Download 2.13 CSR Lynx Links

Lynx Links
Section 1: What is a lynx?
The name lynx comes from the Greek word, leukos, which means white. That’s not surprising,
because these wild cats tend to live where there is a lot of snow. In fact, as you will soon discover, lynx
are uniquely suited to travel and hunt in deep snow.
The lynx is on of Colorado’s three native species of wild felines (cats)-the others being the
mountain lion and the bobcat. It’s easy to distinguish a lynx from a mountain lion. Lynx weigh about 20
to 30 pounds; lions weigh about 130 pounds. Lynx have short bobbed tailed, and mountain lions have
graceful, black-tipped tails that are nearly three feet long.
On the other hand, telling a lynx from a bobcat can be pretty difficult if you don’t know what to
look for. Both are about twice the size of a house cat, have bobbed tails, and tufts of fur on the tips of
their ears. But the two cats do have some noticeable differences! The tip of the tail on a lynx is
completely black, as if the tail had been dipped in ink. The tip of the tail of a bobcat has a black spot on
the top and is white underneath, and the bobcat’s tail will often have several black stripes. Lynx typically
have long, thick fur that is uniformly grayish-brown in winter, and shorter and more reddish in the
summer. They do not have spots and striping. In contrast, bobcats will typically have distinct spotting on
their coats and striping on their front legs and faces.
The most obvious difference between lynx and bobcats are in the paws. Lynx feet are huge and
look out of proportion to the rest of their body-like furry clown feet! Bobcats have much smaller paws
and in profile the look mostly like a big house cat.
Section 2: The history of the Lynx in Colorado
Lynx sightings have always been rare in Colorado. Perhaps this is because this secretive cat lives
in areas where most people don’t usually travel, or perhaps they have never existed in large numbers. A
1911 report referred to lynx as common in some parts of the state, but mentioned that the population is
rapidly decreasing. Prior to the reintroduction program, only 18 lynx had been seen in the state and 14
of those occurred between 1878 and 1935. The last known lynx in Colorado was illegally trapped and
killed on the Vail ski area in February 1973.
Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) biologists began to wonder is any lynx remained in the
state. Between 1979 and 1998, researchers conducted 12 investigations in Colorado looking for Lynx.
Few of the results showed any possibility of lynx populations still being present in Colorado.
Section 3: Cool Cats, Cool Science
One hundred years ago, Colorado had fewer than 2,000 elk, 7,000 deer, and 1,000 pronghorn.
Through the efforts of involved citizens and the DOW, our state now has more than 300,000 elk,
500,000 deer, and 60,000 pronghorn. The DOW has also restored the diminishing populations of river
otters, peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and trout to healthy levels.
Now, a historic and heroic project is underway to return the beautiful Canada lynx to its historic
range in Colorado. In 1999, a lynx restoration project began. This is only the second time in North
America that a lynx restoration project has been attempted. The first effort to establish lynx in
Adirondack Park in New York in the late 1980’s failed. There was no adequate monitoring plan, and it
was impossible to understand where the project went wrong.
When reintroducing a species into a population, one must take into account the possible impact
that species may have. Is it a predator or a prey? What animal populations will be affected by the
reintroduction and how? Many questions must be considered before a project of this nature is
attempted. Also, if a project like this is to be a success, inbreeding, or mating with relatives, must be
avoided. If inbreeding is to occur, genetic mutations could happen and the populations could crash.
Therefore, scientists must make sure populations get to a viable number in order for success. The lynx is
a historic animal in Colorado, and could a crucial part to the snowy mountain ecosystem’s structure.