Iberian Lynx

True Wild Life | Iberian Lynx | The Iberian lynx also known as Spanish lynx is a critically endangered species native to the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe. It is one of the most endangered cat species in the world. The species used to be classified as a subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx, but is now considered a separate species. Both species occurred together in central Europe in the Pleistocene epoch, being separated by habitat choice. Iberian lynx resembles other species of lynx, with a short tail, tufted ears and a ruff of fur beneath the chin. Iberian lynx has leopard-like spots with a coat that is often light grey or various shades of light brownish-yellow. The coat is also noticeably shorter than in other lynxes, which are typically adapted to colder environments.

In spite of its strong resemblance to the Eurasian Lynx, the Iberian Lynx has a smaller body and the facial features of a house cat. Iberian lynx typically hunts smaller animals, usually no larger than hares. It also differs in habitat choice, with Iberian lynx inhabiting open scrub and Eurasian lynx inhabiting forests.

The Iberian Lynx must really like rabbit because it accounts for an amazing 80% of their diet. They also eat young deer and duck. At one time, rabbits disappeared due to an epidemic outbreak and the number of Iberian Lynx plummeted. This is because rabbits are its main food. Today, development continues to destroy forest environments and could trigger another decline in rabbits. If that happens, it will cause irreparable damage to the already scarce population of Iberian Lynx.

There are only a few forests in Spain and Portugal where the remaining Iberian Lynx live, making them one of the most critically endangered species of the Felidae family. Forest development is one of the main reasons they have become so rare. Their habitat has diminished and they live sporadically due to roads and towns being built in the forest. Further damage comes from poachers who continue to violate bans on their hunting.

Caracal

True Wild Life | Caracal | The caracal is also commonly known as the Persian Lynx or African Lynx despite the fact that the caracal is not a lynx at all. The caracal is thought to be most closely related to the African golden cat and the serval. The caracals name is believed to come from the Turkish word Karakulak, which means black ears. The caracal typically has 20 different muscles in the caracals ears which enables the caracal to detect prey.

The caracal is a medium sized cat however, with the caracal, its size appears to make little difference on what the caracal hunts. Scientists have found dead ostriches with caracal tooth-marks in them, meaning that the caracal is fast enough to outrun and catch an ostrich, and strong enough to overpower it and kill it. The caracal has also been known to leap up into the air to successfully catch and kill flying birds. The caracals are excellent acrobats and can land safely.

The caracal is normally dark red, grey, or golden sand in colour and as the caracals name suggests, the caracals ears are black, with tufts. Young caracals bear reddish spots on the underbelly that disappear when they grow up. The caracal mainly hunts rodents, birds (including ostriches), antelopes, gazelles, and rabbits. The caracal tends to avoid eating very stiff fur by neatly shearing it off with their claws, but they are tolerant of feathers.

The caracal can live up to around 12 years in the wild, with some adult caracals living to 17 years old in captivity. The caracal is found in Africa and Southwest Asia, where the caracal prefers grasslands (savannas and tropical grasslands), and deserts.

Bobcat

True Wild Life | Bobcat | Bobcats are widespread and adaptable predators across North America. They share the genus Lynx with the Canadian lynx, but they are a separate species with physical differences. Bobcats are usually more heavily spotted than the lynx. They have smaller feet and larger ears. They tend to have a more aggressive temperament and have been known to run the much larger lynx off of food. The bobcat's ears do have small tufts on the end like those of the lynx. Although the bobcat shares many characteristics with the Canadian Lynx, the bobcat is smaller than the lynx at about double the size of a domestic cat.

Bobcats eat mainly birds and rabbits but also eat fish and insects, that the bobcat hunts for at night. The bobcat tends stay in wooded areas and many bobcats are also found in the mountain regions of North America. Bobcats do fairly well in suburban environments and can be seen hunting at dawn and dusk.

The bobcat, like many other feline species, is highly territorial and a very solitary animal, with bobcats only really coming together to breed. Some female bobcat territories do overlap however, but the bobcat individuals mark their roaming grounds using urine and distinctive claw markings on the surrounding rocks and trees. Except at mating time bobcats avoid each other to reduce the liklihood of getting injured in a fight. This would make them unable to hunt and take care of themselves.

The bobcat has been hunted by humans for hundreds of years both for the fur for sport. The bobcat population however, appears to have suffered little and the bobcat has therefore shown itself to be a very resilient species of animal.

The bobcat is thought to have dominated its environment for thousands of years, with the bobcat having roots in Native American folklore and in tales of the first European settlers in the Northern USA and Canada. Bobcats are able to crossbreed with lynx in captivity. Commercial fur producers have done this in order to get the more vivid spotting pattern of the bobcat and the softer, longer, and denser fur and greater size of the lynx. Bobcats can also hybridize with domestic cats if raised with them. Otherwise they would consider them prey.

Lynx

True Wild Life | Lynx | The lynx is a member of the cat family and one of the bigger felines of North America. Lynx are best known for their short stubby tails and the long tufts of black hair on the ears of a lynx. There are three different types of lynx with these being the North America lynx found in Canada and Alaska, the European lynx found in Spain and Portugal and the Asian lynx which is found in Turkestan and central Asia.

The North American lynx is the biggest species of lynx and some of these lynx individuals have extremely thick and fluffy looking fur which keeps the lynx warm in the freezing Canadian winter. The European and Asian lynx species are much smaller in size and have personalities that resemble those of a domestic cat, rather than a large feline.

The lynx tends to inhabit dense shrub and grasslands in the forests of North America and parts of Eurasia. The lynx hunt small mammals, birds and fish, and the lynx are prey to few predators. Although the lynx is a ground mammal, lynx are often known to climb trees or swim in order to catch their prey. Lynx hunt small mammals, birds and fish but prefer to hunt larger mammals like reindeer, deer and elk if the lynx can find and catch them.

The lynx has large paws which help the lynx to balance and also give the lynx more power when pursuing potential meals. The lynx also has extremely acute hearing which allows the lynx to hear oncoming prey and predators over long distances, and the lynx also has a strong jaw and sharp teeth which the lynx uses to bite down on its prey.

Lynx are usually solitary animals and will spend their time both hunting and resting alone, however a small group of lynx may travel and hunt together occasionally. Lynx mating takes place in the late winter and the female lynx will give birth to two to six kittens after a gestation period of about 70 days. Female lynx will usually give birth to a litter a year. The young lynx kittens stay with the mother lynx for around nine months meaning that the lynx kittens will have the mother lynx to watch over them during their first winter. The lynx kittens then move out to live on their own as young adults. It is known that adult lynx will give their young the prey to play with it before they eat it as this thought to develop their hunting skills.

Lynx live in dens in rock crevices or under ledges which gives the lynx a safe place to rest as well as a home for when the lynx kittens arrive and need safely looking after. Lynx do not normally take their kill back to their den, the main exception to this is when the mother lynx is providing for her lynx kittens. Lynx children love to wrestle with each other.