BIOLOGICAL DATA AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Lynx lynx | Lynx 



TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS : 
Breeding age -  1 year
Breeding season -  January or February, sometimes into April [2,18]
Gestation period -  60 days
Birthing season -  March or April, sometimes May or June
Maximum lifespan -  15 to 18 years in captivity

Lynx populations usually fluctuate in a cycle with snowshoe hare
populations, peaking about every 9 to 10 years [3,7,16,21].


PREFERRED HABITAT : 
Lynx occur in both dense climax forests and second-growth stands.  In
Alaska and Canada, they prefer boreal forests, and in the Intermountain
West, they prefer spruce (Picea spp.)-subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests.  In Washington, Idaho, and
Montana, lynx occur above 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in elevation; in Wyoming,
above 6,500 feet (1,900 m); and in Colorado and Utah, above 8,000 feet
(2,400 m) [13].


COVER REQUIREMENTS : 
Lynx require a mix of early and late seral habitats to meet their food
and cover needs.  Early seral habitats provide the lynx with a prey
base, while mature forests provide denning space and hiding cover.
Pockets of dense forest must be interspersed with prey habitat.  Lynx
den in rotten logs, beneath tree roots, and in rock crevices.  Koehler
[12] reported that lynx use forests with a high density of downfall logs
(>40 logs per 40 yards [46 m] lying 1 to 4 feet [0.3-1.3 m] above the
ground).


FOOD HABITS : 
Lynx prey primarily on snowshoe hare.  Their diet also includes ducks
(Anas spp.), upland game birds, especially grouse (Dendragapus spp.),
and various forest rodents, including squirrels (Scuirids,
Spermophilids).  Lynx also feed on deer, moose, and caribou carcasses.
Saunders [19] reported that lynx are able to kill these large mammals.


PREDATORS : 
Predators of lynx include man, mountain lion (Felis concolor), bear
(Ursus spp.), and other lynx.


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Lynx can be managed by managing for snowshoe hare, their primary prey.
Hare populations increase dramatically following disturbance,
particularly fire.  However, Koehler [13] reported that hare
recolonization may not occur until 6 to 7 years following logging, and
that hare densities may not reach their maximum for another 20 to 25
years.  This depends on site conditions and type of treatment.  As
stands become older (about 20 to 30 years old), their benefits to
snowshoe hare decrease [13].

Because of the cyclic nature of the population, one management strategy
to ensure kitten recruitment would be to put a moratorium on trapping
for the 3 years following the declining phase of lynx [21].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Lynx lynx | Lynx