Lynx – Meet the Felidae Family

Image from Nevit

There are four members of the lynx genus, although there has been disagreements about how to classify them & some put them in the felis genus. For the purpose of our introductions, we’ve separated them to keep confusion to a minimum.

These are medium sized cats who have characteristic short tails, tufts of black hair on their ears & big padded paws.

The animals in this genus are found in a wide variety of habitats, & their differing physical characteristics reflect their natural surroundings.

Bobcats can be found throughout North America & live in a variety of habitats from forests to semi-desert areas. like most of their cousins, they are solitary and nocturnal, only interacting during breeding season.

Their status varies depending upon the state, one of the subspecies (the Mexican bobcat) is listed as endangered.

The Canadian Lynx can be found throughout Canada & in parts of Montana, Idaho, Washington, New England, Utah, Wyoming & Colorado. This animal is solitary & territorial favoring mature forests with dense undergrowth for hunting.

The Lynx is listed as threatened overall and endangered in the state of Michigan.

The Eurasian Lynx is native throughout Europe & Siberia and are found in forested areas far from dense human populations. They are a shy and elusive animal that is active during the day & lives a solitary life.

These animals flourished until the mid 20th century when they were hunted almost to extinction. Experts have been moderately successful at reintroducing them into forested areas in Switzerland, Germany & Austria.

The native habitat of the Iberian Lynx is solely the Iberian peninsula. Similar to the Eurasian Lynx, only a bit smaller this cat is similarly solitary but primarily nocturnal.

This lynx is one of the most endangered cat species on the planet & are on the brink of extinction. Their numbers are in the double digits.

Meet The Rest of the Family

We’ve already shown you quite a few members of the family, and there are even more to come. Until then, go meet some more.

Felis | Lions | Tigers | Prionailurus