The Lynx Family

The Lynx Family is quite distinctive. All four members have tufted ears and bobbed tails. It can sometimes be hard to tell them apart.

It is quite common to confuse the bobcat and Canadian lynx which live in similar habitats. Here’s how you can tell the difference.

The four cats have a similar lifestyle. All like to hunt smaller mammals, such as rabbits or hares, it is only the Eurasian Lynx that opts for larger prey, going after small deer from time to time.

The lynx family is exclusive to the northern hemisphere. Each member has a distinct primary habitat, for which it is quite specialized. However they don’t stay exclusively withing any one habitat, with the exception of the Iberian Lynx.

Members of the Lynx Family

There are four species in the Lynx lineage, two of which live in North America and two of which live in Europe. In North America, we find the Canadian Lynx and the Bobcat, which are probably the two most numerous of the cat species.

The Western European populations of the Eurasian and the Iberian Lynx are highly endangered and are in the process of being successfully reintroduced into their natural habitats. Further East the Eurasian Lynx is quite numerous and stretches as far south as India.

Lynx Habitats:

The Eurasian Lynx’s primary habitat is boreal forests, but it also lives in high mountains above the tree line and the desert of the Tibetan plateau.

The Iberian Lynx in contrast lives in Mediterranean oak forests and scrubland.

Across the Atlantic, the Canadian Lynx, similar to its Eurasian cousin, is primarily a forest dweller and appreciates good brush for cover, it can also be found in the open tundra despite being more exposed.

With regards to habitat, the Bobcat is the most flexible of the Lynxes, living in forests, brushland, arid terrains and also mountains.

Lynx Prey

Lynx prey for the most part on small mammals. The Canadian Lynx and the Iberian Lynx are the most specialized of eaters, almost exclusively consuming snowshoe hares and European rabbits respectively.

The Bobcat lives in some of the most varied habitats and has a correspondingly varied diet. However it still preys primarily on small rodents.

The Eurasian Lynx, being the biggest of the family has a slightly wider range of prey. They also hunt small ungulates such as roe deer or young red deer. They will also scavenge larger mammals who have succumbed to the weather during the harsh winter months.

Bobcat vs Lynx

The Bobcat and the Canadian Lynx are often confused for one another. It is a question we get often, how do you tell the bobcat and lynx from one another?

Side by side it is easy to tell the bobcat and the lynx apart. In the field, when you see only one it is a bit more difficult.

There are some things to look out for though.

Physical differences between Bobcat and Lynx

The Canadian lynx has much larger paws. These are designed, effectively as snow shows to help the lynx travel through the deep snow in more northern climates.

The Bobcat has the smallest ear tufts of any members of the lynx family. If the cat has distinctive tufts of hair on its ears, it is more likely a lynx.

The pelt of the Canadian lynx is more grey in color, reflecting the times spent in a grayish, dull Canadian winter. The Bobcat has a warmer color fur, a little bit reddish-brown as reflected in its latin name – Lynx rufus.

Bobcat tail vs Lynx tail

The Canadian Lynx has a tail that is clearly black tipped. The tip is distinctive.

From underneath (yes that is hard to see) the bobcat’s tail is white. The tip isn’t black the whole way round. Also the bobcat often has stripes on its tail, which the Canadian lynx does not.

What might be most difficult to see though is that the bobcat’s tail is longer than that of the lynx. Unless they are side by side that is hard to see.

Distribution of the Bobcat vs Lynx

There is a small overlap of the bobcat and lynx. In Mexico and the southern and eastern US if you see a wild cat it will be a bobcat.

In northern Canada you will only come across a lynx.

However, Along the border you might find both. Throughout southern Ontario and Quebec into the Maritimes and New England, both species have overlapping ranges.

In Wisconsin and some of Minnesota it could be both cats. However as we head west through the northern Plains/ Southern Prairies there is only the bobcat.

The Canadian Lynx’s range drops below the US border again in the Rockies. They live mostly in Montana but the Canadian lynx can be seen south as far as Colorado.