Exploring the Fascinating World of Lynx Cats: Evolution, Characteristics, and Conservation

There are 40 cat species — not even taking into consideration the various breeds of domesticated cats, which is over 70,— naturally distributed across every continent except Antarctica and Australia. The wide distribution and wide evolutionary variances between these species have made reasonable taxonomy difficult for researchers. A 2006 investigation into cat fossils suggests an explanation: cats expanded from Asia into the Americas by crossing the Bering Land Bridge.

But while the human migration happened only 20,000 years ago and appears to be mostly unidirectional, cats appear to have migrated back and forth as many as 10 times beginning nine million years ago. As successful and highly mobile carnivores, cats would have often been at the mercy of prey migration patterns and shifting populations. Factor in felines’ generally high rates of reproduction and lack of natural predators, and you’re left with a species that’s driven to expand and capable of quickly adapting to a new environment. With this DNA evidence in hand, scientists are piecing together the history of these various lineages, and some fascinating stories are developing. For example, Cheetahs, a highly specialized predator seemingly built exclusively for the Sahara Desert, appear to have speciated in North America before somehow making the long migration back to Africa three million years ago.

With four species split across both sides of the Bering Strait, lynx cats have one of the more interesting stories. Age has a part to play in that. The progenitor of all modern lynxes — the species Lynx issiodorensis — didn’t develop until four million years ago in North America. Since they propagated across both sides of the Bering Strait before Beringia would disappear for the last time, we can reliably witness how isolation and environmental factors can splinter one specialized arctic carnivore into four distinct species. This is the story of how lynx cats became what they are today.

Characteristics of the Lynx

Few people would describe the lynx as an ordinary cat. While each type of lynx cat species is distinctly adapted to their habitat, the facts show that all of them have kept a few unique characteristics that both distinguish them from other cat species and demonstrate enough flexibility to persist across multiple species in multiple habitats.

One of the more notable features of all lynx cats is their stubby tails. There’s some contention in the research community as to whether these developed as an evolutionary advantage or were merely a genetic defect with neutral survival potential. It’s generally recognized that lynxes have managed to survive without a tail because they spend most of their time on the ground and typically only jump in trees to perch.

Since the cat’s long and highly articulated tail is often used for balance, lynxes lose little by not having it. It’s also speculated that lynx cats with shorter tails were naturally selected because long, moving tails can resemble the gestures of snakes and could potentially alert prey.

All types of lynx cats have unique physiological characteristics that make them well-adapted to being ground hunters, particularly for hunting in the snow. The uncharacteristically long legs of the various lynx species allow them to quickly close the distance between prey — a trait perhaps necessitated by a bobcat’s lack of vertical advantage when hunting.

Although they don’t regularly prowl treetop canopies, they do perch — either as a way of searching for prey or evading predators. But those dancers’ legs are most valuable for bounding through snow and ice, and they give the lynx an edge when chasing lightweight prey like hares and mice that can more capably flee.

Most types of lynx cats still have a special tool for navigating snow in their DNA: wide, round feet that are covered in fine fur that disperse this predator’s weight more evenly and function like snowshoes. The thickness of a lynx’s fur — as well as its size, colors, and lifespan — can tell us a lot about the animal’s habitat, but the scientific community still isn’t entirely sure what purpose the black tufts on the top of every lynx’s ears serve. The prevailing theory is that they complement the notably long facial whiskers of Lynx species and allow them a more sophisticated sense of what’s happening above them.

Canada Lynx

The Canada lynx is a case study both in how animals can evolve to fit very specific environmental niches and the direct effect that prey population fluctuations can have on their health. The diet of the Canadian lynx typically consists of 75% snowshoe hare, and researchers have noticed that lynx and hare populations in Canada are in incredibly tight sync with one another. They’ve even been able to identify recurring and linked population cycles that repeat every decade.

Litter sizes can range from one to two but have been shown to adjust for periods of feast or famine. But the ultimate arbiter for survival is the winter. Adult Canada lynxes are inclined to survive even a harsh winter while cub mortality rates will stay proportionate to prey availability. The presence of a healthy adult population allows lynxes to quickly scale up when hares begin to repopulate.

Canada lynxes and snowshoe hares have seemingly evolved together. The Canada lynx has maintained and expanded on the features its ancestors developed to survive in the Arctic, while the snowshoe hare can list the ability to shift colors to its defensive mechanisms. Every winter, these meek herbivores shift from brown to white. Unfortunately, climate shifts in habitats are affecting these seasonal pigment changes. This makes the snowshoe hare more vulnerable to predators, but it also forces the lynx to increasingly compete with other predators — like wolves, wolverines, and coyotes. The Canada lynx has developed exceptional instincts for detecting white hares in the snow. Without that advantage, the larger and more organized predators would outperform them.

Iberian Lynx

Scientists aren’t quite sure what caused Iberian lynx populations to become concentrated in Spain and Portugal, but their habitats once extended into France. The Iberian lynx is among the smaller species on the list of lynx cats. Their colors and some features have adjusted to better suit their more moderate climates, but they hunt similarly to the Canada lynx. They also primarily subsist on rabbits.

The introduction of a disease known as myxomatosis — which was released by a scientist attempting to control garden pests, decimated the rabbit population in traditional Iberian lynx habitats. Habitat loss and climate change weigh heavily on the odds for the Iberian lynx, too.

An Iberian lynx typically gives birth to three cubs. The morbidity rate is approximately 33% before the end of the third year. Despite the odds, dedicated and targeted conservation efforts have seen promising results. Since hitting a low global population of roughly one hundred animals, the population has now rebounded to over one thousand.

Eurasian Lynx

The Eurasian lynx is the largest of the lynx species, This has allowed the Eurasian lynx to have a range that extends through all of Europe, Central Asia, and East Asia. Poaching and organized government efforts to kill these predators, affect local population size which varies widely throughout their range. Resilient survivors, Eurasian lynx feed on small ungulates like deer. They also rely on smaller prey like rats and rabbits when times are lean.

Eurasian lynxes also have some of the longest lifespans of the Lynx species, living for up to 17 years in the wild. A lack of natural predators when and a wider range of food options feature in the Eurasian lynx’s resilience. But they’re also remarkably successful at hiding in their environment. Territories tend to be strict and exclusive, and these solitary predators are effective at finding a well-concealed den and staying out of sight while on patrol. Activist efforts have brought the Eurasian lynx back throughout much of Europe.

Bobcat

The bobcat is the smallest type of lynx cat breed, with a height that rarely reaches two feet. They’re also the breed that’s most moved away from their origins as an arctic hunting cat. The descendants of the bobcat arrived in North America in a migration that preceded the arrival of the Canada lynx. When they found themselves isolated by climate conditions, they grew to adapt to more temperate climes. This allowed them to spread throughout huge swaths of the United States and Mexico, but they rarely extended their hunting range into snowy regions. The bobcat’s body has adapted away from paws designed for deep snow and coats built for the excruciating cold. Understandably, bobcats rarely venture into the territory of Canada lynxes, but there are accounts of hybrid breeds. They sometimes also mate with domesticated cat breeds.

The smallest cat on a shortlist of lynx species, it’s surprising to see how opportunistic the bobcat can be as a predator. They’re known to feed on small prey like squirrels and rats, larger prey like chickens and ducks, and even the occasional ungulate like deer. They’re also not above scavenging another animal’s meal. Bobcats cannot choose to be picky because of their extraordinary appetite. They might go days without eating, but will then binge. Larger prey is often hidden away to be consumed over time.

Summary

Here is a list of Lynxes around the world: