One of the rarest animals among predators on our planet is the Spanish or Pyrenean lynx. In nature, there are very few of these amazing creatures. They are carefully guarded by the authorities, but the number of predators does not exceed 150 copies.
It is noteworthy that most of these animals live in the territory of the Doñana National Park in Spain. The park itself is located on the territory of 75800 hectares and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lynx description
This feline is relatively small. Spanish lynx is much smaller than usual. The length of an adult varies from 60 to 100 centimeters, and an animal can weigh up to 25 kilograms.
The Spanish lynx is inferior in size to the Eurasian counterpart, but it has a more muscular body and developed paws. The coat of this mammal is coarse, of small length. The color of individuals can vary from rich yellow to dark brown tones. In addition, the whole body of the Spanish lynx is covered with black spots.
Females are inferior in size to males. In the jaw area, both sexes have a kind of “whiskers”. On the ears are small bunches of dark hair.
Habitat
Spanish lynx is found only in the southwestern part of the country. There are two populations that are isolated from each other. This factor puts the species at even greater risk, since fewer copies are involved in the reproduction of the population.
It is noteworthy that as early as the middle of the last century, this species of lynx was distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula. But today, the Spanish lynx is considered a completely extinct species in Portugal. This predator prefers to live in the bush, rather than in the forests.
Lifestyle & Reproduction
Lynx, like other species of predatory animals, is highly dependent on food sources. Each individual has its own individual territory. The size of such a site can reach 20 square kilometers. Moreover, the area depends on the amount of production on it. The less game, the larger the area. The size of the plot also depends on food rivals. The main competition for the lynx is its relatives, as well as foxes and mongooses.
When the mating period begins, females for a while forget about their possessions and leave them in order to go in search of the male. The mating season of this predator runs from January to July. Lynx pregnancy lasts up to two months. Before the birth of the cubs, the female goes in search of a secluded place.
As a rule, a lynx arranges a house for itself in hollows of cork oak or in dense thickets. Soon kittens are born. Most often, two or three cubs are born in a lynx. Their weight does not exceed 250 grams. Raising offspring is exclusively done by the female. The father does not take part in this process.
Babies eat mother’s milk for up to 5 months, but they can eat regular food 30 days after birth. It is noteworthy that at two months of age, the lynx can be aggressive towards each other. It often happens that a strong calf kills a weaker one. Scientists believe that this feature occurs because raw meat begins to enter the diet of babies.
Lynxes become independent at about ten months old, but their cubs leave their mother only at the age of one year. Young individuals go in search of individual sites.
In captivity, lynx cubs reach puberty at one year old. In a natural habitat, this is not so at all. Here young growth goes a long way of growing up, the speed of which directly depends on the acquired hunting skills. Scientists are aware of cases when a lynx female, having lost her mother early, brought her offspring only at the age of five.
Spanish lynx in the environment can live up to thirteen years.
Diet
Since this predator is small, its prey is not very large. The basis of the diet is a wild European rabbit, distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Also, some species of birds are included in the diet of the Spanish lynx: wild ducks, geese, partridges. Often this predator preys on rodents. In rare cases, the animal attacks young deer and fallow deer.
