Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Taxonomy:
View taxonomy in ITISListing Status: Threatened
Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND
Announcements
01/14/2025 -- 2024 PCH for Canada Lynx is available on ScienceBase, and the 2014 FCH for Canada Lynx will remain on ECOS till the new designation is finalized. Proposed 2024 critical habitat is up on ScienceBase: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/675c4085d34e189836d1d185
General Information
The lynx is a medium-sized cat with long legs, large, well-furred paws, long tufts on the ears, and a short, black-tipped tail. The winter pelage of the lynx is dense and has a grizzled appearance with grayish-brown mixed with buff or pale brown fur on the back, and grayish-white or buff-white fur on the belly, legs and feet. Summer pelage of the lynx is more reddish to gray-brown. Adult males average 10 kilograms (22 pounds) in weight and 85 centimeters (33.5 inches) in length (head to tail), and females average 8.5 kilograms (19 pounds) and 82 centimeters (32 inches). The lynxs long legs and large feet make it highly adapted for hunting in deep snow. The distribution of lynx in North America is closely associated with the distribution of North American boreal forest. In Canada and Alaska, lynx inhabit the classic boreal forest ecosystem known as the taiga. The range of lynx populations extends south from the classic boreal forest zone into the subalpine forest of the western United States, and the boreal/hardwood forest ecotone in the eastern United States. Forests with boreal features extend south into the contiguous United States along the North Cascade and Rocky Mountain Ranges in the west, the western Great Lakes Region, and northern Maine. Within these general forest types, lynx are most likely to persist in areas that receive deep snow and have high-density populations of snowshoe hares, the principal prey of lynx.The species historical range included Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming. See below for information about where the species is known or believed to occur.
» Range Information
Current Range
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America. The species may also occur outside this region.
Wherever Found in Contiguous U.S.
Listing status: Threatened
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: California, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur: Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Lake Wetland Management District, Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge ...Show All Refuges
» Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Federal Register Documents
» Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
» Recovery
- Species with Recovery Documents Data Explorer
- Recovery Priority Number: 15
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Critical Habitat
To learn more about critical habitat please see https://ecos.fws.gov/crithab
» Conservation Plans
» Petitions
» Biological Opinions
To see all FWS Issued Biological Opinions please visit the BO Report.
» Life History
Habitat Requirements
Lynx habitat can generally be described as moist boreal forests that have cold, snowy winters and a high-density snowshoe hare prey base. The predominant vegetation of boreal forest is conifer trees, primarily species of spruce (Picea spp.) and fir (Abies spp.). In the contiguous United States, the boreal forest type transitions to deciduous temperate forest in the Northeast and Great Lakes, and to subalpine forest in the west. In mountainous areas, the boreal forests that lynx use are characterized by scattered moist forest types with high hare densities in a matrix of other habitats (e.g., hardwoods, dry forest, non-forest) with low hare densities. In these areas, lynx incorporate the matrix habitat (non-boreal forest habitat elements) into their home ranges and use it for traveling between patches of boreal forest that support high hare densities where most foraging occurs.
Food Habits
Snowshoe hares are the primary prey of lynx, comprising the bulk of the lynx diet throughout its range. Without high densities of snowshoe hares, lynx are unable to sustain populations despite utilizing a multitude of other prey when snowshoe hare numbers are low. Other prey species include red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), grouse (Bonasa umbellus, Dendragopus spp., Lagopus spp.), flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii, S. Richardsonii), porcupine (Erethrizon dorsatum), beaver (Castor canadensis), mice (Peromyscus spp.), voles (Microtus spp.), shrews (Sorex spp.), fish. Ungulate carrion may also be consumed.
Movement / Home Range
Individual lynx maintain large home ranges generally between 12 to 83 square miles. The size of lynx home ranges varies depending on abundance of prey, the animals gender and age, season, and the density of lynx populations. When densities of snowshoe hares decline, for example, lynx enlarge their home ranges to obtain sufficient amounts of food to survive and reproduce. Lynx also make long distance exploratory movements outside their home ranges. Preliminary research supports the hypothesis that lynx home ranges at the southern extent of the species range are generally large compared to those in the core of the range in Canada, indicating a relative reduction of food resources in these areas.
Reproductive Strategy
Breeding occurs through March and April in the north. Kittens are born in May to June in southcentral Yukon. The male lynx does not help with rearing young. Yearling females may give birth during periods when hares are abundant. During periods of hare abundance in the northern taiga, litter size of adult females averages four to five kittens. Litter sizes are typically smaller in lynx populations in the contiguous United States.
Other
In all regions within the range of the lynx in the contiguous United States, timber harvest, recreation, and their related activities are the predominant land uses affecting lynx habitat. The primary factor that caused the lynx to be listed was the lack of guidance for the conservation of lynx and snowshoe hare habitat in plans for federally managed lands. Landscape connectivity between lynx populations and habitats in Canada and the contiguous United States must be maintained. Lynx movements may be negatively affected by high traffic volume on roads that bisect suitable lynx habitat, such as in the Southern Rockies, and in some areas, mortalities due to road kill are high.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports-- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports-- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video." +
