Lynx

Lynx:

The name given to several related small, ferocious members of the cat family. All have small heads, tufted ears, and heavy bodies with long legs and short tails. All are primarily terrestrial, although they are able to climb trees.

The Northern and Felis of the species, is found in coniferous

forests of North America and N Eurasia. As a result of hunting by humans and the general deforestation of Europe, the northern species is now very restricted in its European range and may be extinct in W Europe. The North American variety of the northern cat, similar in size and appearance to its Old World counterpart, is also known as the Canada species; it ranges from the northern limits of the Canadian forests to the extreme N United States.

The Canada cat may attain a length of more than 3 ft (90 cm), with a 5-in. (13-cm) tail, and may weigh up to 40 lb (18 kg). Its long fur is yellow-brown to grayish, slightly spotted with black. It has long black ear tufts and large feet, adapted to moving on deep snow. A nocturnal hunter, it preys on a variety of game, sometimes as large as deer, but is particularly dependent on the snowshoe rabbit as its staple diet.

The Canadian population fluctuates in cycles correlated with the fluctuation of the snowshoe rabbit population. Efforts have been made to return it to parts of its former range in the United States (Colorado) and in Europe.

Canadian Lynx

The bobcat, F. rufus, also known as bay cat or wildcat, is a small North American species found in thickets, swamps, and rocky areas from the S of Canada to central Mexico. It has a longer tail, shorter ear tufts, and smaller feet than the Canada lynx; its coat is a redder brown and more spotted.

It commonly weighs about 20 lb (9 kg), although some individuals grow much larger. It lives on a variety of small and medium-sized prey; its raids on livestock and poultry have made it a target of farmers.

Reproduction & Offspring:

After a gestation of approximately 63-70 days, females produce a litter of 1-8 kittens, with the average varying depending on the abundance of prey. They weigh 7-7.5 ounces at birth and will open their eyes at around 10-17 days, and begin to walk between 24-30 days.

They are weaned between 3-5 months of age, and reach sexual maturity around 23 months. The number of offspring is directly related to the abundance of prey, in which is at hand at that particular time, as is the age of sexual maturity. When prey is very abundant, females will breed as early as 10 months of age.

Eurasian Lynx

These partucular cats are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Felidae.

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