Eurasian lynx

Lynx lynx lynx

A lynx sits slightly crouched behind a tuft of grass and looks attentively to the left side of the picture. IUCN Red List endangerment category: Least concern
Family
Cats (Felidae) (Felidae)
Weight
18 – 36 kg
Habitat
Coniferous and mixed forests

Hairy reception

The Eurasian lynx’s hearing is so good that it can locate a mouse up to 50 m away. It has conspicuous, black tufts of hair on the tip of its ears that act like antennae, gathering and amplifying sound in the ear. It also has extraordinary eyesight: a Eurasian lynx’s eyes are six times more sensitive than humans, which allow it to see well at night.

The picture shows a walking Eurasian Lynx.

Bobbed tail

Lynxes can easily be distinguished by their unusually short tail, a feature which scientists are still searching for an explanation. What is certain is that lynxes hunt primarily on the ground. Their method of hunting – stalking and sneaking – does not require a long tail to aid balance.

A Eurasian lynx can capture prey up to four times larger than itself.

Distribution

Distribution map lynx

Distribution

Europe

Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine