Canada Lynx

Canada lynx primarily feed on snowshoe hares, but may hunt other prey such as ground squirrels, grouse, foxes, and white-tailed deer when hare populations decline.

At the Zoo, lynx are offered a specialized ground carnivore diet and various prey items, including mice, rats, chicks, and rabbits.

This species primarily inhabits Canada and still occupies 95% of its historic range there. While they are also found in Alaska and a few northern states of the US, historically they were present in 24 states. The IUCN currently lists Canada lynx as "Least Concern", but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified specific lynx populations as federally "Threatened" in 14 states: Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Lynx are generally found in boreal forests with cold, snowy winters and a high density of snowshoe hare populations.

Predators include larger carnivores that share the same habitat, like cougars, wolves, and coyotes.

Threats facing Canada lynx include habitat degradation and loss from human activity, including residential and commercial development, human encroachment into previously remote habitats, and human-wildlife conflict involving domestic livestock.

Lynx are medium-sized cats with light brown or gray fur marked with dark spots and a black tail tip. They have a shaggy mane of fur around the cheeks and an extra-long tuft of black fur on the ears, which can grow up to an inch long. The long, dense coat protects them from extreme cold. Canada lynx have large "snowshoe" feet that allow them to move through deep snow easily and quietly, as they are ambush hunters. Like other members of the cat family, lynx have sharp, retractable claws. They use their claws to capture prey, fight, and climb trees to escape large predators. As nocturnal hunters, they have excellent hearing and sight. These cats are often mistaken for their smaller relatives, the bobcat.

The breeding cycles of female Canada lynx are linked to prey density and the possibility of meeting a mate. When prey density is low, there is a lower chance of meeting a mate, which means their ovulation is induced only if they do encounter a male lynx. When prey density is high, there is a greater chance of contact with other lynx and offspring survival. During these times, female lynx ovulation cycles will be spontaneous and regular. Females raise one litter per year. After mating in February and March, females are pregnant for 8 to 10 weeks. Litters range from 1 to 8 kittens, and this number is influenced by hare populations. Newborn lynx kittens weigh about 200 g. They feed mainly on their mother's milk for 5 months, but kittens start eating some meat as early as one month of age. Males do not take care of the young. Kittens live with their mother until they are about 11 months old, and siblings may stay together for a while even after they leave their mother. Females can reproduce at 21 months, and males at 33 months. They make rough nests under rock ledges, fallen trees, or shrubs.

Lynx use a variety of communication methods, including body language, scent marking, and vocalizations. Physical contact occurs during mating and between a mother and her kittens.

Lynx are primarily ground-dwelling animals, but they can also climb trees for protection or to avoid predators. They are active at night (just like the snowshoe hare), but some individuals may venture out during the day. During harsh winters with heavy snowfall and extremely low temperatures, lynx usually take refuge in dense forests. Like most feline species, lynx are solitary animals, except for a female and her cubs. They move through open areas in a line, with one lynx scaring the prey while another lynx in the line kills it. This might be how the mother teaches her young the art of hunting.