Fun Lynx Facts For Kids

We know a lot about our regular domestic cats and their characteristics but when it comes to wildcats, the same cannot be said. Especially the lynxes especially, which who are nocturnal animals and hence, can be seen by humans only rarely.

Thus they can be seen as very mysterious in nature. These cats are gorgeous in appearance.

The tufts on its ears, black-tipped tail, and beautifully colored coat or fur are the distinguishing features that make it look royal in nature. These cats are also intelligent.

The mothers teach their young ones to hunt just after a few months of their birth to get them ready for the coming winter. There are four different species of lynx cats. Among them, the population of the Canada lynx was once on the verge of extinction.

As people kept hunting these Canada lynx for their beautiful fur. Now, the habitat of these cats includes regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Read on if you want to know more about the four species. Get plenty of Eurasian lynx facts, Bobcat facts, Iberian lynx facts, or Canada lynx facts from this article and if you like this article, then check out cougar and lion facts.

Lynx Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a lynx?

Lynxes are a type of wild cat that includes four different species.

What class of animal does a lynx belong to?

Lynx belongs to the Mammalia class of animals.

How many lynx are there in the world?

The estimated population of Eurasian lynx is more than 45,000. The population of Canada lynx fell down to approximately 7000 cats as they were hunted for their coat or fur.

In the case of Iberian lynxes, their population came down to less than 100 in the wild. Iberian lynx is the most endangered cat in the world in today's time.

Where does a lynx live?

Lynxes live in forests all over the northern hemisphere. In North America, their habitat ranges from southern Mexico to the United States and Canada.

Some gaps in the North American region can be seen in the Nunavut area. They can be seen living in many forests of Europe. Lastly, a large number of them can also be seen around Siberia, Taiga, and from the northern region of the Himalayas to central China.

What is a lynx's habitat?

Lynxes are wild cats. The lynx habitat is mainly forests. The kinds of forests they live in range from boreal forests to coniferous forests. Their main habitat, the forests they stay in are mostly at a mid or high altitude. These cats can be seen roaming around rivers too as they are pretty good at catching fishes.

Who do lynx live with?

Lynxes are mainly solitary in nature. But a few times they can be seen in groups when they go hunting or travel.

Usually, these cats have their own territory where they live and sometimes they overlap as the males of the species have larger territories. These cats can climb trees pretty smoothly. So, they can be seen sitting on top of trees for a large amount of time too.

How long does a lynx live?

Lynxes can live well for quite a few years. On average, the lifespan of a lynx is about 12-17 years when they are living in the wild. Whereas in captivity, the lifespan of these cats is about 26 years.

How do they reproduce?

While lynxes are solitary creatures, they come together when mating season arrives. The mating season comes in the season of spring, around the months of January to July. Mainly, so that the mothers get enough time to teach the young ones how to survive before the next winter.

The breeding season comes a bit later for the cats that live at a higher altitude. The species is polygynous in nature where if the territories of multiple cats collapse, then both the genders have multiple partners. The males of the species leave after mating.

The females take care of the babies. The gestation period varies among the four species.

It ranges from 55-74 days. The average litter size is about one to five lynx kittens. When the cubs are six months of age, the mother starts to teach them to hunt to get them ready for the coming winter.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the conservation status of Bobcat,  Eurasian lynx, and Canada Lynx is Least Concern. Whereas the conservation status of the Iberian lynx is Endangered.

The population of Canada lynx and Eurasian lynx is being protected by the governments of their respective regions. Conservation efforts to increase the number of Iberian lynx are being done all throughout Spain.

Lynx Fun Facts

What do lynx look like?

Lynx are big cats and their body is evenly proportioned to help them survive in the wild. These cats have a long body which helps them move along deep drifts. At the end of their body, the tail is rather short and has black tips.

The coat or fur is always long and dense. The color varies from beige to golden brown with black spots and black marks on the face.

The side of their belly is white. Their ears are large and have black tufts running from the outer side to the tip. They also have long legs and large paws to move about any harsh surface easily.

How cute are they?

Cats in general are some of the cutest animals on the planet. The lynx cats on top of that are gorgeous.

They have a royal appearance and their tranquil movement even in the harshness of the wild speaks volumes about these cats. Some of them have been seen to be friendly with humans and other animals, which only adds to their cuteness.

How do they communicate?

Like any other cat, the lynx can make sounds like chatter, yowl, or hiss. The young may cry to call out their parents but other than that, these cats don't communicate that way a lot.

Mostly they communicate by spreading scent secreted from their bodies and by urinating to mark their territories. Their hearing ability is excellent and their long whiskers help them sense vibration which helps them get a sense of their surroundings.

How big is a lynx?

Compared to all wild cats, lynxes are medium-sized cats. The lynx size in terms of length is about 36-55 in (91.4-140 cm) adding their head and body. The length of their tails is about 4-8 in (10.1-20.3 cm).

They are about 24 in (60 cm) tall when they are standing. The largest wildcats in the world are tigers. These largest wildcats are three times bigger than the lynxes in terms of length.

How fast can a lynx run?

These cats can run pretty fast. But still, their method of catching their prey is sneaking up on their prey and attacking them by jumping on them. A lynx has a speed of about 40-50 mph (64.4-80.5 kmph). They can also move along in the snow in a very smooth manner.

How much does a lynx weigh?

On average between all four species, a lynx weighs 18-38 lb (8-17.3 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

The males of the species are called tom or tomcats. While for females of the species, in terms of inbreeding, the neutered females are called queens.

What would you call a baby lynx?

A baby of cats is called a kitten. They were once called catlings but in today's world, no one uses the term anymore. So the baby of a lynx would be called a lynx kitten.

What do they eat?

Lynxes are mainly carnivorous animals. The lynx diet mainly includes hare, small ungulates, and rodents. They are pretty good at catching fish.

These cats spend a lot of time hunting for their prey on trees. They wait for their prey and then jump and attack them.

These cats at times share their territories with wolves and they coexist pretty well too as the diet of the two animals differs in nature. If there's a shortage of food, domesticated cats are well within the limit of their preferred prey size. So, sometimes they can be seen hunting for cats too.

Are they dangerous?

Lynxes are not aggressive or dangerous animals but they will defend themselves if they are threatened in any way. They would not hesitate to even attack humans if the need arises, but these animals attacking or killing any human has never been recorded.

Would they make a good pet?

They make pretty good pets with caring owners. They are creatures of the wild. So, it is also essential that they are brought home at a very young age to get them accustomed to the lifestyle and their surroundings.

In terms of temperament, they are friendly. But some can seem reserved. Whatever their nature may be, if they are kept at home from a young age, they definitely make good pets.

Did you know...

The name of the animal, 'lynx' originated from a Greek word. This Greek word means 'light or brightness'. It is believed that they were named this for the luminescence of their eyes.

In the case of lynx vs bobcat, lynx is the genus to which bobcat belongs. This genus includes a total of four different species of lynx cats.

Owing to their mysterious nature, this animal has been named 'shadow of the forest'.

The most similarity among the species is between the Bobcats and the Canada lynx.

The Canada lynx can be seen storing their food under the snow to eat that food at a later time.

Lynxes have excellent vision. They can see a mouse from a great distance of 250 ft (76.2 m).

The plural form of lynx can be both lynx and lynxes.

Can lynx be pets?

Pet lynxes are not uncommon. If they are domesticated as kittens, they are great companions. They love their owner as much as a pet dog or cat does, but their behavior is not the same, due to their inherent nature.

Lynxes are not made for the indoors. Therefore, they are not very easy to look after. Bobcats are more compatible pets than Canada lynxes due to their stronger ability to bond with people.

How to draw a lynx?

Lynx drawing is pretty easy. Just follow these steps below to draw this animal like a professional:

First draw a small circle, a rectangle, and a larger circle coming down to the bottom left of the page from the upper right of the page.

Make a simple cat face on the smaller circle. It must include eyes, ears, nose, and a little mouth.

Now add the hind legs in a sitting manner like a big 'L' and add the front legs stretched straight down and draw four little paws at the end of the legs.

Join the rectangular and circle shapes to give the body the shape of a cake.

Now draw the tail from behind the cat in a wavy manner.

Add a few details like the whiskers, fingers on the paws.

Finish the drawing by giving the lynx its most unique feature, the tuft of hair on top of the ears making them pointy.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including South China tiger, or Siberian tiger.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our lynx coloring pages.