roe deer, or pheasants. In general, like other predators, the lynx plays an important breeding role in the wild.

This cat is not afraid of neighbors with a person, where it is not pursued, it can appear on the outskirts of villages and even cities.

Little lynxes are easily tamed, but they become wild with age, so you can’t keep this rather large cat at home.

Distribution and habitats

The lynx is the most "northern" cat. The area of distribution of the common lynx covers the forest and mountainous regions of Europe, Siberia, Central and, partly, Asia Minor. This is a forest animal that prefers dense dark coniferous taiga, although it is also found in mixed forests. Due to the destruction of forests on the plains, the southern border of the range has shifted 200–300 km to the north over the past few centuries.

Appearance and morphology

Lynxes are peculiar, unlike any other representatives of the cat family. Almost all cats have an elongated body, short legs; the lynx, on the other hand, has a relatively short body and high, strong legs. Thick wool on shaggy thick paws grows even between the toe pads. The body length of the lynx is 82–105 cm, the tail is 20–31 cm, the weight is 8–15, rarely up to 20 kg. Males are somewhat larger than females. A head with elongated hair on the sides of the muzzle, forming "whiskers", on the tops of the ears there are characteristic tassels. The tail is short, at the end, as if chopped off. The wool is very thick, soft, especially in winter. The coloration of the upper body and head is dominated by reddish and ashy tones, the bottom is white, small spots are scattered all over the body. Summer fur is shorter and coarser than winter fur, more intensely colored, with more clearly defined spots. The tail is always with a dark tip, the tassels on the ears are also dark. In northern lynxes, the color is more uniform and dull; in lynxes living in the south, on the contrary, the color is bright, with pronounced spotting.

Of the sense organs, the lynx has the best developed vision and hearing. The lynx is able to distinguish colors and their degree of brightness. This predator hears a hare gnawing a twig for 100 meters. The sense of smell is weak, but a lynx can find its prey on a fresh trail.

Lifestyle and social behavior

The lynx is a territorial animal. Wide migrations are unusual for her: where there is a lot of prey, this beast lives quite settled. The average territory of a lynx in Europe ranges from 15,000 to 25,000 hectares, with some males reaching 30,000 or more hectares. The areas of females are smaller and overlap with those of males. In the event of a lack of food, lynxes leave their homes, embark on wanderings and may even appear far in the forest-steppe. Most often, such migrations of predators occur during periods of depression in the number of mountain hares, which form the basis of the diet of lynxes.

Within the area, each animal has several favorite routes, places of rest and hunting, where it appears most often. Connected by a system of constantly used crossings, these places, like the boundaries of the site, are marked with urine, with which the lynx sprays tree trunks.

The dwellings of the lynx are located in the most secluded places: deaf areas of the forest with windbreak, overgrown islands among the swamps. The lair itself is arranged under the roots of fallen trees, sometimes in a low-lying large hollow, in the voids between the stones. For temporary haunts, the predator chooses places with a good view: an inclined tree trunk, a large stone.

During the transitions, the animal moves with a measured step 40–50 cm long, while running it easily overcomes obstacles. The height of the snow cover up to 50 cm does not interfere with the movements of the lynx, but when there is more snow, the predator begins to use the paths of other animals, old ski tracks, roads, ice on the rivers. On winter routes, the lynx brood follows its mother in single file, as if stepping footprints.

Feeding and feeding behavior

Like all cats, the lynx is a specialized predator. The basis of its nutrition is made up of medium-sized animals: small ungulates (roe deer, musk deer, goral, deer and their cubs), hares and black grouse (capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse). The lynx regularly catches small rodents and birds. Before falling, this cat is a small hunter, she prefers the meat of animals killed by herself.

Contrary to popular belief, the lynx never jumps on its prey from a tree, although it climbs trees superbly. This beast prefers to silently, with extraordinary caution, sneak up on her, and then attack with large jumps. Less often, he patiently watches for potential prey in an ambush near the trail.

The lynx eats quite a bit - its daily norm is about one and a half kilograms of meat with bones. Usually an adult animal catches and eats a hare every 2-4 days, the brood of such an amount of food is enough for only one day. A lynx stays near a killed roe deer for about a week, and near a sika deer - even longer. The predator digs up the half-eaten remnants of prey with snow or earth and grass, but does it so carelessly that smaller predators - sable, Siberian weasels - very quickly take away its “burial site”. For a lynx, as for a more successful getter, the wolverine goes and sometimes drives it away from freshly caught game. The lynx itself often drives foxes, not allowing them to hunt on their site.

Activity

The lynx hunts at dusk, only young animals go hunting during the day. During the mating season, animals can be active around the clock.

Vocalization

Reproduction and rearing of offspring

The rutting period for lynxes is in February-March. A female in estrus may be followed by several males, between whom fierce fights occur from time to time. The lair in which the kittens should appear is usually lined with bird feathers, the hair of ungulates, dry grass is added to this. Pregnancy lasts 63-70 days. Newborns (usually 2-3) appear from late April to early June, depending on the geographical latitude of the area. The weight of kittens at birth is 250-300 grams, they are blind, the auditory openings are covered with skin. All worries about the offspring fall entirely on the female, the male does not take part in raising the cubs. The mother licks the kittens, keeps the nest clean, removes large predators from the nest. For the first two months, lynxes feed almost exclusively on milk. By this age, they have completed the formation of milk teeth, and they begin to pick at the meat brought by their mother, but milk feeding continues for several more months. At the age of 3 months, kittens leave the den and follow their mother everywhere.

The general tone of the color of the young is light brown, spotting is expressed only on the paws. An “adult” fur pattern develops only by the age of nine months, “tanks” and tassels on the ears fully develop only in one and a half year old lynxes. The family is preserved until the next rut, and the kittens continue to stay in one group even after the adults, ready for mating, drive them away. If the female does not give birth to cubs in the current year, the entire previous brood lives with her for several more months. Lynxes become sexually mature at 1.5–2 years.

Lifespan

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

Keeping animals in the Moscow Zoo

Lynxes have been kept in the Moscow Zoo since its foundation. These long-legged beauties invariably attract the attention of visitors, strolling in their enclosures, which are located in the Old Territory in the Cat's Row next to the Giraffe Pavilion. True, seeing a lynx is not as easy a task as it seems. Our cats go to the promenade, and a couple of lynxes now live in the zoo, they come out in the late afternoon, in the early twilight. The animals prefer to spend the first half of the day in shelters - niches - and on balconies, each in their own enclosure. There, comfortably curled up on hay mats, they sleep peacefully, only occasionally opening their eyes and lazily looking around the property. What interests them? Someone might think that the visitors, and be mistaken. Even to the keepers, who clean the enclosure every day and bring food, our lynxes are more than cool. They recognize, but they are in no hurry to express warm feelings. With much greater pleasure, cats watch the noisy sparrows entering the cage in the hope of profiting for nothing. Feathered guests are at mortal risk, because this big cat hunts them with pleasure and very cleverly. So that our pets do not get bored, employees from time to time put various toys in the aviary. As for domestic cats, only larger in size. However, our female plays best with ... ordinary pumpkins! Enjoys chewing them into small pieces. The male treats most of the proposed entertainment with coolness. Some time ago keepers started training with our lynxes according to a special method. From the outside, it looks like a game - a person, standing next to the enclosure, offers his ward an object fixed on a long stick - target (from the English target - goal, target). In our case, it was a rubber ball. The animal had to easily touch the ball with a certain part of the body, for which he received a reward. Then the same target was presented already in the interior. The animal had to repeat its actions by going inside for this. The purpose of these classes was not to train the cat, but to make it easier for the keepers to work with it, for whom it becomes much easier to explain to the animal what actions are required of it.

Lynxes gave birth to kittens in 2017

Lynx is one of the most graceful and dangerous predators of the cat family. This graceful animal has luxurious fur, tassels on the ears, a short tail resembling a stump, and deadly claws. The average individual reaches up to one meter in length, and the mass of the beast ranges from 8 to 15 kilograms. The paws of lynxes are wide and well pubescent. This allows them to quickly and silently move through the snow.

The habitat of these animals is concentrated in the northern regions. Previously, lynxes inhabited all of Europe, but were subjected to almost complete destruction.

The diet of lynxes is quite diverse: they prey on hares, hazel grouses, foxes, elks, deer, beavers and partridges. The lynx has a special spotty coloration that helps to track down the prey without being noticed, which perfectly camouflages it among the trees. Especially good disguise is possible in the dark. As a shelter, the lynx chooses massive boulders and fallen trunks, and sometimes climbs a tree and watches the victim from above. The predator suddenly pounces on the prey that has lost its vigilance in huge leaps. The lynx does not eat all the meat at once, but hides the “in reserve” part.

As a rule, these big cats do not attack people for no reason. Even when faced with a hunter, the lynx prefers to hide rather than defend itself. But if the predator nevertheless plunges its claws, most often the wounds are fatal.

As you know, because of its small number, the lynx is listed in the Red Book. At the moment, the extermination of this species is suspended, and quite successful attempts are being made to increase the population of lynxes.

Video: Domestic lynx Button. You can tame a lion, not like a lynx. See the story of Christian the Lion of London.

Video: Hare and lynx.

YouTube comment: They write correctly - the lynx is young and inexperienced.

Lynxes have a small heart; they cannot run vigorously and for a long time (they couldn’t even stand it for 3 minutes). Her manner is one accurate jump on her back - to attack from an ambush or from a tree above the path, where she can wait patiently and for a long time for her victim. The lynx usually hunts at night, but prefers to rest during the day. And the hare got hardened, experienced, cold-blooded - it overtakes a little - jumped into the snow and confused.))»

See more photos and pictures from the life of a lynx:

An ordinary lynx is not so ordinary, on the contrary, it is mysterious and mysterious.. Even the ancient Greeks endowed her with magical abilities and believed that the beast sees through objects. In Scandinavian mythology, the lynx was considered a sacred animal.

According to legend, she accompanied the goddess of love, beauty and fertility Freya everywhere, being harnessed to her chariot. One of the constellations of the northern hemisphere, which only people with very sharp eyesight can see, is named after this animal - the constellation Lynx.

However, lynxes were not only worshiped, glorified in legends, they were mercilessly killed, and the meat was eaten. This very dubious occupation sinned in the Middle Ages to know. The meat of the animal was famous for its excellent taste and healing properties; it was served as a delicacy during various feasts. Gorgeous, expensive fur coats were made from beautiful and warm fur. Such a strange "love" for the beast significantly affected its numbers and in some European states led to complete extermination.

Habitat

The predator belongs to the cat family and the genus of lynxes. He is the largest of the lynx brethren. It is not afraid of harsh winters, it moves perfectly on loose and deep snow cover, it does not fall through like other animals. Habitual habitat - taiga, forest-tundra, forest-steppe, dark coniferous forests and mountainous terrain.

If earlier the distribution area of the animal captured most of Europe, now it is scattered across it in small islands with sparse populations. The animal is found in the Carpathians, central Russia, including Kamchatka and Sakhalin, Finland, Spain, Macedonia, Croatia. It is found in Belarus, Greece, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Estonia, Albania, even the Arctic.

Subspecies

The classification of the common lynx (Lynx lynx) is updated from time to time with new subspecies. To this day, there is no general opinion about their number in the scientific community. Currently, there are ten known subspecies. Individuals do not differ much from each other, they are very similar in their way of life, habits, taste preferences and in appearance.

Baikal subspecies(Lynx lynx Kozlovi) - distributed in Siberia, possibly Mongolia, endowed with thick fur and bright spotted color.
Carpathian subspecies(Lynx lynx Carpathica) - has a rusty-brown color with a pronounced spotting, medium-hard fur and rather large sizes.
European subspecies(Lynx lynx lynx) - occupies a vast range, which includes Sweden, Russia, Belarus, the Baltic countries, Ukraine, Norway, Poland and Finland. It is distinguished by a short body, long legs, not very lush reddish hair with a faded spotted pattern.
Amur or Far Eastern subspecies(Lynx lynx Sroganovi) - inhabits the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, northeast China, can attack young moose.
Altai subspecies(Lynx lynx Wardi) is considered by some scientists to be part of the Turkestan subspecies. This is a fairly large beast with a thick and fluffy coat. gray fur with a creamy shade and shaded spotting.
Turkestan or Central Asian subspecies(Lynx lynx Isabellina) - a little studied subspecies, has a medium size and the lightest color of winter fur.
Caucasian subspecies(Lynx lynx Dinniki) - distributed throughout the Caucasus, has a rare, coarse and short fur, the smallest of its kind.
Balkan subspecies(Lynx lynx Balcanica) - lives in Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, no more than 50 individuals remain in the wild.
Yakut or East Siberian subspecies(Lynx lynx Wrangeli) - differs in the largest size, lush, almost monophonic fur.
Subspecies Lynx lynx Sardiniae once inhabited the island of Sardinia. Animals were completely exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century.

Appearance

In appearance, the animal resembles a cat, and in size it is a rather large dog.

A dense, somewhat shortened body reaches a length of 80 - 120 cm (depending on the subspecies) and ends with a short, stubby tail up to 20 or slightly more centimeters long. The height of the body at the shoulders is up to 70 cm.
An adult common lynx weighs 18 - 26 kg, males can gain body weight up to 30 kg, the weight of females, as a rule, does not exceed 20 kg.
The paws are quite long, strong and muscular. In winter, the feet are covered with a long edge, hard, like a brush (it helps the predator to easily move through the snow, using paws like skis, and not fall into snowdrifts).
The head against the background of a powerful torso looks small, has a rounded shape. The muzzle, somewhat flattened towards the nose, is decorated on the sides with characteristic fluffy sideburns.
The eyes are large, wide, with round pupils, like those of large wild cats. Due to the special anatomical structure, they allow the animal to see small objects in pitch darkness.
Ears in the form of a triangle are set high, of medium size, at the very top they end with thin, long, black tassels - antennae. As soon as the lynx loses its miracle - brushes, its hearing immediately becomes dull and it no longer orients itself so well in space.
The whiskers are sparse, of medium length, located on the muzzle on both sides of the nose.
The coat is thick, long, fluffy and silky.
The color depends on the time of year and the region of habitat, usually gray with an ash tint or reddish. Spotting is more pronounced in the Carpathian and Baikal subspecies. In the photo of an ordinary lynx of the Yakut subspecies, it is almost imperceptible, in the European and Altai lynx the spotting is faded and blurry. In winter, the fur is longer than in summer, it looks especially fluffy and beautiful, the length of the pile on the belly can reach 6-7 cm. The belly is painted white with rare, not bright spots. The ears are black at the back with a white marking. The tail is gray with small dark markings, intensely black at the very tip.

Lifestyle and behavior

A solitary lifestyle is the lot of exclusively males, while females constantly have to take care of their offspring, and rare periods of loneliness are associated with the expectation of the next replenishment. The size of hunting estates depends on the amount of food, terrain and gender. Males occupy large areas from 100 to 200 km2 or more. Females are limited to a territory of 20 - 60 km 2.

If there is enough food and there are no other significant reasons for migration, the animals lead a sedentary lifestyle, rarely leaving the developed areas. The living space is marked with urine. Females are jealous of encroachments on personal territory, they can give a big beating to the offender, males do not pay much attention to uninvited guests, they rarely enter into conflicts.

In relation to a person, spontaneous aggression is not shown; there are no reliably confirmed cases of attacks. The predator is easily tamed and gets used to the owner. Sometimes it is given into the hands, fawning and purring loudly at the same time. The danger is represented by wounded and sick animals - defending themselves, they are able to inflict serious wounds. Conflict situations are also possible - the beast sometimes carries domestic game and attacks dogs.

Hunting and food

The lynx hunts at any time of the day, but still it is more of a nocturnal predator. For hiking, he chooses twilight: early morning or sunset hours, often goes for prey on a dark night. In search of a victim, it can run more than one kilometer, in times of famine it overcomes up to 20-30 km per day.

The spotted predator is a fast and agile hunter. It climbs trees perfectly, has sharp hearing and vision, runs briskly, jumps far and high. The method of hunting is chosen according to the circumstances: either it pursues the victim and quickly attacks from a short distance, or guards it from an ambush. In case of failure, the game does not pursue for a long time and looks out for another, more suitable prey. The beast bites into the throat of a large animal, grabs a smaller one from the back.

A killed deer cub or a large hare is enough for an animal for several days. The lynx hides the remains of a hunting trophy in the snow or takes it to a secluded place. He does this quickly and inaccurately, and therefore often loses his provisions. Caches are found by other predators and quickly ravaged.

The entire diet of a lynx consists of meat. The main menu includes hares and small rodents. Delicacies are represented by venison, hazel grouse, baby boars and elks. The animal does not refuse anything, rejoices at any prey and regales itself on what it manages to catch.

Reproduction and care of offspring

An ordinary lynx reaches sexual maturity at the age of 20 months. The peak period of mating games falls on the month of March. The female meets several males. After mating, the male does not always part, and he can take part in the upbringing of offspring.

Pregnancy lasts about 2.5 months. From 2 to 5 kittens are born - helpless, blind and almost deaf. Their mother hides them in a secluded place, feeds them with milk for up to three months. The weight of one kitten does not exceed 300 grams. Babies begin to see clearly in the second week of life. From two months, parents begin to feed them with meat. From three to four months, the mother tries to teach them the wisdom of hunting. By the age of one, the younger generation leaves their parents and begins an independent life.

Under natural conditions, the animal lives no more than 15 - 20 years. In captivity, a lynx can live up to 25 years.

species abundance

The population has a little over 10 thousand individuals. The animal has long been exterminated in France and Switzerland. Several dozen individuals live on the Balkan Peninsula, in Poland there are about a thousand of them, in Scandinavia - 2.5 thousand, in the Carpathians - 2.2 thousand. Small populations have been preserved in the countries of Central Asia and Transcaucasia. The largest number of lynxes lives in Siberia.

Intensive measures are taken to protect the animal, thanks to which the population is gradually restored. It is included in the International Red Book.

Despite the fact that the animal's fur is highly valued, the genus of the common lynx has no commercial value. However, the predator plays an important role in the biocenosis - it regulates the number of populations of many mammals, birds, and is a forest cleaner. Therefore, in places where lynxes used to live, scientists are trying to re-introduce animals into the natural environment. In Germany, the re-population of the beast, after complete extermination, in the Bavarian forest took place at the end of the 20th century.

The presence of lynxes is undesirable only near pheasant nurseries and reindeer farms. For their owners, such a neighborhood becomes a real disaster and turns into catastrophic losses. After all, the beast destroys game game, even being completely unstarved, just for the sake of sporting interest.