Eurasian Lynx Species Guide: Appearance, Diet, Habitat, Behavior, Stats, And Conservation Status

Species Guide: Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)

APPEARANCE

An adult Eurasian Lynx is a little smaller than the average golden retriever dog. Males tend to be slightly larger than females. Lynx are known for the long tufts of hair on their ears, which can grow up to 5 centimeters.¹

Did You Know? It is suggested that the lynx’s ear tufts improve their hearing? Another common theory is that they act like whiskers, helping the lynx sense their environment!

Lynx have a coat that is yellow to reddish-brown with black spots. Each lynx has a different spot pattern, which helps researchers tell them apart. The fur on their chin and belly is creamy white. An adult lynx leaves a round paw print that is about three times larger than a domestic cat’s paw print, measuring 6 to 9 centimeters in diameter.¹

Diet

Lynx are shy and reclusive creatures, carefully avoiding human encounters. Whilst they don’t pose a direct threat to people, there are instances when they may prey on livestock, particularly in scenarios where sheep are allowed to wander unsupervised through woodland environments. They tend not to attack livestock when they are kept in open (non-wooded) environments. Their preferred food is deer³, and when availability is plentiful in their habitat, reports of sheep attacks become quite rare. They also occasionally eat smaller mammals, including hares, grouse, badgers, and wildcats. However, aside from deer, foxes are the most frequently hunted prey.

HABITAT

Lynx are forest-dwelling apex predators. They typically inhabit regions at much lower densities compared to mid-ranking predators such as badgers, foxes, and pine martens. In habitats abundant with prey, it is not uncommon for lynx populations to exceed 3 individuals per 100 km². However, in areas where prey is scarce, these elusive cats may control vast territories, sometimes extending over more than 2,000 km².

Behavior

As solitary ambush predators, lynx display remarkable hunting skills, and a single deer carcass can feed an adult lynx for 3 to 5 days. A single lynx can take down between 50 to 70 deer annually.⁴

If we were to re-introduce lynx into Scotland, roe deer would be their favored target. But, they would also have the opportunity to hunt red deer, sika deer, and fallow deer, particularly in regions where roe deer populations are lacking. Through their stealth and prowess, lynx play a vital role in maintaining the balance of our ecosystems.

The sheer amount of deer in Scotland is an ongoing problem, as excessive grazing is causing ongoing damage to the natural ecosystem. For this reason, the re-introduction of Lynx will help to keep deer populations in check.

Lynxes reach sexual maturity between the ages of 2 and 3, and they typically live no longer than 10 to 12 years in the wild. Female lynxes give birth to litters ranging from 1 to 5 kittens, with an average of 2. The juveniles become independent after about ten months. Juvenile mortality rates can reach 50% during the first year and another 50% in the second year.⁵

STATS

NATURAL PREDATORS

Adult lynxes have few natural predators, but in Europe today, the primary causes of adult mortality are human-related, such as vehicle collisions and illegal hunting.

Conservation Status

It is unknown exactly when the lynx became extinct in the UK. Some naturalists suggest a surviving population existed in Dumfries and Galloway as late as 1760, but this remains uncertain. The lynx’s decline was likely due to deforestation, loss of prey from overexploitation, and direct persecution for their fur.²

Several reintroduction efforts have taken place across the continent, including Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, and France. While early attempts in Germany and Austria faced challenges from hunters and inbreeding, more recent efforts have seen success in Switzerland and Croatia.⁴

Re-introduction is proposed in Scotland, due to the large population of natural prey, with up to one million deer and some of the lowest human population densities in Europe.

The lynx is registered as extinct in the UK, but Least Concern from a global viewpoint.

U.K.
Conservation Status

Global
Conservation Status

References

1. Nowak, R.M. (1999). Walker’s Mammals of the World. Vol. 2. JHU Press. p. 806. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9.
2. Breitenmoser, U.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Lanz, T.; von Arx, M.; Antonevich, A.; Bao, W. & Avgan, B. (2017) [errata version of 2015 assessment]. “Lynx lynx“. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 
3. Molinari-Jobin, A.; Zimmermann, F.; Ryser, A.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Capt, S.; Breitenmoser, U.; Molinari, P.; Haller, H. & Eyholzer, R. (2007). “Variation in diet, prey selectivity and home-range size of Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in Switzerland”. Wildlife Biology. 
4. Breitenmoser, Urs & Breitenmoser, Christine & Okarma, H. & Kaphegyi, Thomas & Kaphygyi, Ursula & Müller, Ulrich. (2000). Action Plan for the Conservation of the Eurasian Lynx in Europe (Lynx lynx).
5. Henriksen, H. B.; Andersen, R.; Hewison, A. J. M.; Gaillard, J. M.; Bronndal, M.; Jonsson, S.; Linnell, J. D. & Odden, J. (2005). “Reproductive biology of captive female Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx“. European Journal of Wildlife Research.