Canada lynx
(Lynx canadensis)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N4? - Apparently Secure S3 - Vulnerable |
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| Federal | Threatened |
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| Minnesota | Special Concern Species in Greatest Conservation Need |
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Description |
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Canada lynx is one of three wild cats found in Minnesota. It occurs throughout Canada and Alaska, where it is considered common. In the United States it is resident in Maine, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington, and it was successfully reintroduced into Colorado. In Minnesota it is a rare resident in the Arrowhead region, a rare visitor in the north-central region, and absent in the remainder of the state (IUCN). It may venture much farther south when populations of snowshoe hares drop in the north. Canada lynx is a medium-sized wild cat. Adults are 29″ to 42″ long not including the tail. It is about two times as large as a house cat and looks similar to the closely-related bobcat. The fur (pelage) is highly variable in color. It is usually yellowish-brown above but may be grayish-brown, grayish-buff, or silvery-gray with an icy sheen (“blue”). In each case the color is uniform above with little to no dark markings. The underparts are white and may have a few dark spots. The tail is stubby, 2″ to 5″ long, and has a completely black tip. The ears each have a tuft of erect black hairs about 1⅝″ long. In the winter the hair on each side of the face lengthens, giving a ruffled look. The feet are very large, optimized for walking on soft snow. |
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Size |
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Total length: 29″ to 42″ Tail: 2″ to 5″ |
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Sign |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Forests, swamps |
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Ecology |
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Behavior |
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Lifespan |
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10 to 14.5 years in the wild |
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Life Cycle |
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Food |
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Mostly snowshoe hares, but also rodents and birds. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| Normal range, resident and visitor | ||||
| Years of low supply of snowshoe hares in the north: 1962-63 and 1972-73 | ||||
| 4/8/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Common in Canada. Uncommon in northern United States. Rare in Minnesota. |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Mammalia (mammals) | ||
| Subclass | Theria | ||
| Infraclass | Eutheria (placental mammals) | ||
| Magnorder | Boreoeutheria | ||
| Superorder | Laurasiatheria (ungulates, carnivorans, and allies) | ||
| Order | Carnivora (carnivorans) | ||
| Suborder | Feliformia (cat-like carnivores) | ||
Family |
Felidae (cat) | ||
Subfamily |
Felinae (small cats) | ||
Genus |
Lynx (bobcats, lynxes) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Unitl recently, three subspecies of Lynx canadensis were recognized. In 2017, following a revision of the family Felidae, the subspecies were rejected due to the similarity of morphological characteristics. |
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Synonyms |
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Felis lynx Lynx lynx |
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Common Names |
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Canada lynx Canadian lynx lynx |
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Glossary
Pelage
The coat of a mammal, consisting of fur, wool, or hair, and including a soft undercoat and stiff guard hairs.
Visitor Photos |
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Ramona Abrego |
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Captive cat |
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Captive – Wildlife Science Center |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this mammal. |
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Other Videos |
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| Epic Hunting Chase of the Canadian Lynx and Snowshoe Hare in HD The Animal Experts |
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About
Jul 15, 2015 One of nature's greatest moments comes to life between 2 animals living in a snow covered terrain, it’s the Epic life or death chase of the Canadian Lynx and the Snowshoe Hare. Epic does not get better than this. Enjoy. Music in this video Learn more Listen ad-free with YouTube Premium Song: The Last of Humanity-8228 Artist: Per Kiilstofte Album: Content ID Licensed to YouTube by AdRev for Rights Holder; AdRev Publishing, and 3 Music Rights Societies |
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| Canada Lynx Family on the Hunt... ThomasJSpence images |
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About
Feb 25, 2018 This family of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) hunts well together. While the kittens are in the roadside woods stalking snowshoe hare, the mother waits in the road for them to flush the hare into the roadway. Though I missed the actual flush and grab, I was able to catch the before and after. The actual kill happened in about 3 seconds and I had lowered the camera for a few seconds to watch, so I missed it :). It's unbelievable how fast they are. The mother then makes sure the hare is dead, then tears it into a few pieces so everyone can have a chunk to dine on. The whole hunt, kill and eat lasted about an hour and a half. They were not too concerned with my presence. At one point, three of the cats walked RIGHT by me as I took photos. After they ate, they lounged in the road for 15 minutes, licking paws, laying down, then they resumed the hunt for more hare. I have read that they will eat about one snowshoe hare per day, so they still had a lot of hunting to do to feed the group. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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| Ramona Abrego | Location: Wildlife Science Center Captive |
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| Ramona Abrego 2/14/2015 |
Location: Wildlife Science Center Captive cat |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 6/29/2020
Last Updated: