Spanish lynx (Lynx pardinus, Felis pardinus)Eng. Iberian lynx. Lynx Spanish Iberian lynx

11.06.2019

The Iberian (Iberian or Spanish) lynx is the rarest predatory animal of the cat family. This lynx is one of the fastest endangered species on the planet from the cat family.

Appearance of the Pyrenean lynx

The size of the Pyrenean lynx is much smaller than the common one. Body length: 65-100 cm, tail length: 5-19 cm, shoulder height: 40-50 cm. The Pyrenean lynx weighs from 13 to 25 kg.

The Pyrenean lynx is smaller than the Eurasian lynx, it has a shorter tail, a muscular body and long legs. The Pyrenean lynx has relatively short, coarse fur that is bright yellowish red to yellowish brown with brown or black spots, white Bottom part body. Male Pyrenean lynxes are larger than females and both have prominent muzzle whiskers and long tufts. dark hair at the tips of the ears.

AT winter time years, the coat of the Spanish lynx fades a little and becomes a little thinner, which makes it look less voluminous.

Habitat of the Pyrenean lynx

The habitat of the Pyrenean lynx is southwestern Spain ( most of- in national park Coto Doñana), although it was originally widespread in Spain and Portugal. Now its range is limited to mountainous terrain.

Lifestyle and nutrition of the Pyrenean lynx

The Pyrenean lynx leads a solitary lifestyle. Hunting possessions reach fifteen square kilometers, which they carefully guard. Only females can enter the territory of males. The solitude of lynxes stops only during the mating season.

The activity of the lynx depends on the season. In winter, she hunts during the day, and in summer, escaping from the heat, mainly at night. The Pyrenean lynx is a very fastidious predator in food. Despite the fact that she can eat rodents and deer cubs, the main diet is hares and rabbits (75% of all food). One rabbit is enough per day for a predator. Previously, rabbits were found in abundance in these places, but now everything is different. In the middle of the 20th century, the South American virus reduced their number. Accordingly, because of this, the number of the Spanish lynx has declined sharply.

The prey usually lies in wait in the bushes, and when the victim approaches a distance of several steps, the lynx rushes at it.

Reproduction and lifespanIberian lynx

The mating season of the Iberian lynx lasts from January to July. Responsibilities for raising offspring are assigned only to the female, the father does not take part in them.

Preparing for the birth of babies, the mother finds a secluded place, in the form of a cavity in the trunk of a cork oak or suitable thickets. Seventy days after mating, from one to four kittens are born, weighing about two hundred grams. Up to five months they feed on mother's milk, although they can eat their usual food already in a month. Hunt independently after seven months. And despite this, the cubs remain close to their mother until they find their hunting grounds. It often takes up to two years.

When the kittens reach 2 months of age, they begin to show aggression towards each other. Sometimes even one kitten kills another. Experts believe that attacks of aggression are associated with the transition from mother's milk to meat. AT wild nature The Pyrenean lynx lives a maximum of 13 years.

The first case of reproduction of the Pyrenean lynx in captivity took place on March 29, 2005. On that day, three kittens were born. In May, one of the kittens died while playing with his brother. In 2006, 4 kittens were born in captivity.

Population status and protection

The Pyrenean lynx is one of the most rare species mammals. According to an estimate for 2005, its population is only 100 individuals. For comparison: at the beginning of the 20th century there were about 100 thousand of them, by 1960 - already 3 thousand, by 2000 - only 400. Included in Appendix I of CITES (Convention on international trade endangered species wildlife and flora), as well as in the lists of the World Conservation Union ( IUCN), to category I (endangered animals).

The reasons for the extinction of this species include: the destruction of its habitat, historical persecution by humans; a decrease in its potential production (mountain rabbit) due to two viral diseases (myxomatosis in the 50s and viral haemorrhagic disease of the rabbit in the 80s). In recent years, there has been a medical risk due to the lack of genetic diversity, which makes the Iberian lynx very vulnerable to disease.

Measures to restore the Pyrenean lynx population

Since the end of the 20th century, a lot of work has been done to save this species from imminent extinction through various conservation projects.

Fortunately, according to the results of the calculation carried out in 2015, one can see the first fruits of this huge work. Data show that the Iberian lynx population has quadrupled in the last 15 years.

In order to bring back the lynx population, Natura 2000 designated special conservation areas and LICs (objects of special importance) that indirectly protected the protected Mediterranean mountains, their fauna and flora.

Such a small population of the Iberian lynx is threatened by a growing risk to its health associated with low genetic diversity and it is because of this that additions were made to programs that were focused on returning the species to the natural environment, captive breeding projects were launched to provide the species with sufficient numbers healthy animals.

The Endangered Iberian Lynx Program has two goals: on the one hand, to restore the lynx population in breeding centers, which is real and allows the development of natural and assisted reproduction techniques. Secondly, to prepare individual individuals of the Iberian lynx for their re-breeding in places that this species has historically inhabited.

In particular, the goal is to maintain 85% of the current genetic variability within 30 years. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to have a reproducing core consisting of at least 60 individuals (30 females and 30 males).

As part of captive breeding programs, it is necessary to strive to ensure that the lynx lives in similar conditions as it did in its natural environment, which is very important especially for individuals that will be released into the wild. Specialists who today work in breeding centers strive to awaken the behaviors characteristic of lynxes: hunting, territoriality, social interaction, as well as create a stress-free environment that will facilitate playback.

On the this moment There are five breeding centers for the Iberian lynx. Per Last year as part of the reproduction program, 23 females became pregnant. As a result, 48 Pyrenean lynx kittens were born and then successfully weaned. The kitten survival rate was 83%.

Pyrenean lynx (lat. Lynx pardinus), also called Spanish, Iberian or Sardinian, was formerly considered by many zoologists as a variety. But with a significant similarity, these species are still different, and, as it turned out, they evolved independently of one another - each in its own branch. Among the most obvious differences between the Pyrenean lynx and its family mate are the size (“Pyrenees” are smaller than “Eurasians”), as well as a lighter background color and pronounced spotting, which makes the fur of the animal look like a leopard color.

In winter, the fluffy coat becomes thinner and loses its brightness, which visually deprives the cat of a significant part of the volume, but the muzzle of the beast is still decorated with a luxurious fur frame. The length of the body of the Pyrenean lynx is about a meter, while the fifth part is given to the tail - short, thick, with a black-colored end. The wide paws of a cat are ideally suited for movement in mountainous areas, because the Pyrenean lynxes are real natives of the Spanish mountains.

flickr/vivtony00

They firmly settled in the southwestern regions of Spain, and most of the individuals concentrated in Coto Doñana - a giant nature park, on the territory of which many birds and animals live, among which you can meet very outlandish species. However, few of the animals can compete with the Pyrenean lynx with uniqueness, since this animal belongs not only to rare species, but to endangered ones - there are no more than a few hundred of them in the world.

A strong and graceful cat boasts extraordinary hunting abilities: although rabbits with hares, fish, birds and small rodents occupy dominant positions in its standard menu, the lynx is quite capable of attacking more large animal- say, a roe deer or a deer, the size of which is many times greater than its own.

flickr/Simon Littlejohn

Like most wild cats, Iberian lynx leads night image life, preferring to hide from prying eyes during the day. They live alone, carefully guarding the borders of their territory from unwanted intrusions. The sites of males can be an area of 15-18 square meters. km, and only females are in the possession of male relatives - their habitats often intersect with the territory of cats.

The breeding season for the Iberian lynx lasts almost half a year - from January to July. Males throughout mating season can mate with several females, but the offspring of each cat can appear no more than once a year. To make the process of the birth of kittens more comfortable, the gestation period, which lasts an average of 70-80 days, the expectant mother devotes to finding and arranging a suitable den. Secluded thickets or a cavity in a tree trunk are quite suitable for this.

There are usually 1 to 4 kittens in a litter. The fathers of the family are not very concerned about the fate of the offspring, and all the care for the babies falls on the female. A caring mother, wanting to protect her heirs from troubles and protect them from enemies, every three weeks takes her cubs to a new lair - more spacious and more comfortable than the previous one. Up to 5 months, the lynx feeds kittens with milk, although already at the age of one month they are able to switch to solid food. And even the mother does not deprive even fairly grown children of guardianship and does not leave them unattended: the lynxes remain on her territory until they find their own site.

The Pyrenean or Iberian lynx belongs to the cat family of the lynx genus. Is under the threat of extinction. Until the middle of the 19th century, it lived throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Currently found only in certain areas in southern Spain in Andalusia. He prefers to live among meadows and arable lands, located near shrubs and wooded area. But taking into account small numbers found mainly in mountainous areas and occasionally in lowland forests.

Ears with tassels, long legs, short tail. Its length is 15-30 cm. On the lower jaw, the fur is long and resembles a beard. The muzzle is narrow, the jaws are elongated, the fangs are small. The color of the fur is yellowish-brown and diluted with dark spots. The body length is 85-110 cm. The height at the withers is 60-70 cm. Males are larger than females. Their weight varies from 13 to 26 kg. Females weigh an average of 10 kg.

Reproduction and lifespan

Pregnancy lasts about 2 months. Kittens are born from March to September. The peak birth rate is in March-April. There are mainly 2-3 kittens in the litter. The maximum is 5 kittens. Newborns weigh 200-250 gr. Young people become independent at 7-9 months, but remain with their mother until 20 months. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 1 year.

When the kittens reach 2 months of age, they begin to show aggression towards each other. Sometimes even one kitten kills another. Experts believe that attacks of aggression are associated with the transition from mother's milk to meat. In the wild, the Iberian lynx lives for a maximum of 13 years.

Behavior and nutrition

This predatory cat is active at dusk and at night. The lifestyle is solitary. The prey usually lies in wait in the bushes, and when the victim approaches a distance of several steps, the lynx rushes at it. Each individual has its own territory, which ranges from 5 to 20 square meters. km. Borders are marked with urine, excrement and scratches on tree bark.

Hunting is carried out on small animals. The main diet is hares and rabbits (75% of all food). One rabbit is enough per day for a predator. In addition, rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects are eaten. Sometimes a predatory cat preys on young fallow deer and roe deer.

population

The number of species over the past 20 years has decreased by 80%. In 2005, there were no more than 100 individuals of the Pyrenean lynxes, and in 1960 there were 4 thousand of them. Today, there is a program for breeding these cats in captivity. Spain plans to organize special center where representatives of the species will be bred. They want to make a similar center in Portugal. In captivity, cats breed and the cubs survive. This practice has been going on since 2002.

It has another name - the Iberian lynx. It lives in the southwest of Spain and Portugal.

By your kind spanish lynx similar to their relatives who live in Eurasia. She has wide long paws, very short tail. The fur of the lynx is long, there are “tanks” on the muzzle, black tassels on the ears and a long mustache. In winter, the fur of the Spanish lynx is light and thick, in summer it is even the other way around. Like many animals, females are smaller than males.

The main background of the lynx color is light, with dark, pronounced spots. The length of the body reaches up to one hundred and ten centimeters, the tail accounts for about twelve centimeters, at the withers the height reaches up to seventy centimeters. An adult weighs from four to ten kilograms. Life expectancy is from ten to thirty years.

The Spanish lynx lives in forested mountainous areas. You can also find them both in forest thickets and on open places. The main enemy of the animal is man.

The main food ration is made up of hares, rabbits and rats. Not averse to eating insects, birds, fish and reptiles. AT warm time years, the lynx leads an active nocturnal lifestyle, in winter it prefers to hunt during the day. In bad weather, it hides in full trees or in caves. Runs great. Nature has endowed the Spanish lynx well developed charm and vision, which allows the animal to detect prey at a distance of up to three hundred meters. In one day, a lynx can travel up to seventy kilometers.

The Spanish lynx guards its prey from ambush, hiding on a tree branch, behind a rock or behind a stump. When the prey comes close, it will attack the prey.

The Spanish or Iberian lynx, in addition to the breeding season, leads a solitary lifestyle and protects its site well from strangers. Reproduction begins at the time when the male acquires his own territory, usually by the age of three. During the breeding season, a male may mate with several females. The female brings offspring only once a year. She makes a birthing den in hollow trees. Pregnancy lasts from seventy-two days to seventy-eight days. There are no more than three cubs in a litter. The female mother feeds the babies with milk for five months, and at the age of seven to ten months she releases them, as they say, "to free bread." However, they still continue to live in the possessions of their mother for up to twenty months.

The Spanish lynx is pursued by humans for its meat and skin. Hunting for the Iberian lynx was banned in early 1970, but they continue to be hunted to this day. The lynx is persecuted by the local population, namely farmers, as a predator that attacks livestock from time to time.

The Spanish lynx is a rare species listed in the International Red Book. In 2005, the population was about one hundred and two hundred adults. The main threats to the species are considered to be: a decrease in the number of food resources (European rabbit), loss of habitats (cutting down and destruction of cork and oak forests) and huge mortality on the roads in a collision with vehicles.

After years of effort, the world's most endangered feline population is starting to recover. Today we take a closer look at the Iberian lynx and take a look at the beautiful and very soulful photographs taken by the Endangered Iberian Lynx Conservation Program, which complements the ongoing efforts to conserve the environment in which our most rare species of lynx lives.

Appearance and habits of the Iberian lynx

The Iberian or Spanish, Sardinian, Pyrenean lynx (lat. Lynx pardinus) is a rapidly disappearing cat species on the planet, the reasons for the extinction of this species include: the destruction of its habitat, historical persecution by humans; reduction of its potential production (mountain rabbit) due to two viral diseases (myxomatosis in the 50s and viral hemorrhagic disease of the rabbit in the 80s); in recent years, a medical risk due to the lack of genetic diversity, which makes the Iberian lynx very vulnerable to disease.

The Iberian lynx is integral part evolutionary development large carnivores. Although its appearance resembles a large cat, it is much closer to a tiger on an evolutionary scale. In addition, she has character traits, which clearly differ from other animal species of the Iberian Peninsula, which fortunately makes great efforts to restore the population of this beautiful and very rare lynx.

A photo. Cute lynx muzzle

A photo. Mom looks after active Iberian lynx kittens

A photo. Little kitty iberian lynx

The Iberian lynx is smaller in size than the Eurasian lynx (lat. lynx lynx), it has a characteristically shortened tail, recognizable coat, muscular body and long legs. It has relatively short coarse fur that is bright yellowish red to yellowish brown with brown or black spots, and a white underparts. Male Iberian lynxes are larger than females, and both have prominent whiskers on their muzzles and long tufts of dark hair at the tips of their ears.

Animal sizes. Body length: 65-100 cm, shoulder height: 40-50 cm, tail length: 5-19 cm, weight 5-15 kg.

The Iberian lynx is mostly nocturnal, peaking at dusk when people leave their homes to feed their pets. Both sexes are solitary and territorial, with the male's territory overlapping with that of several females. Females reach sexual maturity in their first year of life, but only start breeding after they have established their own territory. Peaks of the mating season occur at the beginning of the year: January and February, the birth of kittens occurs in two months. The female takes care of her litter herself, which may have one to four kittens in a lair, which may be in a thicket or in a hollow tree. Weaning occurs at about eight months of age, but youngsters tend to stay in the same territory until they are 20 months old. European rabbits(lat. Oryctolagus cuniculus) form the main food of the Iberian lynx, in contrast to the larger Eurasian lynx, which mainly feeds on ungulates such as roe deer (lat. capreolus capreolus) and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra). Lynx can also eat little deer if there are very few rabbits.

A photo. Evolution of the territory reduction of the Iberian lynx

Historically, the lynx is distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. Until the mid-1990s, a small and highly fragmented population was found only in declining areas of suitable habitat in the central and southwestern parts of Spain, and in parts of Portugal. Currently, there are approximately 360 individuals.

Measures to restore the population of the Iberian lynx

Fortunately, already according to the results of the calculation carried out in 2015, one can see the first fruits of this titanic work. Data show that the population of the Iberian lynx has quadrupled in the last 15 years.

A photo. Adult Iberian lynx

A photo. Little growing claws

A photo. Iberian lynx kittens at a gathering

It is very difficult to save this animal from the cat family from extinction. The Iberian lynx is what is called an “umbrella species”, which means that by keeping the lynx we will also protect the environment in which it lives: the Mediterranean forest and many other species that are not so well known in the media. In particular, most of the efforts are aimed at increasing the population of the mountain (rocky) rabbit, as we already wrote, they were subjected to two terrible viral diseases.

Trot control as large predator also carried out so that there is no overabundance of other predators such as foxes and mongooses. Interestingly, the result has been less pressure on the rabbit, the main prey of the lynx, which in turn is the main food of a species that is also threatened with extinction like the imperial Iberian eagle.

Such a small population of the Iberian lynx is threatened by a growing risk to its health associated with low genetic diversity, and it is because of this that additions were made to programs that were focused on returning the species to the natural environment, captive breeding projects were launched to provide the species with sufficient numbers healthy animals.

The Endangered Iberian Lynx Conservation Program has two goals: on the one hand, to restore the lynx population in breeding centers, which is realistic and allows the development of natural and assisted reproduction techniques. Secondly, to prepare individual individuals of the Iberian lynx for their re-breeding in places that this species has historically inhabited.

A photo. Growing baby lynx

A photo. Three very small Iberian lynx kittens

A photo. Care in the breeding centers of the Iberian lynx

A photo. Lynx kittens on a fallen tree trunk

As part of captive breeding programs, it is necessary to strive to ensure that the lynx lives in similar conditions as it did in its natural environment, which is very important especially for individuals that will be released into the wild. Specialists who work in breeding centers today strive to evoke the behaviors of lynxes: hunting, territoriality, social interaction, as well as to create a stress-free environment that will facilitate reproduction.

At the moment, there are five centers belonging to the Network of Iberian Lynx Breeding Centers: El Acebuche (Matalascañas, province of Huelva, Spain), Zoobotánico de Jerez (Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain), Silvis (Silves, Portugal), Granadilla ( Sarza de Granadilla, province of Cáceres, Spain), and Olivilla (Santa Elena, province of Jaén, Spain).

Over the past year, as part of the reproduction program, 23 females have become pregnant. As a result, 48 Iberian lynx kittens were born and then successfully weaned. The kitten survival rate was 83%, which is much better than the 74% average kitten survival rate over the past 11 years.

Since the Iberian lynx is the smallest of all lynx species, the likelihood of an attack on a person is very small, especially considering its population and habitat (Spain and Portugal). Read more about our other article, as well as how to avoid confrontation with this animal.

Iberian lynx genome decoded
A study coordinated by scientists from the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC - Higher Council for scientific research), has completed genome sequencing of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), one of the world's rarest endangered felines. One of the key findings of the study was evidence of "extreme erosion" of the DNA of this endemic carnivorous mammal of the Iberian Peninsula.

This is the first and full-fledged decoding of the mammalian genome, which was completely carried out in Spain.

The genome of the Iberian lynx represents poor genetic diversity, even worse than that of tasmanian devil and Japanese ibis.

Scientists from various fields of science, such as bioinformatics, genomics, oncology and evolution, have managed to count and sort 2400 billion letters of DNA from a male born in the city of Sierra Morena, which is part of a captive breeding program. The study identified 21,257 genes similar to those of cats, tigers, cheetahs and dogs.

The experts found traces of changes associated with hearing, vision and smell, facilitating the adaptation of the lynx to environment, a skill that allowed her to become a great rabbit hunter. In addition to studying the genomes of ten other Iberian lynxes from Doñana and the Sierra Morena and conducting comparative analysis with the European lynx, the relationship between two lynxes living in Eurasia was analyzed.

Genome sequencing has confirmed the presence of a large number potentially harmful genetic variations that are responsible for the reduced survival and reproduction rates of this species. The genetic decline is more pronounced in the Doñana population, which has half the genetic diversity of the Sierra Morena lynx.

This stage will contribute to the search for ways to control and genetically preserve the Iberian lynx population. The study was published in the December 2016 issue of Genome Biology.