Once listed as the most endangered of the cats, the Iberian Lynx is well on the way to recovery. A photographic trip to Southern Spain gives you a good chance to spot this cat in the wild.
Iberian Lynx
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The Lynx Family
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The Lynx Family is quite distinctive. All four members have tufted ears and bobbed tails. It can sometimes be hard to tell them apart.
Their lifestyle is also quite similar. 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.
Species of The Lynx Family
Eurasian Lynx
Despite being widespread across the Eurasian Continent the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) is rarely seen. While numbers are recovering, it is even rarer rare in Western Europe.
Canada Lynx
Discover the fascinating world of the Canadian lynx (lynx canadensis) and learn about its habits, habitat, and conservation efforts. Its beautiful thick fur keeps it warm in the winter and the massive paws allow it to walk on snow with ease.
Bobcat
Get up close with the fascinating bobcat (Lynx Rufus) the southern and smaller cousin of the Canadian Lynx. This is one of the easiest cats to see in the wild, especially if you live in the Western US.
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.
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