Lynx

Habitat-   (Boreal Forest)

>Location- Lynx can usually be found mostly throughout the forests of Canada and the United States (mostly Alaska) (thrives in cold climates)

>Rainfall- Average rainfall for wooded forest

>Plants- (trees) White-red-jack pine, Spruce-fir, Aspen birch, etc.

>Temperature- depends on the season *Lynx thrive in cooler temperatures*

>Terrain- spruce and hardwood forests, higher altitudes, and heavy vegetation areas with shrubs and trees

Distribution-

• Continents found: Europe, Asia, and North America

• Invasive: Non-invasive, endangered

Diet-

• What Lynx eat: While the diet of a lynx varies depending on its range, it feeds mostly on roe deer when available. As well as red deer, birds, rabbits, hares, rodents, and foxes (sometimes attacking moose + caribou)

• How often do they eat: Varies on the time of year, but usually a few animals a day

• How does it get food:  The Lynx is nocturnal so it usually hunts at night to better catch prey

• Special foods: Snowshoe hare, deer, caribou, rodents, dead animals, etc.

Social Structure- 

• Live in packs or solo- The lynx is a primarily solitary creature, but occasionally, a small group of lynx may travel and hunt together

• Roles within community- Lynx play the role of a predator usually hunting for small and weak animals

• Male or Female led group- The group is female led because the male Lynx will usually not stay with the cubs and female mate

• Individuals that make up the group- Groups of lynx usually consist of a female and her kittens

• How do they interact with eachother- The young are raised entirely by the mother and are weaned around 6 months of age when cubs are able to accompany the mother on hunts (only comforted by mother for a little while, then must fend for itself)

Reproduction- 

• How often do lynx mate- Female lynx enter estrus (the state of being receptive to mating) once a year and raise one litter each year

• How many mates do they have- During mating season females will only breed with one male.

• Time of year for mating- Mating occurs from February to April and is followed by a gestation period of 8 to 10 weeks.

• Mating rituals- Once the male lynx finds a female to become partners with, he will generally become very persistent. He is captivated by the female, watching her every move, staring at her while she sleeps, and continuously pacing in circles around her waiting for his opportunity. Once that moment has arrived they will mate every 2-3 hours for 2-3 days.

• Number of offspring produced at a time- Lynx have produced litters of 1-5 kittens in dens consisting of an area under thick young fir trees or elevated downed logs.

• Unique characteristics of mating- The male will usually follow the female before they mate

Development- 

>Stages of Development- The young remain with their mother until the following winter's mating season, and siblings may stay together longer. They then go on to mate with a partner and raise their young.

>How old before sexual maturity- Females reach sexual maturity at 21 months and males at 33 months

>Activities and environment of stages- Lynx tend to stay in the same areas throughout there life if food sources are abundant. If not they tend to change locations with more food options and cooler temperatures.

>Differences between males and females-the most pronounced features between males and females were not much besides ear lengths, (male ears longer than females)