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Boreal Lynx |
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He is a wild animal |
Origin |
Eurasian | |
Translation |
Francis Vandersteen |
| The possession of this animal is not authorized Royal Decree establishing the list of mammals not kept for production purposes that may be kept (M.B. 24.08.2009) |
| The Boreal Lynx, also known as the Eurasian Lynx, the Common Lynx, the Hawkeye Wolf and, improperly, the European Lynx, is a species of cat in the Lynx genus. It's inappropriate to call it European Lynx because its distribution is in fact largely Eurasian, reaching as far as the North Pacific coast. Easily recognized by its long legs, short tail and pointed ears, the Northern Lynx appears in a wide variety of coats and sizes. The face of the Northern Lynx is adorned with a collar of long hair around the neck. Like all lynxes, its triangular ears are topped by a tuft of black hair, up to 4.5 cm long; the underside is marked by a white patch. Vertical stripes cross the forehead, and a black mark runs from the outer corner of the eye to the cheeks. It has only 28 teeth instead of the usual 30 for felines; however, the Northern Lynx has the characteristic of being able to have a supernumerary tooth. The short tail ends in a black muff. The legs are long and the paws voluminous compared to the rest of the body. This is an adaptation to getting around in the snow: the long legs make it easier to get out of the way in a thick blanket of snow. Because of its wide feet, the Lynx Boreal exerts three times less pressure on the ground than the Wild Cat. As a result, the Lynx Boreal sinks less into the snow, as if wearing snowshoes6 , and walks silently5. Front paw prints are 5 to 7.5 cm wide and long, and hind paw prints are 4.5 to 6 cm long and 5 cm wide. Fur color is the most variable of the Lynx genus. It varies from creamy white to dark brown, with more or less black spots on the body, which may be solid or in rosettes. The Lynx boreal has a particularly dense coat, especially on the back, where the concentration of hairs reaches 9,000 hairs/cm2, compared with 4,600 on the belly. Hairiness is composed of twelve to thirteen bristles for every one bristle. The Northern Lynx is twice as big as the other three lynx species. It weighs from 9 to 35 kg, the largest subspecies being the Siberian Lynx; the average is 25 kg for males and 21 kg for females. It measures 65 to 75 cm at the shoulder, and 77 to 135 cm in length. Sexual dimorphism is significant: males are on average a quarter larger than females. The main subspecies are : The European Lynx, also known as Eurasian Lynx or Eurasian Lynx. This subspecies includes populations in the Baltic States, Russia and Scandinavia The Carpathian Lynx, found in the Carpathian Mountains. Its populations also include Western Europe (France and Switzerland in particular), as the reintroduced specimens came from the Balkans The Balkan Lynx, living in the south-western Balkans The Caucasian Lynx, whose range, now much reduced, included Asia Minor The Tibetan Lynx, found in Central Asia The Altai Lynx The Baikal Lynx, living in central Siberia, with a population in eastern Siberia The Amur Lynx, found in the region of the Amur The Boreal Lynx "hunts by getting as close as possible to its prey so as to capture it by surprise". It is the only lynx to preferentially attack small ungulates such as roe deer and chamois. The Lynx boreal attacks little or none of the Capercaillie. Like the Red Lynx in North America, it could be a potential predator of the Raccoon and, if so, regulate the latter's recently reintroduced populations in Europe where, in the absence of several of its natural predators (including the Gray Wolf), it is causing increasing damage to corn crops and local wildlife. The Boreal Lynx is not a scavenger and refuses any food that is too far advanced in decomposition. The Boreal Lynx may prey on livestock, but predation pressure on domestic animals varies greatly from region to region. Cases of specialization in sheep hunting have been reported. When reintroduced, statistics show a sharp increase in attacks on livestock, followed by a period of stabilization. However, the lynx's impact on livestock is considered minor compared with that of the Grey Wolf and Brown Bear. The use of patou dogs to scare away lynx and protect livestock has proved effective. The Northern Lynx does not attack humans, even when they approach its cubs. |
English (United Kingdom)