Red lynx: description, lifestyle and habitat. Bobcat or red lynx Economic importance for humans

Bobcat is a beautiful animal that lives in nature on the east and west coasts of the United States, southern Canada and central Mexico. People often hunt for it, because the population is high and there is no ban on shooting.

Appearance

This animal is also called the red lynx. It reaches 50-80 centimeters in length. In height - 30-35 centimeters. The red lynx can weigh from 6 to 11 kilograms.

Although the color of its coat is reddish-brown with a gray tint, there are also completely white or black individuals. It is very similar but not as large. Her paws are shorter and narrower. IN winter time they are covered with long and thick hair, which gives the animal the ability to move through deep snow.

The bobcat has a white marking on the inside of its short and curved tail. The tail has a length of 20-35 centimeters. Her head is round and her muzzle is short. There are tassels at the ends of the ears. Thick fur grows along the edges of the muzzle, forming whiskers. The red lynx, described in this article, sheds in spring and autumn. Her fur is soft and silky.

What does he eat?

To get food for itself, this wild animal goes hunting. The red lynx always attacks from behind. At first she sneaks behind her victim for a long time and when she crawls within one jump, she pounces on her and kills her. To do this, she bites through the carotid artery or simply breaks her neck.

The majority of the red lynx's diet consists of hares. 1/3 of its diet consists of gophers, porcupines, mice, squirrels, voles and other small rodents. Sometimes it attacks deer, goats and even domestic dogs and cats. Of course, farmers don't like lynx attacks on livestock, so they hunt it. Thus, they become owners of valuable fur.

In times of hunger, the red lynx can eat insects, bats, snakes, plant fruits. Sometimes she has to eat carrion or steal prey from hunting traps. The more food there is, the higher the number of red lynx. Its peacefulness also depends on this factor. If there is little food, then fights often occur between individuals. For an adult male, a sufficient portion is 2.5-3 kilograms. Sometimes he eats 5-6 kilograms. Moreover, predators of similar parameters eat much more.

One adult hare is enough for 2-4 days. A red lynx will handle a roe deer alone in 3-4 days. But you will have to work on the carcass of a sika deer for 1.5 weeks. The red lynx does not begin hunting until it has eaten its previous prey. She sometimes hides the remains in the ground. Often she has to drive away foxes and wolverines from her territory, who strive to feast on the meat she has obtained.

Lifestyle

This animal is often called a lynx North America, although she lives not only there. In general, this lynx can live in the desert, in swamps, in rocks, and on plains. Even heavy snow doesn’t bother her. The main habitat is spruce-fir forests. Taiga, forest-steppe and forest-tundra are also suitable for red lynx.

It is almost impossible to meet it during the day, because it goes hunting early in the morning or late in the evening, at dusk. Although in winter she can hunt during the day. But the lynx not only hunts, but also rests. To do this, she chooses familiar places and often walks along the same well-trodden paths. Often the lynx, described in this article, climbs trees. There she can hide from persecution. The red lynx runs away from danger in large leaps or climbs higher. In order for the hunt to be successful, this animal has everything it needs.

This is a cat

Its muscular body and strong legs allow it to jump over high obstacles and leap forward over considerable distances. Excellent eyesight and excellent hearing allow them to track prey. Although the red lynx's sense of smell is weak. Sharp claws pierce the victim and prevent it from leaving. They also help climb trees. During the hunt, the lynx hides its tracks. She walks, stepping with her paws so as to leave as few prints as possible.

The red lynx, described in this article, can make shelters in hollows, among rocks and bushes. Its behavior resembles that of a domestic cat. If an animal is angry, its ears are flattened and its tail moves from side to side. Interestingly, a lynx kitten can be tamed. If you take him into the house as a toddler, he will get used to people and become completely at home.

Personal space

The red lynx is a solitary animal. Males and females share a territory in which they live alone. But females with cubs can live in the male’s territory. Animals mark their areas with urine and excrement, and also leave claw marks on trees. A male can have a territory of 100 square kilometers. Females own a smaller territory - 50 square kilometers. If the female is ready to breed, the smell of her urine changes, so the male will know about it.

Reproduction

This usually happens with the onset of spring. If all the females living in the male’s territory are ready to mate, then he will mate with everyone. During pregnancy, which lasts about 53 days, the female prepares a shelter for herself and future lynx cubs. She covers her lair with moss and leaves. A lynx kitten is blind and helpless immediately after birth. Babies' eyes open at 7-9 days.

Lynx cubs feed on mother's milk for 2-2.5 months. In total, up to 6 babies are born in a litter. The lynx kitten needs care. The mother patiently takes care of him, licks him, warms him, and protects him from danger. If the den where the mother and her cubs live is discovered by enemies, she will take the babies to a safe place.

Caring dad

Until the kittens open their eyes, the father has no right to approach the shelter. But as soon as they begin to feed on their own, he takes care of feeding the mother and children. The male feeds all the females and cubs that are in his territory. Moreover, he not only obtains food for the kids, but also participates in their “upbringing.” The bobcat family sticks together. Over time, after about six months, the mother teaches her kittens to hunt. She does this by example. Adults are considered to be individuals that have reached one and a half years of age.

In nature, the red lynx has enemies. These are large predators. But man also destroys these beautiful animals for the sake of beautiful fur. Maybe we shouldn’t do this, because otherwise populations will decline and the red lynx will disappear from our planet.

The bobcat, or red lynx, is a predatory animal that lives in North America. Some may know it as a bobcat. Despite its modest size, the red lynx is the largest predatory cat in its habitat. For many years now it has presented a mystery to zoologists. It is not easy to see and track it, although the lynx is not afraid of humans. That is why any piece of information obtained about her is valuable.

General description

The bobcat is a relative of the common lynx, but is half the size. Body length rarely reaches 90 cm, and weight ranges from 6 to 16 kg. Among individuals of this species, representatives with a weight of approximately 10 kg are most often found.

Its fur is brownish-red in color with a large number pigment (because of this, the bobcat is sometimes called red). Scattered throughout the fur dark spots, helping the animal to camouflage against the background of foliage and tall grass. In Florida, there are individuals with an exclusively black color. There are also known cases of albinism among lynxes. The tail is quite short relative to the body and is 15 cm. There is a white mark on it, by which the bobcat can be distinguished from other related species.

The uniqueness of this type of lynx is that it does not have tufts on its ears. However, there are small dark panicles at their tips. It is they that make it possible to distinguish it from the sand cat, whose appearance has much in common with the appearance of the bobcat. The muzzle of a lynx is strikingly reminiscent of the muzzle of a domestic cat, with the difference that in a wild animal it is much larger, and there are woolen outgrowths on both sides. The pupil is elongated, the eye color is yellow. The red lynx has a rather massive and wide nose, on both sides of which the fur is light in color.

The body of the red lynx is very strong and lean. Prey caught in these developed paws has no chance of getting back out, and the structure of the limbs allows the bobcat to make jumps 5 m long, overtaking the pursued target in no time.

Spreading

The habitat of this animal is entirely located on the American continent, which is a rather atypical phenomenon. The red lynx lives in the USA, in the South and West of Canada, near southern Mexico. Despite their fairly widespread distribution, these cats are endangered due to uncontrolled extermination by humans.

Lifestyle

The bobcat's preferences in choosing housing are quite varied. The animal can settle both in arid areas and in swampy lowlands or forest thickets. Some individuals settle near human habitation and spend their entire lives among the cultural landscape (conditions created by humans). Despite the fact that these animals have perfectly mastered climbing trees, they do not use them for permanent habitat, preferring to move up in case of danger or heat. They also swim quite rarely, preferring to do so only in the summer in order to cool down.

Although the red lynx occupies a dominant position in size, it is not the main predator of the continent and has natural enemies. These include the Canadian lynx, puma and jaguar, a meeting with which can result in death for a bobcat.

The basis of the red lynx's diet is food of animal origin. She enjoys hunting rabbits, mice, porcupines and gophers. Sometimes a bobcat is strong enough to overpower a white-tailed deer or livestock, but such cases are extremely rare. The red lynx moves out to find prey at dusk. However, in northern latitudes There is less opportunity for her to obtain high-calorie food, so the bobcat uses any time of day to hunt if potential food is nearby.

After eating, the animal prefers to rest. If there is anything left from the meal, she carefully hides the traces of the recent feast. Like some other types big cats, the red lynx is capable of hiding food on tree branches.

For the red lynx, an important task is to protect the territory, for which the males scratch trees and make marks with urine. One animal can occupy an area of 100 sq. km, and this is far from the limit. Females occupy approximately 50 square meters. km and defend their possessions as fiercely as the males. Several males can divide the border territory and provide their habitat for 3 females. Animals use the smell of urine to demonstrate their readiness to mate.

Reproduction

The breeding season begins with the first warm days spring. Female red lynx carry a fetus for 53 days, after which a litter of several blind kittens is born. Babies begin to see clearly on days 7-9, after which they feed on mother’s milk for another 2 months. The milk of a female bobcat is very fatty and thick, it contains a high concentration of nutrients. Bobcats treat kittens with care, constantly licking them. The female is always ready to take care of the offspring and, in case of danger, will move small predators to a new shelter.

Throughout the entire time, the male feeds all the females living on his territory. He will give them part of the spoils, even if he himself goes hungry. This is a rather unique phenomenon that is rarely found among other representatives of the animal world. For some time, the female does not allow the male to approach the hole, preferring to take food in neutral territory. But when the kittens grow up a little and get stronger, the male is allowed to bring food directly to the shelter and leave the meat for the cubs to feed.

Raising growing lynxes is an important element in a female’s life. When the cubs reach the age of several months, she leaves the hole with them and begins to walk them in her own territory, teaching them the basics of hunting and protection from natural enemies. At about six months, the kittens already go out for their first prey, which takes place under the strict control of the mother. This develops their endurance, providing physical activity. Throughout the entire period of growing up, kittens play with each other, which is also an important component of their physical development.

Hunting

The red lynx does not hunt in a pack, preferring to do this activity alone. Interesting feature bobcat and other lynxes are that they can ambush and wait in hiding for an unsuspecting prey. The lynx always kills its prey in the same way: first it gnaws the carotid artery and then breaks the neck. The spontaneity of the attack allows her to hunt animals that are significantly larger than her.

Threat of extinction

The skin of a red lynx is a valuable trophy, fetching several thousand dollars on the black market. And the lynx’s secrecy and fearlessness in front of humans only adds excitement to poachers. Another reason why this species is hunted is the damage bobcats cause to farms. They attack birds and small animals, which is why farmers, at the first opportunity, try to eliminate the animal that has gotten into the habit of visiting their lands.

On at the moment The red lynx is listed in the Red Book as a species that is threatened with complete extermination. Attempts are being made to restore the bobcat population and reproduce the individuals present in zoos, but so far these efforts have not brought much results.

The lynx develops the same speed in water as a person, and can also dive for a short time.
IN early age The red lynx lends itself well to training and taming, so the kitten has every chance of becoming a full-fledged pet, which is kept outside the cage.
The average lifespan of a bobcat in the wild is 18 years, in captivity – 30 years.
Individuals of red lynx living in northern latitudes (for example, in Canada) are noticeably larger than their southern counterparts.
In the first year of growing up, kittens gain an average of 25 grams of weight per day.
When jumping and walking, the red lynx places its hind legs exactly in the place where its forelimbs were located a second ago. Despite the ability to develop high speeds of movement, the lynx will not be able to pursue prey for a long time. If it was not possible to grab the victim in the first 30 seconds, then it will most likely leave it alone.

Video: Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Lynx (lat. Felis lynx)- the most northern of the cat species. In many European countries it has been completely or almost completely exterminated. Nowadays it is found only in Russia, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, and Ukraine in the Carpathians. This is a typical cat the size of a large dog. The body is short, dense, 80-105 cm long. The weight of the animal is 8-15 kg. Moreover, in northern regions lynxes are larger, long-haired, and in the southern regions they are, as a rule, smaller and have shorter hair.

photo:John Dryzga

The tail is 20-35 cm long with a chopped end. The ears are triangular, pointed, with tassels growing at the ends. The paws are long, strong, very wide, especially the front ones. In winter they grow from below long hair and become like skis, so the specific load on the support of the lynx is several times less than that of other cats. This, along with high legs, serves as an adaptation to movement on loose, deep snow.

The head is small and round. The elongated hair on the sides of the muzzle forms "whiskers". The muzzle is short, the eyes are wide, the pupils are vertical. Shedding occurs twice a year: in spring and autumn. Lynx fur has no equal among cats - very thick, tall, and silky. Especially long hair on the belly.

Lynx appearance

photo: Josh Leonard

The color of the upper body and head is predominantly grayish-red with a bluish-silver or reddish tint. There are brown speckles on the back and sides. The belly is pure white with sparse speckling. Summer fur is coarser and shorter than winter fur. It is more intensely colored. The tail always has a dark tip. IN dark color The ear tuft is also colored, while the back of the ears, sideburns and eye rims are usually whitish. U northern lynxes the color is more uniform and dull, the spots are rather weakly expressed. Lynxes living in southern Europe are brightly colored, with pronounced spotting.

Lynx distribution

photo: Wayne Dumbleton

Lynx is a forest animal. In most of its range, it prefers closed, spruce-fir forests with dense undergrowth. Particularly favorable for lynx are areas with dissected terrain - low and middle mountains with gullies and deeply cut river valleys. The lynx avoids small trees.

It is also found in low-growing forests with thickets of bushes, in forest-steppe, forest-tundra, mountain rocks, but most often in the zone of the southern low-mountain taiga, where it is not as snowy and cold as in the northern coniferous forests, and quite a lot of different animals that you can hunt. Lynx loves mountain forests with rocky places.

Lynx lifestyle and nutrition

The lynx, like any predator, lives where there is enough food. Wide migrations are not typical for it. The basis of its diet consists of white hares, black grouse, partridges, rodents, and small ungulates. Lynx is an excellent hunter. During the day she rests in the den, and at dusk she goes hunting. Only young animals can hunt during the day. During the night the animal travels from 6 to 10 km. When there is a lack of prey, the hunting route increases. In winter, the predator walks very widely on the hard crust; deep, loose snow forces it to use the paths of other animals, old ski tracks and roads, and ice on rivers.

The lynx also knows how to hide its tracks. When the snow cover is not continuous, the animal deftly steps over snowless spots, leaving no traces. The lynx has very fine hearing and sharp vision. The sense of smell is weak, but a lynx can find its prey using a fresh trail. The lynx is cautious, but not cowardly. Frightened, she leaves in large leaps or jumps onto the nearest tree or rock. Hearing a suspicious noise from afar, he leaves slowly, stopping often and listening. Despite all the caution, the lynx is not very afraid of people. In times of famine, she enters villages and cities in search of food.

The lynx most often hunts alone, but a mother lynx with grown-up lynx cubs often organizes a group hunt in winter. The lynx walks completely silently, merging with the background of the area. Having discovered a fresh trail or seen prey, the lynx very patiently sneaks up on it. The lynx hunts by stealth, that is, it approaches the prey at the shortest possible distance, favorable for a lightning-fast throw. Having approached a distance of about 10-15 meters, the lynx covers it with several jumps 2-3 meters long.

If the attack is not immediately successful, the huntress makes a dozen more shorter jumps into the hijack, which most often ends in nothing. Having rushed at large prey, the lynx digs its claws into the front of its body, and torments its neck or throat with its teeth. The victim, maddened by pain, drags the predator on him for some time until he falls from the wounds inflicted.

Lynx eats quite a bit. In winter, a male eats 2.5-3 kg of meat per day, and if the animal is hungry, up to 5-6 kg.

photo:Martien Uiterweerd

Typically, an adult animal catches and eats a hare once every 2-4 days; a brood of this amount of food is only enough for one day. A lynx kills a killed roe deer in 3-4 days, and kills a killed sika deer for up to a week and a half. A well-fed lynx can even stay with a hare for several days until it eats it entirely, so as not to waste energy on a new hunt. She buries the uneaten remains of her prey with snow or earth.

But she does it so sloppily that her supplies are quickly taken away by more than small predators- sable, kolinsky. The wolverine also follows the lynx, as a more successful hunter, and sometimes drives it away from its freshly caught prey. The lynx itself often chases foxes, preventing them from hunting in their area. The lynx, like a more successful hunter, is followed by and sometimes drives it away from a freshly caught victim.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Titles: red lynx, red lynx.

Area: southern North America (Canada to central Mexico, east to west coast of the United States).

Description: The bobcat is the most common wild cat on the North American continent. This is a typical small lynx, it has not too long legs and wide paws. There is no hair on the paws, the claws are retractable. The tassels on the ears are small. The fur is not too fluffy and warm, like that of the European lynx. Dental formula: I3/3, C1/1, P2/3, M1/1 x 2 = 30 teeth.

Color: reddish-brown with a gray tint, numerous dark spots scattered throughout the skin. There is a white mark on the inside of the tip of the tail. The general coloration of the subspecies is different: lynxes living in the south have more black markings, while those living in the north have fewer. There are completely black and white individuals.

Size: body length with tail 76-127 cm, height at withers 45-58 cm.

Weight: males 9-13 kg, females 5.5-9 kg

Lifespan: in nature up to 20 years, in captivity up to 30 years.

Habitat: Varied - from swamps to rocky snowy areas, desert plains and canyons. Avoids areas that are too wet or dry.

Enemies: jaguar, puma, Canada lynx, coyote and wolf. Red lynx kittens are hunted by foxes and owls.

Food: The lynx's diet is based on small rodents (voles, squirrels, mice, rats, ground squirrels, porcupines), lagomorphs (hares, rabbits) and birds. Additionally, it catches snakes, bats and insects. In times of hunger, it can also attack young ungulates, eat carrion and steal carcasses from hunting traps. Occasionally eats plant foods (fruits).

Behavior: leads earthly twilight image life. It goes hunting in the evening and early in the morning. In winter it is also found during daylight hours.
The red lynx has favorite resting places and trails that it constantly uses. It climbs trees well, but climbs them only in search of food and shelter.
Able to jump over high obstacles. Vision and hearing are well developed. Hunts on the ground, sneaking up on prey. The lynx holds its prey with its sharp claws and kills it with a bite to the base of the skull. In one sitting, an adult animal eats up to 1.4 kg of meat. He hides the remaining surplus and returns to it the next day.
When walking, the red lynx places its hind paws exactly in the tracks left by its front paws. Soft pads on the legs help to quietly sneak up to prey at close range.

Social structure: Outside the breeding season, the red lynx leads a solitary lifestyle.
It marks the boundaries of its hunting area with urine, feces and secretions from the skin glands. It leaves scratches on tree trunks with its claws. The area of the site depends on the amount of food available.

Reproduction: a female can have up to two litters per year (in spring and late summer).
The female makes a den for her kittens in caves, piles of stones or in the cavities of trees. There is evidence that both parents are involved in raising offspring.

Breeding season/period: February-June.

Puberty: females per year, males at two years.

Pregnancy: 50-70 days.

Offspring: There are up to 6 blind kittens in a litter (usually 2-4). The weight of newborns is up to 340 g. On the 10th day, the eyes open. Lactation lasts up to 8 weeks. Kittens gain 25 g in weight per day. From 3 to 5 months, kittens go hunting with their mother. At 9 months of age, they are completely independent and acquire their own hunting area.

Benefit/harm for humans: The bobcat causes damage by preying on domestic animals (sheep and birds). Because of this, local farmers kill them.
Fur is in demand and has commercial value.

Population/Conservation Status: The current population number is 725,000 - 1,000,000 mature individuals. The approximate area of the range is more than 2,500,000 km 2. The species is listed in the CITES Convention (Appendix II).

There are 2 subspecies Felis rufus: F.r. baileyi- Northwestern Mexico, F.r. californicus- California, F.r. escuinapae- Mexico, F.r. fasciatus- Pacific Northwest coast of the USA and Canada, F.r. floridanus- Southeastern USA, F.r. giga- northeastern USA, Canada, F.r. oaxacensis- Southern Mexico, F.r. pallescens- northwestern USA, Canada, F.r. peninsularis- Baja Peninsula (Mexico), F.r. rufus- northeastern USA, F.r. superiorensis - big lakes in the northern USA, F.r. texensis- Texas, northwestern Mexico.

Copyright holder: Zooclub portal
When reprinting this article, an active link to the source is MANDATORY, otherwise, use of the article will be considered a violation of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights.

Bobcat- a loner, and if she turns out to be your totem, it is possible that you also prefer solitude. The bobcat teaches you to be alone without feeling lonely. The females of this animal, as a rule, live within a small territory, but the males lead a lifestyle close to nomadic: on average, each male enters the territory of five to six females. The mating season of red lynxes occurs at the end of winter, after which the pair splits up.

If the red lynx is your totem, then it is possible that your friends are used to confiding their secrets to you. You should never betray their trust. This will have serious consequences and will most likely be discovered quickly.

Please pay special attention on the tail of a red lynx. In general, the tail is symbolically associated with sexual energies. The tail or the tip of the tail is the seat of life force. The bobcat has a black tail tip and white underside. This reflects the ability to “turn on” and “turn off” creative forces at will.

These features also link the lynx to some forms sex magic and the mystics of sex. Operating under the cloak of darkness and silence, the bobcat will teach you how to use your life force to achieve your goals silently and effectively. It is very important to learn when, to whom and how much you can tell about your personal affairs. Anyone associated with bobcats should be especially careful in their interactions. You may not be understood at all or completely misunderstood. What seems white to you may be perceived by others as black, and vice versa.

Keen eyesight and sensitive hairs in the whiskers and ear tufts make the red lynx an excellent night hunter. If she has become your totem, then night time will be the most productive for you. These characteristics link the bobcat to most forms of extrasensory perception. The keen eyes of a bobcat will teach you to recognize what other people are trying to hide. The sensitive “sideburns” of this totem will give you the ability to psychometry: by bringing an object to your face, you will be able to capture the energies of people and events associated with it. And the “tassels” on the ears of the red lynx correspond to the ability to hear what remains unspoken.

If the red lynx turns out to be your totem, then it is possible that many people will feel uncomfortable around you. They will understand that you see what they do not want to show you, and hear what they carefully keep silent about. These abilities can turn you into both a skilled diplomat and an unrivaled manipulator. If the red lynx has entered your life as a totem, look for hidden meaning in current events. Not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. Trust your feelings and impressions. If something doesn't seem right to you, don't doubt your conclusions—even if they defy common sense.

The red lynx sees well in the dark and is endowed with acute hearing. People associated with this totem sometimes become real hermits: noticing so much dirt and garbage in those around them, they become disillusioned with all of humanity. However, you should never completely isolate yourself. By meditating on the Hermit Tarot card, you will understand when to be alone and when to go out into the world. This card will help you tune in to the energies of this totem.

Bobcat caracal

The bobcat is found throughout the United States, but its numbers have declined sharply. She makes her home under rocky ledges and among stone embankments. Symbolic meaning Such a habitat should be carefully studied (to begin with, refer to Chapter 5 of our book). The red lynx does not run very fast, but is capable of covering distances from eighty to two and a half meters in a jump. Its diet mainly consists of rabbits and woodchucks, and you should also study these animals carefully.

Red lynx cubs are born in the spring; There can be up to four lynx cubs in a litter. The mother begins training them early, and after seven months the young lynxes are able to hunt alone, and at the age of nine months they leave the family and go in search of a suitable territory for themselves.

Canadian red lynx

If the bobcat is your totem, it means that you are about to undergo formal or informal training in some new area. In just seven to ten months you will have acquired a new skill. People associated with the bobcat as a spirit animal tend to learn quickly and thoroughly. If you have children, you should start teaching them as early as possible. Rely on your intuition about the best way to do this. Then your children will grow up strong and independent.

If the red lynx has entered your life as a totem, ask yourself the following important questions. Have you become a recluse? Do you feel the need to gain new knowledge and skills? Perhaps you (or someone close to you) are behaving carelessly and recklessly? Do you trust your inner voice? Are you deceived by the appearance of the people you deal with? The bobcat will definitely teach you that true power and strength is achieved through silence.

Ted Andrews "The Language of Animals"