Eurasian Lynx

 One of Europe's largest predators

Common Name: Eurasian lynx; Lynx d'Eurasie (Fr); Lince europeo (Sp)

Scientific Name: Lynx lynx

Habitat: Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests, Boreal Forest

Population: Below 50,000 mature breeding individuals

Background

The Eurasian lynx is one of the widest ranging of all cat species. It was once distributed through Russia, central Asia and Europe. The lynx reached its lowest number between 1930 and 1950 as a consequence of human activities. Whereas the minimum number from different populations (all summed up at their lowest ebb) for the whole of Europe once was approximately 700, today about 7,000 to 8,000 individuals survive. The lynx has a continuous population in Nordic countries and small, scattered populations in central and Western Europe.

The first review of lynx in Europe was produced in 1968 for IUCN and WWF.

Physical Description

The Eurasian lynx is the third largest predator in Europe after the brown bear and the wolf, and the largest of the four lynx species. It is recognized by its short body, long legs and large feet. The ears have a characteristic black tuft at the tip while the paws have sharp retractile claws.

Males are larger than females, and individuals from the species' northern and eastern geographical range are larger than those from southern and western areas.

Size
Adults weigh between 33-62 pounds, and the body length is about 36 inches. Shoulder height is 24 inches.

Color
The color of the pelt varies according to the location of the species, but usually it is grey to reddish, and more or less spotted.

Habitat

Major habitat type
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests, Boreal Forest

Biogeographic realm
Palearctic

Range States
Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq(?), Italy, Kazakhstan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan