Of all the wild cats, the Iberian Lynx captivates the imagination. Today, its population is recovering. However, the species is still endangered. Compared to other large cats, they are more docile.
Typically, they want to remain hidden.
However, if you can spot one, they are not aggressive. When you are visiting certain parts of Europe, you can still see them in the wild. However, their populations in the wild have been in precipitous decline. Things are beginning to turn around, thanks to international conservation efforts.
The Iberian Lynx: What Everyone Should Know
This Lynx was one of the most populous species of big cat in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. Habitat destruction and hunting lower their population numbers.
Today, they have begun to experience a resurgence. We must learn to appreciate the magnificence of this creature. From how it looks to the way it behaves, there is much to appreciate.
Physical Characteristics
These creatures have an incredibly distinctive appearance. One of the most notable traits is the tufts of fur on its face. Generally, they have spots covering their body.
These spots are either round or oblong. It has a tall and powerful body for a cat. You can tell just at a glance that it is a serious predator in the wild.
Coat Color: Yellowish or Reddish Brown
Height: 2 ft
Weight: 20 lbs
Behavioral Characteristics
These creatures have very unique habits. You can distinguish them by the way they mark their territories. When they decide to claim an area, they will spray it with urine. Additionally, you can find scratches on trees.
Plus, scat scattered throughout the territory. In the wild, adults can maintain the same area for several years as their home turf.
Some males have been recorded as maintaining nearly five square miles worth of territory. This makes it one of the most extensive ranges of any wildcat. We have yet to find another natural predator with territories as large.
Hunting Habits:
This Lynx is a master predator. They stalk a number of different prey species. Everything from wood ducks to fallow deer could be their next victim.
They are expertly skilled for their hunting ranges.
Most males will eat at least once per day. This means they have to hunt regularly when they live in the wild. Adult females need to eat up to three times per day if they have kittens. As such, adult females may go hunting even more than males of this species.
Dietary Habits:
In the wild, wood ducks comprise a large portion of these animals diets. Besides duck, they also frequently eat rabbits. In some areas, rabbits make up the majority of their food intake.
In fact, this species of cat is not very adaptable.
Despite being a proficient hunter, it does not translate well to other ecosystems. Nevertheless, they continue to out-compete other common predators in their home ranges.
Reproductive Habits:
This species of cat displays particularly unique mating habits. Females will leave their normal hunting ranges in pursuit of a male.
Once they locate a suitable mate, they will initiate the reproductive act. After this concludes, the female will carry the babies for up to two months. Typically, they give birth during the spring or summer. In the wild, most births occur between March and April.
This species of cat typically rears litters of two or three kittens at a time. The kittens remain dependent on their parents until they are around ten months old. Interestingly, it is not uncommon to see cats near their parents until they are close to two years old.
Iberian Lynx Lifespan
These are a long-lived species of cat in the wild. Some have been found as old as 13 years of age. Unfortunately, young kittens become violent towards each other. This often leads to the death of a littermate. Still, today their population is growing in size after many years of decline.
The Iberian Lynx: Habitat and Wild Populations
Then:
This species of Lynx were native to the entire Iberian Peninsula, including southern France. By the 1950s, it was possible to find them all along the Mediterranean.
They were even in parts of northern Portugal. As early as the 1990s, wild populations have declined from 15 defined groups to only two.
Now:
It is estimated the creatures lost as much as 80% of their natural habitat range.
Judging by fossil records, in the distant past, their ranges were even more extensive. This species of Lynx lived on the European continent for hundreds of thousands of years. Prior to modern settlement, they were the dominant prey animal. They are especially adept at hunting in the mountainous foothills of central Europe.
Inbreeding
They were able to out-compete many other predators that called the same region home. Today, they live in much more isolated population groups. Because of population decline, inbreeding has become more of an issue. When it comes time for the mating season, the females seem unable to locate suitable males.
Then, they are forced to mate with closely related members of their pack. The resulting kittens are not super fit. They display higher than average death rates. Yet, conservation efforts have begun to make some headway in this regard.
Iberian Lynx Conservation Efforts
This species is endangered. Due to a combination of threats, their population was in decline for many years. Human activity was the primary driver.
Exposure to the pressures of habitat loss and poaching did not help. As a result of population decline, efforts to conserve the species have ramped up.
Captive Breeding:
The most successful program supporting healthy population levels is the captive breeding program. Since the program began in 2002, they have raised several hundred additional cats.
Some of these have been reintroduced into the wild. It is hoped that these efforts will help to restore healthy population levels.
Eventually, these populations should become self-sustaining. At that point, the species will no longer be endangered.
The Iberian Lynx Continues to Stay Alive
If you have a bunch of ducks, you might want one of these to stop by. Besides staying alive, these critters are an adorable species. Keep your distance if you spot one in the wild, though.
They are naturally stealthy.
So if you see one, it is probably pretty close to you. If you would like to learn more about them, contact your nearest conservationist. They may even have some ways that you can help out.
Thanks for reading this article. After creating the digital painting of an Iberian Lynx, I wanted to learn more them and thought I should share this information with others. Here is the Iberian lynx art (Staying Alive) I am talking about.
