Wednesday,
July 9, 2008
~ SECLUDED
WILDCATS? ~
I
would like to introduce the
only, native wildcat in Alaska,
the Lynx,
(Lynx Canadensis), or “Link”
which
is a common local
name in
Alaska and Canada.
Lynx
thrive in Alaska’s
forested terrain, but are adaptable to
just about any terrain; they live in
most areas of Alaska,
with the exception of some islands.
Relaxed
Lynx
(Photo by Unknown Artist
Because
they are typically shy
and unobtrusive animals,
people tend
to think that they are scarce, but here in Alaska
they are commonly seen
during the
long periods of summer daylight, especially in
their abundant cyclic seasons.
The
Lynx are big cats, adults
usually weigh 20 to 30 pounds,
and the
males can reach up to 40 pounds. If
you happen to be standing next to
one, the size
comparison to a 5’8’ person,
the Lynx would reach close
to the thigh in height.
They
have beautiful fluffy,
long fur that can range in a tan
color
to light brown, with indistinct spotting; the belly fur is the
best
view
of spots on the Lynx.
They
have short little tails,
similar to the bobcat; only
the lynx
tail is black
tipped. Another distinguishing feature of the
Lynx, are
the ears which are
tipped with long tufts of fur giving them a unique
look.
Lynx
Close-Up
Photo by Mike Kingston
Lynx
have long legs, their paws
are covered in fur, with no pads
showing, which protects their feet from the extreme terrain they hunt
in.
I
call them, natural snowshoes, because their paws are usually the
size
of a person’s
hand, with long sharp retractable claws, an identifier
of the feline
family.
Lynx
usually mate in March to
Early April, with a 63
day gestation,
the kittens are born in well hidden areas, to keep
protected
from
other wildlife which will eat them if they find them.
The
Lynx kittens look like
a domestic cat at
birth, and are a light
tan in color.
A
litter is usually 2 to 4,
but
sometimes
up to six that survive,
it depends on the natural cyclic changes of the
small
game populations
for instance the snowshoe hare (approximately 8-10
year
cycles).
When the
cycles are down, the younger
Lynx will not breed, and the
breeding adults decline, plus very few
kitten
survive, but when the
cycles are up, they all breed, and most of the
kittens
survive.
The
kittens will stay with the
mother until late winter acquiring
hunting skills and knowledge
necessary for
survival.
Lynx
are usually traveling 1 to
5 miles a day around their
home base
daily, but are known to travel more then 100 miles away when
the food
source is scarce.
Lynx
Resting in The Snow
Photo by Mike Kingston
They
are tree climbers
but will usually stay on the ground, unless
they need a tree as a
refuge from
larger predators such as wolves.
The
Snowshoe Hare are one of
the major food sources for Lynx,
they also
dine on other small prey like grouse, ptarmigan, squirrels,
shrews,
and
they will also prey on Caribou, Dall-Sheep, and Fox.
Most
Alaskan’s are also aware of the danger
to their smaller
domesticated pets...puppies, cats, etc. or their
farms…chickens, goats, sheep, etc. because they are also
a Lynx's delicacy!
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