Canada Lynx
Lynx canadensis

Lynx are well suited to living in snow: large furry feet serve as snowshoes, long legs help them stay above snow drifts, and extra-thick fur keeps them warm and silent.

What They Eat
They mostly hunt snowshoe hares but will also eat birds ad small mammals.

Where They Live
In the northern forests, where their adaptations to snow serve them well.

What They Do
Like other cats, they usually rest during the say, often under cover such as a fallen log or rock ledge.

How They’re Doing
Minnesota used to have the most lynx in the Great Lakes. Numbers dropped to near zero in the 1980s. Only recently have we seen signs of recovery.

Canada Lynx

Canada lynx are not fast runners. They hunt by stalking and pouncing on their prey. For every one prey caught, 10 may escape.

Like other members of the cat family, lynx have sharp, retractable claws (they can pull them in). They use their claws for capturing prey, fighting, and climbing trees to escape large predators like wolves.

Lynx communicate using sounds. They have a wide range of vocalizations from very high pitched to a very low growl.

Things you can do

Good forest management is important for the survival of Canada lynx. Shop for forest products that have been harvested responsibly. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. Look for products with the FSC logo, which guarantees that the wood comes from a certified, well-managed forest. http://www.fscus.org

Make sure the paper products you buy that cannot be recycled after use (toilet paper, tissues, paper towels) contain a high percentage of recycled content.

Sponsor a Canada lynx at the Minnesota Zoo!

 

 

Canada Lynx

Minnesota used to have the most lynx in the Great Lakes. Numbers dropped to near zero in the 1980s. Only recently have we seen signs of recovery. Lynx follow snowshoe hares, and it is possible that as the climate warms they will move farther North, and eventually out of the state altogether.

Things the Zoo's Done/Doing

Canada lynx are typically nocturnal, solitary, and wary of people, so it is difficult to study them in the wild. Researchers from the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth, have been using innovative methods to track and study lynx in the Great Lakes region of Minnesota. Specifically, they have been investigating lynx distribution, habitat use, abundance, and persistence. To better understand these issues, numerous lynx have been outfitted with radio telemetry and GPS collars to allow researchers to obtain important information about their behavior and activities.

Funding from the Minnesota Zoo’s Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program has allowed the purchase of additional GPS collars. Minnesota Trail supervisor, Tom Ness, who has also participated in the study, championed this project.

 

Canada Lynx

The Canada lynx is the only lynx species native to the United States. Shy and elusive, they have several distinguishing features: a short tail, long legs, furry snowshoe-like paws, prominent ear tufts, and a pronounced ruff around the face and chin. Their coats are grayish-tan in color with scattered spots along the back and sides, graduating to a creamy white color on the undersides.

Range and Habitat
The Canada lynx can be found throughout the heavy dense forests of the northernmost regions of North America, including Alaska, Canada, northern Minnesota, Maine, and in mountainous areas of the northwestern United States. The size of their home range (from 5-100 square miles) varies according to the availability of prey.

Adaptations and behavior
Lynx normally travel 1-5 miles a day in search of prey. Their broad, furry feet act as snowshoes and enable them to move well over snow. They prefer to hunt at night, using their exceptional hearing and well-developed sight to locate their prey. Basically nocturnal, these wild cats may be seen hunting during the day if very hungry, otherwise they prefer to sleep or rest in an open area that offers them a good view of their surroundings. Secretive by nature, lynx leave very few signs of their presence and may inhabit an area for a long time before humans notice. These cats are solitary by nature, except in family groups when a mother is raising her young.

Diet
Canada lynx population numbers are closely tied to the cycle of their favorite prey, snowshoe hares. Although their diets consist primarily of snowshoe hares (90%), they will also eat the fresh meat of grouse, squirrels, red fox, and small rodents. Lynx migrate when prey is no longer abundant. Rare in Minnesota, sightings are most likely to occur when their main prey populations crash in Canada.

Reproduction
Lynx breed in January, February or March. After 62 days, females give birth to a single litter of 1-4 kittens in a den located in a hollow tree or log. When snowshoe hares are abundant (roughly every 10 years), the cats may produce larger litters. Likewise, when hare populations crash, litters are likely to be smaller in size. The kittens' eyes are closed when born and open within 9-10 days. Their coats are browner in color than the adults, with streaks or blotches that disappear at about 9 months of age. Kittens reach maturity at 1 year.

Lynx or Bobcat?

Although closely related and similar in looks, the lynx (L. canadensis) and the bobcat (L. rufus) are two different species. Here are some easy ways to tell them apart:

Size and fur
Canada lynx are larger in overall size than bobcats. They have longer ear tufts and less prominent spotting on their fur.

Feet
The “snowshoe” feet of the lynx are much larger than those of the bobcat. They tend to be found farther north where they can take advantage of deep snow.

Tail
On the lynx, the tip of the tail is all black. On the bobcat, the tail has black stripes ending in a black tip.

Behavior
Both lynx and bobcats are nocturnal. If you’re ever lucky enough to spot one of these cats in the wild, it is probably a lynx. Lynx are more likely to remain in an area long enough to give you a quick view, whereas bobcats tend to be more secretive.