A lynx is a mammalian animal that is part of the group of felids . It is a species whose body is covered in reddish fur with dark spots.
Like all felids, the lynx is digitigrade (it moves using only its fingers) and carnivorous (its diet is based on meat consumption). The rounded head, short tail and pointed ears are other of its main features.
Currently, four species of lynx are recognized, all of them originating in the northern hemisphere. They are the red lynx (scientific name Lynx rufus ), the Iberian lynx ( Lynx pardinus ), the Canadian lynx ( Lynx canadensis ) and the Eurasian or boreal lynx ( Lynx lynx ).
The shades of their fur , on the other hand, are not the same in all species and subspecies. For example, in the case of the Canadian and Eurasian lynx, it is between brown and yellowish; In winter, it also becomes longer and takes on a grayish hue.
Regarding the Iberian lynx, its fur is brown, that is, it is close to brown. The name of the red lynx tells us that its mantle is reddish, but it is also combined with the color brown. All of these species exhibit spots and stripes, with a density that varies in each individual.
The size of the lynx is also different in each species. The largest of the four is the Eurasian; Its weight can touch thirty kilograms. The smallest, on the other hand, is the Iberian, with a weight that rarely reaches twenty kilograms.
Lynxes live in forested areas. They usually feed on rodents , although they can also prey on small deer and even birds.
It should be noted that, while the populations of the red lynx, the Canadian lynx and the Eurasian lynx are large, the Iberian lynx is an animal that is at risk of extinction . This is due to a series of reasons, such as the disappearance of its habitat , poaching and the decrease in its food base.
Not only are the numbers of the other three species high, but their distribution is very favorable. Regarding the Iberian lynx, in addition to being at risk of extinction, it is considered the most endangered feline in the world; In fact, it is the only one found in Category 1 of the Red List prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ), the most worrying of all.
To speak in specific numbers, the population of the Iberian lynx is counted in a few hundred, which are distributed in small regions of the Iberian southwest. Unfortunately, captive breeding programs do not compensate for the constant decline that humans continue to cause to this species.
Regarding the evolution of the lynx, various genetic and paleontological studies suggest that the ancestors of this group underwent a divergence approximately six million years ago in various parts of North America, and then spread throughout Eurasia.
The four species of lynx do not offer a particularly clear phylogenetic situation; The most accepted of all hypotheses about its ancestors directs us to the fossil species called Linx issiodorensis , which was discovered in China. Apparently, the red lynx soon separated from the root, while the remaining three appeared much later.
The idea of a lynx is also used symbolically in colloquial language . The individual that is characterized by its sagacity or its good eyesight is usually called a lynx. Similarly, the expression "lynx sight" refers to someone who has a highly acute sense of vision.