PantherKut

The four species placed in this genus are:

• Lynx lynx, Eurasian Lynx
• Lynx canadensis, Canada Lynx
• Lynx pardinus, Iberian Lynx
• Lynx rufus, Bobcat

Eurasian Lynx

While the Eurasian Lynx bears rather pallid markings, the Iberian Lynx has distinctive, leopard-like spots with a coat that is often light gray or various shades of light brown-yellowish. Some western populations were spotless though these have recently gone extinct.

The male is larger than the female. It’s shoulder height is about 2 feet (70 cm), and length is approximately 3 feet (1 m), including a 6 inch (15 cm) tail.

The Iberian Lynx does not differ greatly from the European Lynx but more closely resembles a Rufus Lynx.

Canadian Lynx

The Canadian Lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a close relative of the Eurasian Lynx. Some authorities regard both as conspecific. However, in some characteristics the Canadian Lynx is more similar to the Bobcat than to the Eurasian Lynx.

This cat is found in northern forests across almost all of Canada and Alaska. In addition there are large populations of this lynx in Montana, Idaho and Washington. The Canadian Lynx is rare in Utah, Minnesota, and New England; reintroduction efforts in Colorado have been ongoing since 1999, with the first wild-born kittens confirmed in 2003, with many successful kindles thereafter. It is considered to be threatened in the contiguous United States.

The appearance of the Canadian Lynx is simillar to that of the Eurasian Lynx: the dense fur is silvery brown and may bear blackish markings. In summer, its coat takes on a more reddish brown colour. Males are larger than females. The lynx has a furry ruff which resembles a double-pointed beard, a short tail with a black tip and long furry tufts on its ears. Its long legs with broad furred feet aid the lynx in travelling through deep snow.

The Canadian Lynx hunts for hares, rodents and birds, sometimes killing larger animals such as deer. It relies mainly on hearing and sight to locate prey. In some areas the Snowshoe Hare is virtually the only prey of the Canadian Lynx. The size of the Canadian Lynx population tends to follow the approximately 10 year long rise and decline of Snowshoe Hare numbers.

The Canadian Lynx is a solitary and secretive animal, usually active at night, and requires a large territory. It breeds in spring and one to five kittens are born. The survival of the young depends heavily on the availability of prey species.

This animal is trapped for its fur and has declined in many areas due to habitat loss.

Iberian Lynx

The Iberian Lynx (sometimes referred to as the Spanish Lynx or Felis pardina) often used to be misclassified as a subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx, but is now considered a separate species. Both species evolved together in central Europe in the Pleistocene epoch. In Spanish however, many people call the lynx “Gato Montes”, which actually refers to the Wild Cat (Felis silvestris, Felis silvestris tartessia, Felis silvestris jordansi). The Iberian lynx is believed to have evolved from Lynx issiodorensis.
While the Eurasian Lynx bears rather pallid markings, the Iberian Lynx has distinctive, leopard-like spots with a coat that is often light gray or various shades of light brown-yellowish. Some western populations were spotless though these have recently gone extinct.

The male is larger than the female. It’s shoulder height is about 2 feet (70 cm), and length is approximately 3 feet (1 m), including a 6 inch (15 cm) tail.

The Iberian Lynx does not differ greatly from the European Lynx but more closely resembles a Rufus Lynx.

Bobcat ( Lynx rufus )

Bobcat (Lynx rufus, or commonly felis rufus) is a wild cat native to North America. They are found mostly in the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. The bobcat is an adaptable animal that inhabits wooded areas as well as semi-desert, urban, and swampland environments. They live in a set home range which shifts in size with the season. They utilize several methods to mark their territorial boundaries including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces.

In appearance, the bobcat has characteristic black bars on its forelegs and tail. They also have prominent, pointed ears with short tufts of black hair at the tip. The name is derived from their stubby black-tipped tails that, unlike those of other species of Lynx, have a white underside. Their coat is most often light gray or various shades of brown in color, with varying degrees of black spots either dispersed along much of their body or relegated to the otherwise white underparts. The bobcat is twice as large as a house cat but typically smaller than the related Canada lynx. The adult male, averaging 36 inches (90 cm) in length, and weighing from 16 to 30 pounds (7 to 14 kg), is generally 30-40% larger than the female.

Bobcats are carnivorous animals which will hunt anything from insects and small rodents to large deer, but often show a preference for rabbits and hares. What they hunt will depend on location and habitat, season, and scarcity of prey. The bobcat breeds from winter into the spring and has a gestation period of about two months. The kittens will stay with the mother until about a year old.