Eurasian Lynx

Lynx lynx

### Regions

France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, North Macedonia, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia

## Habitat

### Water Area

615 m² +165 m²/ea. add'l
0 m²

### Temperature

0 m²
‒13‒38 ℃

## Social

### Fem. Bachelor

1‒2 (up to 1 male, up to 1 female)
1
1‒3

### Sterility

3 years
15 years

### Interbirth

2 months
24 months

## Taxonomy

### Order

Mammalia
Carnivora

### Genus

Felidae
Lynx

The **Eurasian Lynx** (*Lynx lynx*) is a mid-sized Eurasian feline featured in the *Planet Zoo* Europe Pack.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Populaion in the Wild:** 70,000- 80,000

The Eurasian lynx (or *Lynx lynx*) is a medium-sized cat that is found in temperate and boreal forests and mountains of Europe and Asia. It has a broad, stocky build with large feet, and is known for its short tail and distinctive ear tufts. Its coat colour ranges from cream to tan, with black spots all over the body. Both the tail tip and ear tufts are black too. Males and females look alike, although males are slightly larger and significantly heavier. Male Eurasian lynxes weigh 20kg up to 45kg, with a head-body length of 98cm to 109cm and shoulder height of 60cm to 75cm. Females lynxes only weigh 18kg to 25kg, measure 94cm to 106cm in head-body length, and stand 54cm to 68cm tall at the shoulder. The stubby tail is 11cm to 24cm long in both sexes.

The Eurasian lynx population has been threatened in the past due to overhunting for their fur. Hunting this species is now illegal in all countries except Russia, and in the 1960s and 70s, the Eurasian lynx was reintroduced to areas of its historical range in Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland. Today, the species is not endangered.

### Social

In the wild, lynx are solitary animals and live alone except for mothers with their cubs. However, male and female lynx are known to form strong bonds in captivity.

### Reproduction

The mating season of the Eurasian lynx is in late winter when lynx will call and scent mark far more than at any other time of the year. If a male locates a female, he will follow her for 3 to 5 days. During this period, they will sniff and rub against each other, play, hunt, and sleep together. The female is fertile for 1 to 10 days, once she is no longer receptive the male will leave and attempt to find another female. If two males locate the same female, they may fight over her

Pregnancies last between 67 to 74 days, after which the female will give birth to a litter of 1 to 4 cubs. In preparation for the birth, she will set up a den in a cave, hollow log, or dense roots and undergrowth. After birth cubs are helpless and entirely depend on their mother for food and warmth. They will begin to walk, eat solid food and explore outside their den after 3 to 4 weeks. Cubs are weaned between 3 to 5 months of age but will remain with their mother until she is fertile again, which can take between 1 to 3 years- as long as they have cubs with them, females will not get pregnant.

After leaving their mother, lynx cubs remain together for several months. Female Eurasian lynxes reach sexual maturity between 21 and 27 months, males around a year later at 30 to 36 months old.

## Animal Care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Rotation Line Feeder · Frozen Blood Pumpkin · Piñata Pronghorn · Piñata Zebra
Climbing Frame · Cardboard Box · Gift Box · Rubbing Pad · Scots Pine/Tamarind Scratching Tree · Scratching Post · Prey-Scented Sack · Blood Scent Marker · Rubbing Pad Bark · Block of Ice

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* The Eurasian lynx is the largest of the four species of lynx and has the one the widest ranges of all wild cats.
* During the winter, the Eurasian lynx grows thick fur on its feet so it can move unimpeded through the snow.
* The Eurasian lynx is an extremely quiet animal except during the mating season when they will vocalize a lot in order to locate and attract mates.
* The Eurasian lynx is Romania's national animal.
* Due to the wide distribution of the Eurasian lynx, there are multiple described subspecies, although definitive subspecies placement can often prove difficult due to overlapping ranges and similar appearances.