Eurasian lynx

Description

With a snout-vent length of between 80 and 120 cm and a shoulder height of 50 to 70 cm, the Eurasian lynx is the largest cat in Europe after the Persian leopard, which is found in the Caucasus. The length of the back without the head and neck corresponds to the shoulder height, so that the physique appears square. The front legs are 20 percent shorter than the hind legs. The large paws prevent the Eurasian lynx from sinking deep into the snow. 

What the Eurasian lynx has in common with the other species of the genus are the brush ears, the broad and roundish head and the very short tail. The tail of the Eurasian lynx is between 15 and 25 cm long and ends in a black tip. The Eurasian lynx is characterised by a very distinctive whisker, which it can spread wide. 

The fur tips on the pointed, clearly triangular ears are up to five cm long.

The Eurasian lynx's coat is reddish to yellowish brown on the upperparts during the summer and grey to greyish brown during the winter months. The chin, throat, chest, belly and the inside of the legs are whitish grey to creamy white. The spotting of the coat varies from individual to individual, but it can also be almost completely absent. 

Habitat

The Eurasian lynx prefers large forest areas with dense undergrowth as its habitat and uses open landscapes and human settlements only marginally and temporarily. Ideal conditions for hunting are provided by forests with a strong small-scale structure of old-growth islands, clearings, rocky slopes and marshland zones. However, Eurasian lynx can also be found in the rocky mountain zone up to an altitude of 2500 m. These habitats offer a large number of cover opportunities between rocks and bushes. Telemetric studies accompanying a number of reintroduction projects in recent decades have shown that Eurasian lynx hunt a large part of their prey in the fringes of forests, rarely entering agricultural land. During the day, Eurasian lynx stay in their hiding places and tolerate the proximity to humans. In the Vosges Mountains as well as in the Bavarian Forest, female Eurasian lynx raise cubs not far from places that are heavily frequented by tourists.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasischer_Luchs). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 25 August 2021