Eurasian lynx

스라소니

A forest hunter known for its black ear tufts, with big furry paws that work like snowshoes. It lives alone and stalks roe deer and hares at dusk and night, relying on sharp hearing and eyesight to find them.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Carpathian Mountains, Ukraine
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 19 kg
Length: about 1.2 m
Lifespan: up to about 24 years
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: forests, mountains

Quick answers

Where does the Eurasian lynx live?

It lives in forests, mountains. On the globe you can find it near Carpathian Mountains, Ukraine.

How big is the Eurasian lynx?

It grows to about 1.2 m and 19 kg.

What does the Eurasian lynx eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

How long does the Eurasian lynx live?

It can live up to about 24 years.

Is the Eurasian lynx endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized wild cat and the largest of the four lynx species. It lives from northern, central and eastern Europe across Siberia to Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas, in forests up to 5,500 metres high. It is easy to spot by the black tufts on its ears.

Its coat is reddish or brown with black spots, and thicker and greyer in winter. Males are 76 to 106 cm long without the tail, and stand 55 to 75 cm at the shoulder. Most weigh 12 to 32 kg. Its Korean name sirasoni first appears in a book from 1527, and the cat is also known by other old names.

Built for snow

It has long legs and large, furry, webbed paws that work like snowshoes in deep snow. The short, black-tipped tail and the ruff of grey and white fur around the face are other clues.

Ear tufts help it with hearing. It lives alone, resting in hollows, under fallen trees or in rocks, and is active at dawn, dusk and night. Because its prey is mostly deer and hares, the lynx is usually found where those animals live.

Threats

Despite living across such a huge range, the lynx is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and the loss of prey. Lynx in the Carpathian Mountains can be as big as those from the Altai.

The lynx hunts animals such as roe deer and hares. Reintroduction projects have brought lynx back to some forests of central Europe.