Lynx

Lynx, common name for four members of a genus of wild carnivores characterized by disproportionately long legs and large, heavy paws. Lynx are found throughout the temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are stout-bodied animals, 65 to 130 cm (26 to 51 in) in length, with thick, soft fur and short, stubby tails. Most species have a tuft of hair, more than 2 cm (0.78 in) long, at the tip of each ear. Lynx are agile climbers, spending some of their time in good weather on the limbs of trees, waiting for the weaker mammals and terrestrial birds that constitute their prey to pass beneath them. It is also common for lynx to stalk their prey. In inclement weather and when breeding, lynx take shelter in caves or in hollow trees or logs. Two to four kittens make up the average litter. Lynx are valued for their fur.

Generally, four species of lynx are recognized: the Iberian lynx, which is found in Spain; the bobcat, also known as the wildcat, which is widespread throughout the United States except for the midwestern Corn Belt; the Eurasian, or northern, lynx, native to Europe, Russia, and Asia; and the Canada lynx, found in the northern United States and throughout Canada and Alaska. The Canada lynx is the largest species in North America, averaging 90 cm (3 ft) in head-and-body length, with a tail length of 5 to 14 cm (2 to 5.5 in). The back is dark gray streaked with chestnut, and the belly is grayish-white, often with black spots. The species feeds chiefly on snowshoe hares, deer, and other ungulates. The Iberian lynx has been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the Canada lynx as a protected species.

Scientific classification: Lynx belong to the family Felidae. The Iberian lynx is classified as Lynx pardinus, the bobcat as Lynx rufus, the Eurasian lynx as Lynx lynx, and the Canada lynx as Lynx canadensis.