Mixed facts about the lynx

• The European lynx is the biggest of the four lynx species found in the world. Further species are the Canadian lynx (Lynx Canadensis) living in the northern part of north America, the Rödlo (Lynx Rufus)living in the western part of north America and the Iberian lynx or pantherlynx (Lynx paradina), living in Spain and Portugal.
• The lynx’ favorite food are, deer, reindeer, hare and forest birds like orre, hazel grouse and grouse. In Finland, where the white-tailed deer are living, these constitute an important prey. In the Alps, the gems, as a prey is as important as the deer. In eastern and south-eastern Finland, where there are neither deer nor reindeer, the lynx prime food is hare.
• A lynx can kill a smaller red deer, having four to five times the weight of the lynx itself. In some rare cases lynx’ have succeeded in killing a 125 kg weighing elk calf.
• The lynx killing grip on bigger preys usually is brought about by biting the victim in the throat, thereby squeezing the animal to death by stopping its respiration.
• The lynx is well equipped to withstand our hard climate. It has a tight fur, with long hairs, strong feet, that are adapted to moving in the snow, and a short tail. This short tail is an adaptation, shielding the lynx against too much loss of warmth.
• A lynx family, consisting of a female and two cubs, can consume a deer in the course of about 2 days.
• A lynx normally moves in a territory of 350 – 1 000 km² during a year.
• Starting wintertime 2003 – 2004 the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket), gave permission for a protective hunt on 33 lynx’ in reindeer farming areas. No such permission was given for the rest of the country. The reason for that was, that the number of rejuvenations there were below target for the lynx’ strain.
• The lynx can contract fox scabies.
• The lynx continually wanders within its home territory. It often uses the same trails again and again. Such trails are used by hunters to set up traps.
• According to Ina Ängstig from the Center for damage caused by game (Viltskadecenter), electric fence normally provided adequate protection for sheep against lynx attack.
• In Norway, a number of 500 lynx is estimated to kill approx. 10 000 sheep per year. The number of sheep farmed in Sweden, is far lower and not as many of them are living outside protecting fences. 1 500 lynx in Sweden are considered to have killed 50 – 150 sheep annually, most of them still lambs. Instead, in Sweden, lynx’ kill every year 10 000 – 20 000 reindeer.
• The oldest, in freedom living lynx in Sweden reached an age of 17 years. Normally the wild lynx reaches an age of 12 – 14 years.
• Lynx’ have an exceptional good sense of hearing. A whistle signal that can be apprehended by a dog on 3 km distance will be heard by a lynx on 5 km distance instead. The lynx can hear reindeer, digging in the snow after lichen, on several hundred meters of distance.
• Starvation is the most common cause of death amongst lynx’ cubs.
• A normal litter consists of 2 – 3 cubs. The cubs are blind when they are born, like kittens. Their birth weight is approx 300 g. However, lynx’ cubs grow fast and reach a weight of approx. 1 200 g already after a month.
• The cubs are born in a dry and protected place, like under a fir tree, in a crevice in the mountain or under a protruding piece of rock, but never in a  nest that was digged out previously..
• The old Nordic name of the lynx is “Göpan”, a word that we find back in the Norwegian word “Gaupa”.
• In former times, 3 types of lynx’ were distinguished after the colour of their fur. “Kattlo” was the term for the lynx with exceptionally spotted furs, “Varglo” was used for the lynx with a greyish fur (probably the winter colour for the fur of the lynx) and finally “Rävlo” for the lynx with a reddish fur (probably the lynx’ summer fur).
• Mating usually takes place in March. A normal litter consists of 2 – 4 cubs, and they are born between the middle of May and the beginning of June. The cubs stay with the mother until next spring.