Lynx pardinus
Iberian Lynx. WWE.
The Iberian Lynx is smaller than the Lynx, slimmer and with longer legs. It is about 85–100 cm long and stands 60–70 cm tall at the shoulder; the tail measures about 60–70 cm,. The female weighs up to 10 kg, the male about 13 kg, but the latter may weigh up to 26 kg. The coat is light grey-brown with pronounced dark spots. The whiskers and ear tufts are longer than those of Lynx. The footprints are similar to those of Lynx, and the same is true of the scat.
The Iberian Lynx lives in open woodland with underbrush; it hunts mainly wild rabbits, but also hares, rodents, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. This is one of the most endangered cats in the world; its habitat is threatened, and only very small populations remain in southern Spain.
