Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Listing Status: and
General Information
The lynx is a medium-sized cat with long legs, large, well-furred paws, long tufts on the ears, and a short, black-tipped tail. The winter pelage of the lynx is dense and has a grizzled appearance with grayish-brown mixed with buff or pale brown fur on the back, and grayish-white or buff-white fur on the belly, legs and feet. Summer pelage of the lynx is more reddish to gray-brown. Adult males average 10 kilograms (22 pounds) in weight and 85 centimeters (33.5 inches) in length (head to tail), and females average 8.5 kilograms (19 pounds) and 82 centimeters (32 inches). The lynx’s long legs and large feet make it highly adapted for hunting in deep snow. The distribution of lynx in North America is closely associated with the distribution of North American boreal forest. In Canada and Alaska, lynx inhabit the classic boreal forest ecosystem known as the taiga. The range of lynx populations extends south from the classic boreal forest zone into the subalpine forest of the western United States, and the boreal/hardwood forest ecotone in the eastern United States. Forests with boreal features extend south into the contiguous United States along the North Cascade and Rocky Mountain Ranges in the west, the western Great Lakes Region, and northern Maine. Within these general forest types, lynx are most likely to persist in areas that receive deep snow and have high-density populations of snowshoe hares, the principal prey of lynx.
Population detail
The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Canada Lynx
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This map represents our best available information about where a species is currently known to or or is believed to occur; however, it should NOT be used as an official species list for Section 7 Consultation purposes. To obtain an official species list for this purpose, please visit the Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) System (click here: http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac)
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Population location: U.S.A. (CO, ID, ME, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, OR, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY)
Listing status: Threatened
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Colorado , Idaho , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , Montana , New Hampshire , New York , Oregon , Utah , Vermont , Washington , Wisconsin , Wyoming
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
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Population location: New Mexico population
Listing status: Candidate
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: New Mexico
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
| Status | Date Listed | Lead Region | Where Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/24/2000 | Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) | (Contiguous U.S. DPS) | |
| Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) | NM population |
» Candidate Information
Current Candidate Status
» Recovery
Recovery Plan Information Search| Date | Title | Plan Action Status | Plan Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/14/2005 | Recovery Outline for the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) | Recovery efforts in progress, but no implementation information yet to display | Outline |
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/18/2007 | 72 FR 19549 19551 | Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Seven Wildlife Species and Two Plant Species in the Mountain-Prairie Region |
» Critical Habitat
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/25/2009 | 74 FR 8616 8702 | Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx | Final Rule | Final designated |
| 02/28/2008 | 73 FR 10860 10896 | Revised Critical Habitat for the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment ofthe Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis): Proposed rule. | Proposed Rule | Not Required |
| 11/09/2006 | 71 FR 66008 66061 | Designation of Critical Habitat for the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx | Final Rule | Not Required |
| 11/09/2005 | 70 FR 68294 68328 | Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx; Proposed Rule | Proposed Rule | Not Required |
To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov
» Conservation Plans
| HCP Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Cedar River Watershed HCP |
| City of Tacoma, Tacoma Water HCP |
| Incidental Take Plan for Maine's Trapping Program |
| Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Lands |
| Plum Creek Timber I-90 HCP, Amendment (addition of Canada lynx and Puget Sound/Coastal DPS of bull trout) |
» Petitions
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/21/2012 | 77 FR 69993 70060 | Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions | |
| 10/26/2011 | 76 FR 66370 66439 | Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions | |
| 12/17/2009 | 74 FR 66937 66950 | 12-month Finding on a Petition To Change the Final Listing of the Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx To Include New Mexico | |
| 12/18/2008 | 73 FR 76990 76994 | 90-Day Finding on a Petition To Change the Listing Status of the Canada Lynx | |
| 07/08/1998 | 63 FR 36994 37013 | ETWP; Proposal To List the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx; Proposed Rule |
» Life History
Habitat Requirements
Lynx habitat can generally be described as moist boreal forests that have cold, snowy winters and a high-density snowshoe hare prey base. The predominant vegetation of boreal forest is conifer trees, primarily species of spruce (Picea spp.) and fir (Abies spp.). In the contiguous United States, the boreal forest type transitions to deciduous temperate forest in the Northeast and Great Lakes, and to subalpine forest in the west. In mountainous areas, the boreal forests that lynx use are characterized by scattered moist forest types with high hare densities in a matrix of other habitats (e.g., hardwoods, dry forest, non-forest) with low hare densities. In these areas, lynx incorporate the matrix habitat (non-boreal forest habitat elements) into their home ranges and use it for traveling between patches of boreal forest that support high hare densities where most foraging occurs.
Food Habits
Snowshoe hares are the primary prey of lynx, comprising the bulk of the lynx diet throughout its range. Without high densities of snowshoe hares, lynx are unable to sustain populations despite utilizing a multitude of other prey when snowshoe hare numbers are low. Other prey species include red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), grouse (Bonasa umbellus, Dendragopus spp., Lagopus spp.), flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii, S. Richardsonii), porcupine (Erethrizon dorsatum), beaver (Castor canadensis), mice (Peromyscus spp.), voles (Microtus spp.), shrews (Sorex spp.), fish. Ungulate carrion may also be consumed.
Movement / Home Range
Individual lynx maintain large home ranges generally between 12 to 83 square miles. The size of lynx home ranges varies depending on abundance of prey, the animal’s gender and age, season, and the density of lynx populations. When densities of snowshoe hares decline, for example, lynx enlarge their home ranges to obtain sufficient amounts of food to survive and reproduce. Lynx also make long distance exploratory movements outside their home ranges. Preliminary research supports the hypothesis that lynx home ranges at the southern extent of the species’ range are generally large compared to those in the core of the range in Canada, indicating a relative reduction of food resources in these areas.
Reproductive Strategy
Breeding occurs through March and April in the north. Kittens are born in May to June in southcentral Yukon. The male lynx does not help with rearing young. Yearling females may give birth during periods when hares are abundant. During periods of hare abundance in the northern taiga, litter size of adult females averages four to five kittens. Litter sizes are typically smaller in lynx populations in the contiguous United States.
Other
In all regions within the range of the lynx in the contiguous United States, timber harvest, recreation, and their related activities are the predominant land uses affecting lynx habitat. The primary factor that caused the lynx to be listed was the lack of guidance for the conservation of lynx and snowshoe hare habitat in plans for federally managed lands. Landscape connectivity between lynx populations and habitats in Canada and the contiguous United States must be maintained. Lynx movements may be negatively affected by high traffic volume on roads that bisect suitable lynx habitat, such as in the Southern Rockies, and in some areas, mortalities due to road kill are high.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
