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Canada lynx

Lynx canadensis

Description:

The Canada lynx has a dense silvery brown coat, ruffed face and tufted ears. This is a two year old at the NW Trek Park. Still very playful (see video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdB1AJcE... ). These nocturnal hunters are an evolutionary marvel. Built for burst speed, jumping ability , agility, balance and life in freezing weather just to name a few. Traction in sand, mud, ice and snow is a must for it to catch its favorite prey - Snowshoe hare. This cat is generating its power and speed from its back legs - note how big they are compared to its body (especially obvious in pic 2) giving it a downward appearance when it walks or stands.

Habitat:

This is a captive animal in its own exhibit at the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. The Canada lynx is found in northern and mixed forests across Canada and Alaska. It is, however, absent in the relatively treeless regions of the Great Plains and the northern coasts, which are outside the natural range of the snowshoe hare. Due to human activity, the Canada lynx is no longer found on Prince Edward Island or on the mainland of Nova Scotia, although there are two known areas of Canada lynx populations in the Cape Breton Highlands. In addition, there are large populations of this lynx in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, and a resident population exists in Yellowstone National Park and Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming, that extends into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Canada lynx is rare in Utah, Minnesota, and New England. The Canada lynx is a threatened species in the contiguous United States.

Notes:

Exclusively carnivores, the Canadian lynx depends heavily on snowshoe hares for food. These hares comprise 35–97% of their diet; their occurrence in the diet varies by abundance of hares and the season.[18] Snowshoe hare populations in Alaska and central Canada undergo cyclic rises and falls – at times the population densities can fall from as high as 2,300 per square kilometre (6,000/sq mi) to as low as 12 per square kilometre (31/sq mi). Consequently, a period of hare scarcity occurs every 8 to 11 years.[37] During these times, lynxes will include other animals – such as ducks, grouse, moles, ptarmigan, red squirrels, voles and young ungulates (Dall's sheep, mule deer and reindeer) – in their diet, though snowshoe hares are still the primary component. The Canada lynx tends to be less selective in summer and autumn, preying on other small mammals, though snowshoe hares continue to prevail in the diet. Canada lynxes consume one hare every one to two days, such that they consume 600–1,200 grams (21–42 oz) of food everyday.

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Brian38
Spotted by
Brian38

Washington, USA

Spotted on Mar 18, 2018
Submitted on Mar 31, 2018

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