Lynx lynx
A Lynx stalking prey. ME.
The Lynx is a wary, shy animal and rarely seen. It is 60–75 cm tall at the shoulder and 80–130 cm long, with a tail measuring about 11–25 cm. It weighs 16–38 kg, the male being considerably larger than the female. The head is small, light brown or orange-brown, but with paler, whitish cheeks. The Lynx has white eye rings, while the ‘eyebrows’ are long and black. It has large ears with dark tufts, and there is a white spot on the back of each ear. In summer its back, sides, and legs are light brown or orange-brown with dark spots, the belly grey-white; in winter, the coat is generally lighter. The tail is spotted and ends in a dark tip.
Normally the Lynx is solitary within a large territory. In the north of its range it prefers mature open woodland with some rock cover; in southern Europe it favours woodland with a thick underbrush. During the day it rests at a look-out spot and then begins hunting at dusk.
Lynx tracks. SJ.
Footprint of a Lynx in snow. JLI.
The Lynx has four toes on each foot and normally retracts its claws when it walks. The forefoot is slightly larger than the hind. The tracks are 7–9 cm long and about the same width. The print of the innermost of the two middle toes is set slightly apart from those of the other toes. As a Lynx moves forward, it usually places its hind feet in the tracks of the front, leaving a track that forms almost a straight line. When hunting, a Lynx might jump energetically, and the prints of the claws will also be visible then. The stride is about 80–100 cm.
A Lynx has killed a Reindeer with a bite to the throat. TL.
Lynx tracks are similar to those of a large domestic cat and may often be distinguished from a domestic dog or cat only with difficulty. Hairs on the bottom of the Lynx’s foot make the print more circular, and the marks of the foot pad do not quite reach the edge of the footprint.
Lynx hunt hares, rabbits, foxes, Reindeer, and other deer species, but it also takes small rodents, squirrels, and birds. Smaller animals are consumed almost completely, while the carcasses of larger prey are left where they were killed. The Lynx eats as much as it can and then leaves the remains for other carrion eaters. The carcass may be cached under earth, moss, or snow; the Lynx will return to it later.
You only rarely find Lynx scat, since it is usually buried, but it may be found at the edges of an individual’s territory. It is up to 25 cm long and 3 cm thick and may contain hair, feathers, and the remains of bones. When scat is fresh it is pungent.
