The Cat Survival Trust

The Eurasian Lynx

Felis (Lynx) lynx Linnaeus

Photo © Nat. Museums of Scotland (Neil McLean)
Click on picture to see larger image (245 Kbytes)

Contents
	Description About the Picture Distribution Diet Behaviour Reproduction Conservation Status Further Reading

Other names

	French:	lynx
	German:	Luchs
	Spanish:	lince

Description

Largest of the lynxes, the Eurasian weighs about 20Kg., with the largest specimens being found in Siberia. This is a long-legged animal with big feet for walking on snow. Its fur is greyish and often largely without pattern, although some forms have spots or "tabby" stripes. The tail is very short with a black tip.
There are about seven subspecies, but, like all subdivisions of species, they are not universally accepted;

F. (L.) l. lynx	Scandinavia, Russia, Northern Europe and Iraq
F. (L.) l. dinniki	North Caucasus and Iraq
F. (L.) l. koslowi	Irkutsk
F. (L.) l. isabellinus	Pakistan, central Asia and Mongolia
F. (L.) l. sardiniae	Sardinia
F. (L.) l. stroganovi	Russia
F. (L.) l. wrangelli	East Siberia

Principle Dimensions

	Overall	Males	Females
Head and body lengths (cm)	80–130
Height at shoulder (cm)	60-75
Tail lengths (cm)	11-35
Weight (Kg)	8-38	21.6	18.1

Top of Page

About the Picture

The picture shows an excellent museum exhibit. It is part of the History of the Forests diorama of Beginnings in the new Museum of Scotland.
The lynx is a female who formerly lived at The Cat Survival Trust and died there as a very old cat. She has been restored by an excellent taxidermist to serve the cause of conservation education.

Distribution and Habitats

The range of the Eurasian Lynx extends right across the northern part of the Old World from Scandinavia to the Pacific coast of Asia. It formerly included almost the whole of Europe and efforts are being made to reintroduce lynxes to parts of France, Switzerland and Italy. Small, probably isolated populations have survived in a few areas of (mainly) eastern Europe as far south as Turkey, while further east the species extends to the north side of the Himalayas and Afghanistan.
The map shows the present distribution of Eurasian Lynxes in grey, but it is important to remember that population densities vary greatly over the range and some of the south European ones are close to extinction.
The map is based on information in the Wild Cats Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan published by the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group in 1996. See our Books page for more details.

Top of Page

Diet

Unlike other lynxes, the Eurasian takes large prey, mainly small ungulates such as musk deer, roe deer and chamois although they will take animals up to the size of reindeer. They only resorts to hares and other smaller animals in time of shortage.

Top of Page

Behaviour

Section under development

Top of Page

Reproduction

One to four kittens are born in May of June following a gestation period which averages 69 days. They become independent at about ten months and themselves begin reproducing about a year later. They remain fecund until the age of about 15 years and have been known to live beyond twenty years.

Top of Page

Conservation Status

As a species, this lynx is not endangered, but in some parts of its range it has become extremely rare and may not survive unless active measures are taken to conserve it. Many areas from which lynxes had disappeared have been recolonised when conditions once again became favourable.

Top of Page