Canada Lynx
Pepper Family Wildlife Center
Did You Know?
- The Canada lynx’s closest relatives are Eurasian lynx, which are about twice as large. They look like bobcats but have shorter tails, black-tipped ears, and a few spots on their coat.
- The diet of a Canada lynx is mostly made up of one prey species: snowshoe hares.
- These cats are well adapted to cold, thanks to large paws for traveling on snow without sinking and thick fur.
Don’t See the Animals?
Why aren’t animals visible at all times? To promote positive animal welfare, we provide animals with choices. They can choose to spend time in areas that are out of public view.
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Overview
Scientific Name: Lynx canadensis
Class: Mammals
Diet: Snowshoe hares, supplemented with rodents, birds, and deer
Range: Canada, United States
Endangered Status: Least Concern
More Information
Canada lynx are mid-sized North American cats with coats that are gray in winter and tawny brown in summer. They have long cheek hair and hind legs that are longer than their forelegs. They live in northern coniferous forests and their population tends to wane or wax based on the availability of snowshoe hares. They hunt on the ground but are good climbers.
Lynx are solitary cats, and males and females breed during a short time at the end of winter. Mothers give birth in tree stumps or branches, with litters usually consisting of two or three kittens. Kittens nurse for five months and remain with their mother until the following mating season.
