The common lynx is not so common; on the contrary, it is mysterious and enigmatic. Even the ancient Greeks endowed it magical abilities and they believed that the beast could see through objects. In Scandinavian mythology, the lynx was considered a sacred animal.

According to legends, she accompanied the goddess of love, beauty and fertility Freya everywhere, harnessed to her chariot. One of the constellations of the northern hemisphere, which can only be seen by people with very sharp eyesight, is named after this animal - the constellation Lynx.

However, lynxes were not only worshiped and glorified in legends, they were mercilessly killed, and their meat was eaten. The nobility were guilty of this very dubious practice in the Middle Ages. The meat of the animal was famous for its excellent taste and healing properties, it was served as a delicacy during various feasts. Gorgeous, expensive fur coats were made from beautiful and warm fur. Such a strange “love” for the animal significantly affected its numbers and in some European countries led to complete destruction.

Habitat

Predator refers to cat family and the lynx family. He is the largest of the lynx brethren. It is not afraid of harsh winters, moves well on loose and deep snow cover, and does not fall through like other animals. Habitat: taiga, forest-tundra, forest-steppe, dark coniferous forests and mountainous terrain.

If previously the animal’s distribution area covered most of Europe, now it is scattered across it in small islands with sparse populations. The animal is found in the Carpathians, middle lane Russia, including Kamchatka and Sakhalin, Finland, Spain, Macedonia, Croatia. It is found in Belarus, Greece, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Estonia, Albania, even the Arctic.

Subspecies

The classification of the common lynx (Lynx lynx) is updated from time to time with new subspecies. There is still no general opinion regarding their number in the scientific community. Currently, we can talk about ten known subspecies. Individuals are not much different from each other; they are very similar in their lifestyle, habits, taste preferences and external features.

1. Baikal subspecies(Lynx lynx Kozlovi) - common in Siberia, possibly Mongolia, endowed with thick fur and bright spotted coloring.
2. Carpathian subspecies(Lynx lynx Carpathica) - has a rusty-brown color with clearly defined spotting, medium-hard fur and quite large sizes.
3. European subspecies(Lynx lynx lynx) - occupies a vast range, which includes Sweden, Russia, Belarus, the Baltic countries, Ukraine, Norway, Poland and Finland. Features a short body long legs, not very lush reddish fur with a faded spotted pattern.
4. Amur or Far Eastern subspecies(Lynx lynx Sroganovi) - inhabits the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories, northeast China, can attack young moose.
5. Altai subspecies(Lynx lynx Wardi) is considered by some scientists to be part of the Turkestan subspecies. It's pretty large animal with thick and fluffy. gray fur with a cream tint and shaded spotting.
6. Turkestan or Central Asian subspecies(Lynx lynx Isabellina) - a little studied subspecies, has medium size and the lightest color of winter fur.
7. Caucasian subspecies(Lynx lynx Dinniki) - distributed throughout the Caucasus, has sparse, coarse and short fur, the smallest of its species.
8. Balkan subspecies(Lynx lynx Balcanica) - lives in Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, in wildlife no more than 50 individuals remain.
9. Yakut or East Siberian subspecies(Lynx lynx Wrangeli) - distinguished by its largest size, lush, almost uniform fur.
10. Subspecies Lynx lynx Sardiniae once inhabited the island of Sardinia. The animals were completely exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century.

Appearance

In appearance the animal resembles a cat, and in size it resembles a rather large dog.

• The dense, somewhat shortened body reaches a length of 80–120 cm (depending on the subspecies) and ends with a short, stubby tail up to 20 or a little more centimeters long. Body height at the shoulders is up to 70 cm.
• An adult common lynx weighs 18–26 kg; males can gain body weight up to 30 kg; females, as a rule, do not weigh more than 20 kg.
• The legs are quite long, strong and muscular. In winter, the area of ​​the feet is covered with a long, hard, brush-like edge (helps the predator easily move through the snow, using paws like skis, and not fall into the snowdrifts).
• The head against the background of a powerful torso looks small and has a rounded shape. The muzzle, somewhat flattened towards the nose, is decorated on the sides with characteristic fluffy sideburns.
• The eyes are large, wide, with round pupils, like those of large wild cats. Thanks to special anatomical structure, they allow the animal to see small objects in pitch darkness.
• The ears, in the shape of a triangle, are set high, of medium size, ending at the very top with thin, long, black tassels - antennae. Once a lynx loses its miracle tassels, its hearing immediately becomes dull and it is no longer so well oriented in space.
• The mustache is sparse, of medium length, located on the muzzle on both sides of the nose.
• The coat is thick, long, fluffy and silky.
• The color depends on the time of year and the region where it lives, usually gray with an ashen tint or reddish. Spotting is more pronounced in the Carpathian and Baikal subspecies. In the photo of the common lynx of the Yakut subspecies, it is almost invisible; in the European and Altai lynx, the spotting is faded and blurred. In winter, the fur is longer than in summer, it looks especially fluffy and beautiful, the length of the pile on the belly can reach 6 - 7 cm. The belly is colored White color with rare, not bright spots. The back of the ears is black with white markings. The tail is gray with small dark markings, intensely black at the very tip.

Lifestyle and behavior

A solitary lifestyle is exclusively the lot of males, while females constantly have to take care of their offspring, and rare periods of loneliness are associated with the anticipation of the next replenishment. The size of hunting grounds depends on the amount of food, terrain features and gender. Males occupy large areas of 100 to 200 km 2 or more. Females are limited to a territory of 20–60 km2.

If there is enough food and there are no other compelling reasons for migration, the animals lead a sedentary lifestyle and rarely leave the developed areas. The living space is marked with urine. Females are jealous of encroachments on personal territory, they can give a big beating to the intruder, males are against uninvited guests special attention They don’t pay attention and rarely enter into conflicts.

They do not show spontaneous aggression towards humans; there are no reliably confirmed cases of attack. The predator is easily tamed and gets used to its owner. Sometimes it is given into the hands, caressed and purrs loudly at the same time. Wounded and sick animals pose a danger - in defending themselves, they are capable of causing serious wounds. Conflict situations are also possible - the animal sometimes carries domestic game and attacks dogs.

Hunting and food

Lynx hunts at any time of the day, but still it is more of a nocturnal predator. He chooses twilight for hiking: early morning or sunset hours; he often goes for prey at dark night. In search of a victim, it can run more than one kilometer; in times of hunger, it covers up to 20–30 km per day.

The spotted predator is a fast and agile hunter. He climbs trees excellently, has acute hearing and vision, runs briskly, jumps far and high. The hunting method is chosen according to the circumstances: either it pursues the prey and quickly attacks from a short distance, or it guards it from ambush. In case of failure, the game does not pursue for a long time and looks out for other, more suitable prey. The beast bites into the throat of a large animal, and grabs a smaller one from the back.

A killed baby deer or large hare lasts for several days. The lynx hides the remains of the hunting trophy in the snow or takes it to a secluded place. He does this quickly and sloppily, and therefore often loses his provisions. Other predators find the caches and quickly destroy them.

The lynx's entire diet consists of meat. The main menu includes hares and small rodents. Delicacies include venison, hazel grouse, baby wild boars and elk. The animal refuses nothing, rejoices at any prey and feasts on whatever it manages to catch.

Reproduction and care of offspring

The common lynx reaches sexual maturity at the age of 20 months. Peak period mating games falls in the month of March. The female meets with several males. After mating, she does not always separate from the male, and he can take part in raising the offspring.

Pregnancy lasts about 2.5 months. From 2 to 5 kittens are born - helpless, blind and almost deaf. Their mother hides them in a secluded place, feeds them with milk until three months. The weight of one kitten does not exceed 300 grams. Babies begin to see the light in the second week of life. From two months of age, parents begin to feed them meat. From three to four months, the mother tries to teach them the wisdom of hunting. By the age of one year, the young generation leaves their parents and begins an independent life.

IN natural conditions the animal lives no more than 15–20 years. In captivity, lynx can live up to 25 years.

Number of species

The population numbers just over 10 thousand individuals. The animal has long been exterminated in France and Switzerland. Several dozen individuals live on the Balkan Peninsula, in Poland there are about a thousand, in Scandinavia - 2.5 thousand, in the Carpathians - 2.2 thousand. Small populations persist in countries Central Asia and Transcaucasia. The most a large number of lynxes live in Siberia.

Intensive measures are being taken to protect the animal, thanks to which the population is gradually recovering. It is included in the International Red Book.

Despite the fact that the fur of the animal is highly valued, the lynx genus does not have commercial value. However, the predator plays an important role in the biocenosis - it regulates the populations of many mammals and birds, and is a forest cleaner. Therefore, in places where lynxes used to live, scientists are attempting to reintroduce the animals into the natural environment. In Germany, the reintroduction of the animal, after complete extermination, into the Bavarian forest took place at the end of the 20th century.

The presence of lynxes is undesirable only near pheasant nurseries and reindeer herding farms. For their owners, such a neighborhood becomes a real disaster and results in catastrophic losses. After all, the animal destroys commercial game, even when completely unhungry, simply for the sake of sporting interest.

In the northern hemisphere of our planet, there are quite large areas where lynxes live. These predatory animals can be found not only in forest areas, but also in subtropical forests, but even in the tundra.

External description

The lynx really looks like a very big cat, differing only in a short tail and tufts on the tips of the ears. Its weight usually does not exceed 25 kg, and its body length can be from 75 to 130 cm. The body is dense with a small round head. The muzzle is framed by elongated, coarse hair, similar to sideburns. The fur is very thick, especially in winter when the undercoat appears. Most often, animals are found with a reddish-gray color and dark spots, randomly located throughout the body. But the color of the coat depends on the species and on where the lynx lives, in what zone, so it may be of a different shade.

The limbs are somewhat different in structure from those of cats. The lynx's hind legs are longer than its front legs and have only 4 toes. In winter, the pads are overgrown with thick hair, which allows the animal to easily move through the snow without falling into snowdrifts. The paws seem too wide for such a small animal, but it is this structure that helps the predator successfully hunt and obtain food. Beautiful tassels on the ears act as an antenna, thanks to which the lynx perfectly hears the quietest sounds. This animal jumps superbly (up to 4 meters in length), climbs trees and runs very fast. Like all representatives of the cat family, it is distinguished by strength and extraordinary agility.

Varieties

The genus of lynx has several species: Pyrenean, Canadian, red, and Eurasian. The smallest is found in North America. Its height is no more than 35 cm at the withers. Most major representative This genus is considered the common Eurasian lynx, which lives almost throughout the entire territory of Russia, including the Arctic, and can be found in completely impassable areas of Siberia. Deep forests and thickets of young animals are the places where lynxes most often live.

The closest relative of the Eurasian is significantly smaller in size. This North American cat inhabits almost the entire territory of Canada and the northern American states, preferring to settle in areas where there is dense undergrowth.

A special species is the brightly spotted Iberian lynx. It is on the verge of extinction. Only in Portugal and southern Spain are these animals still occasionally found. Deforestation has led to the fact that the territory where lynxes live is becoming smaller. In addition, because of the beautiful fur of bright leopard colors, hunters often shoot these animals.

Habitats

Lynx is found in almost all European countries, as well as in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Greece, China, Azerbaijan and Georgia. On the American continent, the largest numbers of these predators are observed in the southeastern United States, Canada and Mexico.

Russia has the most large population lynx recorded in taiga regions and in the zone mixed forests. Relatively recently, animals settled in Kamchatka. Our country is huge, so the areas where lynx live in Russia can be very far from each other. As a result, animals of the same species can differ greatly not only in size, but also in color and degree of spotting.

The favorite place for lynxes is thickets of young animals - it is most convenient to set up a den there. Basically, this predator chooses to live in any forest (coniferous, mixed, mountainous) where bears and elk live. Lynx can also be found in the forest-tundra, where there are many bushes and other low-growing vegetation, and even beyond the Arctic Circle.

What does a lynx eat?

This is a predator, and accordingly, it prefers fresh meat, which requires at least 2-3 kg per day. The objects of hunting are a variety of animals - from voles to roe deer and food depends on the habitat. But the lynx's main prey is usually the hare. It is on its numbers in the region where lynxes live that their well-being depends. One caught hare lasts a predator 4 days. As a rule, she hunts them mainly in winter, when the choice of food is small. In the taiga, wild boars often become prey for this dexterous animal.

The lynx knows how to deftly and quietly get close to its prey and kill it with one blow of its powerful paw. In addition, the predator’s huge fangs are similar to those of a leopard or leopard. And among the birds there are many victims who fall into these fangs. Usually these are black grouse, capercaillie and hazel grouse.

Lifestyle

The lynx is a solitary animal. During her life she rarely makes any sounds. The sharp cry of a lynx, similar to a cat's, can be heard only during the rutting period, which usually occurs in February. This animal is extremely careful. The lynx spends the whole day in its den, which is located in a deep thicket. Late in the evening she goes hunting. It leads and only when food resources in its habitat run out does it migrate to another territory. It can cover a distance of up to 30 km in a day.

Habits

You can find a lot of information about the lynx - what it eats, where it lives, but its unusual habits also deserve attention. For example, this animal eats exclusively fresh meat, disdaining carrion. She never returns to the remains of her prey, although she buries them in the ground. Moreover, she does this very carelessly, and foxes and wolverines following in her footsteps often use the remnants of the feast.

Each individual has its own territory for hunting. Lynx is bloodthirsty. She almost always hunts and often kills animals much more than she can eat. The lynx has a particular dislike for foxes, which is caused by food competition. But after killing a fox, he will never eat it. Hunting for lynx usually ends in success. Waiting for her prey on a tree, she rushes at her like lightning. Thanks to its developed hind limbs, the lynx can even catch birds flying from the ground.

When there is not enough food in the forest, the predator can visit nearby villages and farms. There it is not difficult for him to steal a chicken or even a lamb.

Reproduction

During mating season the female is accompanied by several males, who are constantly in conflict with each other. Pregnancy lasts about 2 months. About 5 hours before giving birth, the lynx begins to make a den. Usually it is done at heights - in tree hollows or rock crevices. The cubs are born at the end of April - beginning of May, blind, weighing up to 300 grams and open their eyes only after two weeks.

The mother feeds them with her milk for a month, then begins to bring mice and hares to the babies. At the age of 3 months, the cubs already follow their mother, and another 2 months later they begin to acquire their first hunting skills. When they turn one year old, the mother drives the lynx cubs away from her, they begin to independent life. At one and a half years, females become sexually mature, males mature a year later. The lifespan of a lynx is on average 15-20 years.

Despite the fact that there are not many places on the planet where lynx do not live in the wild, the population of this animal is declining. The reason is destruction natural environment habitat and excessive hunting of these beautiful animals. In some European countries they have already been practically exterminated.

Lynx belongs to a species of mammals and the genus Lynx, which has four species of animals. The common lynx represents a fairly common order of predators and the cat family.

Scientists today know about several species of these unique animals inhabiting our planet. Depending on the type of predator, they differ in size, color and natural habitats. In addition, the lynx represents the northernmost species belonging to this family.

Interesting Facts! The image of this predator can be found on the flags and coats of arms of some cities, such as Gomel and Ust-Kubinsk, in the Vologda region.

Appearance

As a rule, lynxes are distinguished by the fact that they have a short but powerful body, and on their ears you can see clearly defined tassels formed from hair. This animal has a rather short tail, as if chopped off. The head of the predator is relatively small, but has a clearly defined round shape. On the sides of the muzzle, peculiar “whiskers” are formed, thanks to the elongated hair. The eyes are quite wide, with round pupils, and the muzzle is shortened. The paws are quite large and have good pubescence in winter.

Interesting to know! In winter, when there is a lot of snow, the lynx moves through deep snow without problems, like on skis. And this is all due to the fact that the lower part of the paws is overgrown with thick bristles.

Adults grow in length from 80 to 130 cm, and the height at the withers reaches about 70 cm. An adult lynx, well-fed and well-formed, is similar in size and weight to a large dog. Vigorous, healthy males reach a weight of 18 to 25 kilograms, although some individuals gain weight in the range of 30 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller in size and weigh no more than 20 kg.

The coat of these animals depends on their habitat and is represented by many options, including different color scheme. Therefore, there are species with a reddish-brown color, as well as types of pale-smoky tones, as well as their variants. In this case, a pattern may appear on the body in the form of spots on the back and paws, including on the sides of the predator.

The lynx's belly is covered with long and fairly soft hair, but not thick, distinguished by a white tint, with barely noticeable specks. Lynxes living in southern regions, are characterized by red coloring, while they have relatively short and dense hair. Lynxes shed twice a year, both in spring and autumn.

Lifespan

Being in natural conditions, these animals live on average about 15-17 years. The lifespan of lynxes depends on the number of wolves that hunt lynxes.

When in captivity, when all conditions for maintenance are created, lynxes can live for at least 25 years.

This is a predator that leads a solitary lifestyle after dark. During the period of feeding and raising offspring, the female lives with her cubs for several months.

Interesting to know! At dusk, lynxes go hunting. Thanks to the “tassels” on their ears, lynxes are perfectly oriented in space and sense their potential prey.

Lynxes hunt their prey different ways: They can sneak up unnoticed or wait for animals next to their paths, being in ambush. They also visit places where ungulates quench their thirst.

This predator chooses for itself dense thickets, represented by dense taiga and dark coniferous forests. There are cases when they enter the forest-steppe and forest-tundra. The animal expertly climbs trees and feels good in rocky areas. Lynxes are excellent swimmers.

The animal's thick fur helps it live in extreme conditions, where there is a lot of snow and enough frosty winters. The color of the coat is such that this predator is difficult to notice in daytime in sunlight. This also allows the lynx to camouflage perfectly among the thickets.

As a rule, hunting hares takes up most of the lynx's time, although they often hunt young ungulates such as roe deer, musk deer and wapiti. They will not miss the opportunity to hunt young wild boars. If you are lucky, the lynx can catch a squirrel or marten, as well as hazel grouse, wood grouse and black grouse.

When a lynx hunts, it can travel at least 30 kilometers in search of prey. If the year turns out to be hungry and food is tight, then lynxes approach a person’s home, where they can attack poultry or domestic animals, including cats and dogs. If it was not possible to eat the prey at one time, the lynx will hide it in the snow or in the ground.

Interesting fact! For some reason, lynxes cannot stand foxes and try to kill them at the first opportunity. However, this predator does not eat fox meat. This is similar to the unmotivated aggression of dogs towards cats. No one knows what this is connected with.

As mentioned above, lynxes prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle, but during the breeding season they begin to look for sexual partners. In March, these predators begin to make characteristic loud sounds, while they purr and meow like cats. During this period, the female can be accompanied by several males at once, who never cease to sort things out among themselves. When a mating couple is formed, the animals perform a greeting ritual, and when the couple finds a common language, they begin to lick each other’s fur.

Interesting information! The female carries the future offspring for 65-70 days. From 2 to 5 blind and deaf kittens are born, so the female is constantly with them in her den, which can be located in the roots of fallen trees, in deep holes or caves formed by faults in the earth. Any suitable place is suitable for forming a den, including low-lying tree hollows or rock crevices.

Newborn cubs weigh no more than 300 grams. Only on the twelfth day do kittens’ eyes open. For a month, the female feeds her offspring exclusively with milk, and then gradually introduces meat into the menu. Both parents take part in raising their offspring, and they not only protect the kittens, but also teach them to get food for themselves, and also teach them to skillfully hide from their enemies. Females become sexually mature at about two years, and males a little later.

On the territory of the Balkan Peninsula there are no more than a few dozen individuals, and in Germany, Switzerland and France at one time lynxes were completely exterminated, which required their repopulation.

The largest numbers of this predator are observed in the Carpathians and Poland. No less numerous populations are also characteristic of Belarus, Scandinavia, Central Asia, Latvia and Estonia. This representative of the cat family is also found in Siberia.

The common lynx is not of particular importance for commercial production, although the fur of this animal is highly valued. This is due to the fact that the lynx has thick, silky and long (up to 7 cm) fur, with a rather thick and warm undercoat. It should be noted that lynxes play a very important role in maintaining the balance of nature.

It is believed that the taste characteristics of lynx meat are quite high, since its taste characteristics are similar to veal. Despite this, in most countries lynx meat is not eaten, although it is quite tasty and tender.

Interesting to know! In ancient times in Rus', rich nobles were treated to lynx meat, and dishes prepared from the meat of this animal were always present on the tables of boyars and princes as an expensive delicacy.

A characteristic feature of European territory is the fact that even in the last century the number of lynxes did not exceed several hundred individuals.

In the territory of European countries, even in the last century, the number of common lynx decreased significantly and amounted to only a few hundred individuals. This became possible due to the fact that forests began to be actively destroyed, poaching began to flourish, and against this background the food supply was reduced. Nowadays, a lot of measures are being taken that are aimed at preserving the populations of this unique animal, as well as, if possible, increasing its numbers.

Even before the 19th century, this animal inhabited most of our continent, including the plains. The massive destruction of forests, as well as the relentless hunting of these animals, led to the fact that in some countries the lynx disappeared altogether as a species. From 1915 to 1983, not a single individual was recorded in Hungary, as a result of which the predator was included in the list of extinct animals. In Ukraine, the lynx was listed in the Red Book as a “rare species.”

There is a widely known myth that a lynx attacks a person, but in fact the lynx avoids a person, although a wounded animal can be dangerous.

There are several interesting facts, which indicate the uniqueness of this animal.

The lynx got its name because it has fairly acute vision and the ancient Greeks thought that this animal was able to see through objects. A Polish astronomer who managed to discover a new constellation named it after the lynx. At the same time, he argued that there are many small stars in this constellation and only with the help of lynx eyes can they be seen.

Despite its size, this animal can jump 4 meters in length, but it never jumps on its prey from trees, but hunts while in ambush.

In addition to acute vision, the lynx has a fairly sensitive hearing, so it is able to hear a person’s steps several kilometers away. And this is all thanks to the tassels on the ears. It is almost impossible to track such a sensitive animal.

Several females can live in each territory of a male. Over the course of a year, they meet each other several times, sniffing each other and butting heads. This is not counting the breeding season, as lynxes lead an isolated lifestyle.

Images of lynx can be found not only on the flags and coats of arms of some countries and cities, but also on commemorative coins.

Getting to know predatory animals that can be hunted is always interesting for hunters. After all, knowledge of the habits of a predator, its lifestyle, habitats - all this increases the chances that the hunt will be successful. And today we decided to talk about such a predatory wild cat, like a lynx (we previously wrote about). Where it lives, what it eats, what traces it leaves - all this will help hunters...

Lynx appearance

Representatives of this family are animals of medium and large size. All cats have a relatively light build, a flexible elongated body, a rounded small head with a shortened muzzle, large convex eyes, and very well developed sensory vibrissae. Species living in Russia have retractable claws. Thin, strongly compressed laterally and steeply curved. Like dogs, there are five toes on the forelimbs and four toes on the hind limbs. The fur cover is low, thick, giving the animal a proud and slightly important view. When looking at the animal, one immediately notices its high and strong legs with wide paws. Hairline soft and lush. It varies in color from pale gray or dark gray in animals living in the northern regions to reddish-red with dark spots in the southern part of its range.

The lynx's body length is 90-110 cm, its short tail, as if chopped off, does not exceed 25 cm, and its weight is up to 30 kg. Females are almost no different from males in these parameters.

Lynx habitats

The lynx's habitat covers almost the entire forest belt of Russia from the western borders to the Pacific Ocean, including Kamchatka and Sakhalin. It also lives in the mountain forests of the Caucasus. In the European part of the country, the lynx finds optimal conditions in the southern taiga zone. To the north, in deeper snowy areas, lynx are less common; to the south, in more populated areas there are also fewer suitable places for it.

It is generally accepted that lynx are found only in remote, hard-to-reach places, but this is not entirely true. This predator simply avoids being seen by humans, and in this it is helped by its silent gait and exceptionally acute hearing. This cat gets along well where indigenous forests have been cut down and replaced with young plantings. Islands of old forest areas, interspersed with overgrown clearings, old edges and wetlands, turn out to be more suitable grounds for lynx than continuous taiga forests.

What does a lynx eat?

The lynx feeds on various small and medium-sized animals. It preys on mouse-like rodents, grouse and other ground-nesting birds, hares, small ungulates, and larger animals. In most of the Russian range, its main food item is the white hare, the number of which often determines the well-being of this predator. In the forests of the Caucasus, the main part of the lynx's diet is roe deer; in Altai and Eastern Siberia, in addition to it, there is also musk deer.

Features of lynx behavior

The lynx leads a crepuscular lifestyle. During the day, she usually has two periods of activity: in the evening or at the beginning of the night and, after a long rest, in the early morning hours. Males and barren females hunt alone. Females with growing offspring forage for food together with the young. Single individuals, as well as females with broods, adhere to a certain area of ​​land, the area of ​​which, depending on the availability of food, can be from 10 to 60 square meters. km. The daily search path of a lynx is on average 7-8 km, and for a female with a litter it is less than for a single animal.

The lynx rut takes place in February and lasts until April. At this time, in the habitats of the predator at night, you can hear the calling voice of the female - a rough, low-pitched meow. A female in heat is followed by several males, between whom fierce fights can occur. After 70 days of pregnancy, the female gives birth to 2-3 kittens. Newborns, weighing 25-300 g, are blind, covered with light brown hair with mild spotting on the back and limbs. They begin to see the light on the 10-12th day.

The male does not take part in raising the offspring. The suckling period is 2-3 months, but usually already at the age of one month, kittens begin to eat meat, and two-month-old kittens often leave the den and follow their mother. The brood does not disintegrate for about a year.

Lynx tracks

Lynx is an excellent hunter

The presence of a lynx is revealed by its tracks. During the snowless period, this light-moving animal, avoiding swampy and damp places unnecessarily, leaves few traces. And yet, on a forest road soaked after rain, it is sometimes possible to encounter clear four-legged animals (the paw prints of a predator). The print of the front paw of an adult lynx is not difficult to detect. They are not as clear as in summer, but are almost half the size. By winter, the soles of the animal's paws are overgrown with coarse hair, which increases the size of the print and hides the pads of the fingers and feet.

Winter is a difficult period for lynx. Despite the high legs and thick furring of the paws, which increases the supporting area, deep loose snow greatly complicates the movement of the predator. If a lynx sinks 25 cm or more into loose snow while moving, it no longer raises its paws above the surface of the snow, leaving deep furrows. When walking in deep snow, the lynx gets tired quickly and often uses hare paths, forest roads, left by hunters on the ski track.

How does a lynx hunt?

When hunting, the lynx uses its hearing more than its sight and sense of smell. When tracking a hunting lynx, it is noticeable that the predator often climbs onto some high objects and sits on them for a long time, as if “listening” to the area. From the tracks, it can be noticeable that during the search move the animal suddenly takes a small step, temporarily freezes in place, crouching, as if pressed into the snow, and moves forward crawling, furrowing the snow with its chest. After several tens of meters, such a trail of a predator invariably leads to fattening of hares. This means that, having heard the feeding hare from a distance, the lynx tried to quietly approach it. It is known that she can hear a hare gnawing on a twig from a hundred meters away. If the predator managed to get within 10-12 steps of the hare unnoticed, she tries to catch him with a sudden throw, but if unsuccessful, she does not pursue him for long. Having covered two to three dozen meters in jumps, the lynx gives up the chase, and after resting, usually lying down, prefers to look for a new victim.

Tracking a lynx shows that it does not manage to catch every animal it discovers. Zoologists have calculated that

out of 65 attempts by a lynx to catch a hare, only 23 are successful, and in 45 throws at different birds, the lynx catches only 11. At the same time, the victims are primarily weakened and short-lived individuals, which can serve as confirmation of the selectivity of the predator’s hunt.

An adult lynx eats a white hare weighing 2-3 kg in two doses, devouring only the skin, stomach contents and paws. She does the same with the remains of the roe deer. It happened that a lynx folded the skin of a roe deer so carefully that in hunting grounds these remains were mistaken for the activities of poachers.

Like other representatives of the cat family, the lynx scratches tree trunks. This habit of “sharpening its claws” has a signaling value and indicates that an individual is occupied with a given area. Lynxes leave similar marks near the feeding places of hunted animals and simply periodically along their hunting route.

Lynx belongs to the cat family. It is the cat's closest relative, though appearance the lynx is very different.

The lynx genus has four species:

• Common lynx or Eurasian lynx;
• Red Lynx;
• Iberian lynx or Spanish lynx;
• Canadian lynx.

The lynx is a relatively small representative of its family. The body length of an adult male is 76-130 cm, females are several centimeters shorter, about 73-124 cm. The weight of a lynx is 18-25 kg, sometimes very large specimens with a weight of 30 kg. The body is short and tightly knit. A small, rounded head with elongated ears and characteristic tassels at the end. The lynx's muzzle is short with wide eyes, and on its cheeks there is elongated hair similar to whiskers. At the end of the body is a short tail with a blunt end, 20-35 cm long. The lynx's fur is very thick and soft, and has a dense undercoat. The fur is longest on the belly, but not very thick. Lynxes shed twice a year in spring and autumn. The fur that changes in the fall is fluffier and thicker. The summer pile is short, dense and not as thick with a more contrasting color than the winter one.

The color of lynxes is quite different, it all depends on their habitat and the species to which they belong. Most often, lynxes are found with a reddish-grayish or grayish-brown tint with pronounced large dark spots on the back and sides. Smaller spots cover the animal's legs and chest.

The hind legs of a lynx differ in structure from the legs of other cats; they are longer than the front ones. The lynx has 4 toes on its hind paws, and 5 on its front paws. In winter, the soles of its paws are covered with especially thick fur, which allows the lynx to easily move through the snow and not fall into snowdrifts. When a lynx walks, its hind paws follow the tracks of its front paws. Lynx tracks resemble those of a cat with large paws.

Where does the lynx live?

Lynxes live in the forests of Eurasia and North America. Sometimes this animal is found even beyond the Arctic Circle.

The lynx once inhabited almost the entire territory of Western and Central Europe. But due to the popularity of lynx fur on the world market and deforestation, already in the middle of the 20th century the lynx was exterminated in many European countries.

Now the lynx lives in the following countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Albania, Greece, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia. It has been reintroduced to some of these countries.

On the American continent, the lynx spread from southern Canada to Mexico. The largest population lives in the southeastern United States.

Lynx settled in Kamchatka relatively recently, around the beginning of the 20th century.

The favorite habitats of Eurasian lynxes are taiga, mountain, coniferous and funny forests. Although lynxes are sometimes found in the forest-tundra and other areas with low-growing vegetation, such as bushes or reeds. Most often, it chooses dense forests or thickets of young animals for living, where it is easy to make its den.

What does a lynx eat and its way of life?

The lynx is a predator, and like all predators, its diet consists of meat. The usual prey of the lynx are mouse-like rodents (voles, lemmings), hares, and birds (grouse or hazel grouse). In addition to small rodents and birds, it hunts larger prey: roe deer, sika and reindeer, musk deer, serenas. If possible, you won’t mind feasting on young elk, wild boars and red deer. Sometimes the lynx's catch can even be fish. In places where the lynx lives near humans, it often preys on domestic animals and livestock.

The lynx goes hunting mainly from 3 to 6 in the morning under the cover of darkness. The only exception is the Canadian lynx, which hunts during the day. She carefully tracks her prey, sneaks up and suddenly attacks on the sly, making several long jumps, each from 2 to 3 meters. If it fails to catch the prey the first time, it chases it for 60-80 meters and then retreats.

There is an opinion that lynx attacks prey by jumping from trees, but this is not so. Sitting on a tree, the animal is just looking for her.

To get enough food, a lynx must eat from 1 to 3 kg of meat per day; a hungry predator can eat 5-6 kg per day. Uneaten large prey or its remains are always hidden by burying it in the snow or covering it with earth. She does this so sloppily that other predators easily find and steal all the supplies. A well-fed lynx does not hunt; it prefers not to waste energy.

Wolverine and fox often follow on the heels of the lynx to feast on the achievements of its successful hunt. Wolverine often takes prey and drives away the lynx. With a fox, the opposite is true: if a lynx sees it on its territory, it will certainly kill it, but will not eat it. This aggressiveness towards foxes is due to food competition.

As a rule, the lynx leads a sedentary lifestyle and only in case of a shortage of food resources does it migrate to places with sufficient food.

The animal's domain ranges from 70 to 250 sq. km. To get around its territory, a lynx needs from 5 to 10 days.

Reproduction

The mating season for lynxes begins in February and lasts until the end of March. At this time, the female is accompanied by several males, constantly fighting among themselves. At the same time, they make different sounds all the time, growl, meow deeply, and scream. Such battles can be heard over very long distances.

Pregnancy in females lasts for 1.5-2 months. To produce offspring, lynxes set up a den and look for it 4-5 hours before giving birth. More often, tree hollows at a height of 14-15 meters or splits in rocks serve as such lairs. In April or May, lynx cubs are born. A litter often produces 2-3 babies, rarely 4-5. Newborn kittens are blind and helpless, weighing about 300 grams. Babies open their eyes only at 12-14 days of life.

The female raises her offspring herself without the participation of the father. For the first month, the mother feeds the cubs with milk, and at two months of age she begins to feed them with prey. To teach her offspring to hunt, the female brings them live mice and hares. At three months of age, lynx cubs leave their den and begin to follow their mother. The female teaches kittens to hunt only after reaching the age of five months.

Lynx kittens begin independent life at the age of 1 year, when the mother drives them away to acquire new offspring. Female lynxes become sexually mature at the age of 1.5 years, and males at 2.5 years.

Lynxes live in the wild for 15-20 years; in captivity, their life expectancy can be more than 25 years.