Iberian Lynx

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Iberian Lynx

Conservation status

Critically endangered

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Lynx
Species:	L. pardinus

Binomial name

Lynx pardinus
(Temminck, 1827)

The Iberian Lynx (sometimes referred to as the Spanish Lynx or Felis pardina) often used to be misclassified as a subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx, but is now considered a separate species. Both species evolved together in central Europe in the Pleistocene epoch. In Spanish however, many people call the lynx "Gato Montes", which actually refers to the Wild Cat (Felis silvestris, Felis silvestris tartessia, Felis silvestris jordansi). The Iberian lynx is believed to have evolved from Lynx issiodorensis.^{[citation needed]}

1 Description
2 Ecology
3 Reproduction
4 Habitat
5 Population
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Description

Female

While the Eurasian Lynx bears rather pallid markings, the Iberian Lynx has distinctive, leopard-like spots with a coat that is often light gray or various shades of light brownish-yellow. Some western populations were spotless though these have recently gone extinct.

The male is larger than the female. Its shoulder height is about 2 feet (70 cm), and length is approximately 3 feet (1 m), including a 6 inch (15 cm) tail.

The Iberian Lynx does not differ greatly from the European Lynx but more closely resembles a Rufus Lynx. The face of the Iberian lynx is more cat-like than that of other lynx. The animal has a short stubby bob tail with a black tip, and a tuft of black hair on the tip of the pointed ears, whiskers and sideburns.

[edit] Ecology

The Iberian Lynx is smaller than its northern relatives, and so typically hunts smaller sized animals, usually no larger than hares.

The Iberian Lynx hunts mammals (including rodents and insectivores), birds, reptiles and amphibians, at twilight. Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are its main prey (%79.5-86.7), with (%5.9) Hares (Lepus granatensis) and (%3.2) rodents less common.^{[citation needed]} A male requires one rabbit per day, and a female bringing up cubs will eat three rabbits per day.

As the population of rabbits in Spain has declined, the Iberian Lynx is often forced to attack young deer, Fallow Deer, roebuck or mouflons. The Iberian lynx competes with the Red Fox, the Meloncillo (Herpestes ichneumon) and the Wild Cat.

This feline is solitary and hunts alone. Lynx will stalk their prey or lie in wait for hours behind a bush or rock until the prey is sufficiently close to pounce in a few strides.

Thanks to its sight, the lynx can distinguish a mouse at 250 ft (75m), a rabbit at 980 ft (300m) and a roebuck at 1,650 ft (500)^{[citation needed]}. The tufts of hair on its ears helps it to detect sources of sound; without them its hearing capacity is greatly reduced. The edges of its feet are covered in long thick hair, which facilitates silent movement through snow. Lynx, especially younger animals, are highly roaming, with ranges reaching more than 100 kms. Also they have a territory (~ 10-20 Km²), depending in richness food.^{[citation needed]}

The Iberian Lynx marks its territory with its urine, droppings and scratch marks on the barks of trees.

[edit] Reproduction

Female lynx and cub

During the mating season the female leaves her territory in search of a male. The typical gestation period is 65 to 75 days, with most puppies being born in March or April. A litter consists of one to four kittens weighing between 200 and 250 grams. Survival of the young depends heavily on the availability of prey species. In the wild a male reaches sexual maturity at about two and half to three years, and a female at two. In captivity, sexual maturity is achieved at an earlier age.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Habitat

This lynx was once distributed over the entire Iberian Peninsula. It is now restricted to very small areas, with breeding only confirmed in two areas of Andalucia, southern Spain. Iberian Lynx prefer heterogeneous environments of open grassland mixed with dense shrubs as arbutus, lentisk, and juniper; and trees as home oak and cork tree. Mainly in mountainous areas covered with vegetation; maquis or "Mediterranean forest".

[edit] Population

Iberian lynx

In red present day area

The Iberian Lynx is critically endangered and could be extinct by 2011, according to the 1990 IUCN red list of threatened animals.^{[cite this quote]} The Iberian lynx is the world's most threatened species of cat, and the most threatened carnivore in Europe.

Studies conducted in March 2005 have estimated the number of surviving lynx to be as few as 100, which is down from about 1,000 a decade ago. If the Iberian Lynx were to become extinct, it would be the first big cat to do so since the extinction of the Sabre-toothed tiger.^{[citation needed]} and European lion, (status as subspecies is unconfirmed).

The only breeding populations are in Spain, living in the Coto Doñana National Park and in the Sierra de Andújar, Jaén.

The Iberian Lynx and their habitat are fully protected and are no longer legally hunted. Their critical status is mainly due to habitat loss, poisoning, road casualties, feral dogs and poaching. Their habitat loss is due mainly to infrastructure improvement, urban & resort development, tree monocultivation (pine, pseudotsuga, eucalyptus) which serves to break the lynx's distribution area. In addition, the lynx prey population of rabbits is also declining due to diseases like myxomatosis and hemorrhagic pneumonia.

On March 29, 2005, the birth of three cubs, the first born in captivity, was announced^[1]. Four more cubs have been born in 2006. These recent births seem to open up the prospect of a future reintroduction of the species to parts of its former habitat where it has disappeared.