The Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis), also known as the Canadian Lynx, is a medium-sized cat that is closely related to the American bobcat. While nearly twice the size of a domestic house cat, Canada lynx are relatively small compared to cougars and their Iberian lynx cousins. Lynx are perfectly adapted to life in the deep snows of the boreal forests of North America. Their abnormally large paws keep them afloat in the snow similar to human snowshoes (“Basic Facts”). Other characteristics include yellowish-brown or silver fur, black ear tufts, and a short black tipped tail.
Lynx are incredibly well-adapted to hunting their preferred food: snowshoe hare. They depend almost exclusively on the hare as a food source, and their survival is directly related to the hare population (“Basic Facts”). During times when hare populations fall, lynx will prey on other small rodents and ground birds, but in order to sustain the lynx population, snowshoe hare must be present in the environment (“Canada Lynx Facts”).
The Canada lynx can be found throughout much of the boreal forests of Alaska and Canada where there are especially cold winters and dense populations of snowshoe hare. The southern portion of their range extends into the contiguous U.S. There are known, sustained core populations in Minnesota, Washington, Maine, and Montana (“Species Profile"). Lynx have a large home range which can span anywhere from 12 to 83 miles (Nordstrom). They are prone to venture far beyond these four known states in search of food or even new habitats. Individual lynx are also known to migrate between populations, which is an essential part of population sustainment. Lynx have been known to successfully breed in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, New York, Wisconsin, and Michigan, however, their numbers are limited and overall status in these states is unclear (“Species Profile”).
Lynx thrive in forests that have been recently hit by wildfires or timber harvest. These conditions are also ideal for snowshoe hare because young conifers provide optimal food and shelter to sustain the hare population. Lynx prefer mature forests with plenty of downed logs and wood cover for denning. They choose den sites which are imperceptible in dense vegetation, using existing conditions like hollow logs and tree root systems (“Basic Facts”).
Populations are dependent upon the status of the hare populations as well as occasional emigration and immigration with Canada. This movement helps to sustain a constant population in the contiguous United States but makes estimating the actual population size difficult. Rough estimates suggest that populations are much smaller than historical levels and the overall numbers are very low in the U.S (“Basic Facts”).
On March 24, 2000, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the Canada lynx in the lower 48 states as a threatened species under the ESA. The Canada lynx is a low priority species because of a high possibility of recovery and a perceived lower degree of threat (Nordstrom). Though there are a number of factors which have lead to this designation, the primary factor is the decline in population due to fragmentation and destruction of the Canada lynx’s natural habitat. This is a direct product of the lack of effective forest management on public lands owned by the federal government (“Species Profile”). Human activities, including trapping, urban encroachment, recreational development, and inept public land management have all contributed to the decline of the Canada lynx. Roads with high volume traffic bisect ideal lynx habitats leaving them unable to cross and migrate between core areas safely. Connectivity between lynx populations in Canada and the contiguous U.S. must be maintained to ensure survival. The creation and maintenance of hiking trails within lynx habitats also opens the door for more human interaction. Other predators like cougars, bobcats, and coyotes also gain access to the lynx habitat by way of these trails and compete with the lynx for food. While not confirmed, it is theorized that global climate change will diminish the amount of boreal forests in North America, which will negatively affect lynx populations (Nordstrom). Lynx and bobcat hybrids, observed within the United States, could prove problematic when trying to sustain a population of lynx.
The recovery of the Canada lynx, allowing its removal from the threatened species list, will only occur if certain objectives are met. A sufficient area of good quality habitat to support the lynx population, and allow for movement between Canada and the United States, must be maintained. Threats to the lynx population must be quelled to ensure the survival of the Canada Lynx for the next 100 years. This can be accomplished through a series of steps outlined in the 2005 recovery plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To start, management commitments must be made in lynx habitats on federal land. Long term guidance is necessary to ensure that these areas are adequate for the conservation of lynx. Agreements must also be made with the appropriate officials concerning non-federal lands and their suitability for lynx. Next, the current structure and distribution of lynx habitats must be surveyed in order to detect adverse changes. Studies on the lynx populations within the contiguous United States should be done every ten years to determine their distribution and numbers. The U.S. must coordinate with the proper Canadian authorities on a long-term management plan that will ensure that lynx populations in Southern Canada thrive and are able to move freely in and out of core areas within the lower 48 states. At some point, surveys must be done to determine if there are any previously unknown lynx populations within the contiguous United States. Research must also be conducted to determine the importance of smaller lynx populations outside of their core areas to their overall survival. Depending on that research, proper plans must also be made to ensure that these lynx may branch out to these secondary areas and find suitable habitats. Additional studies are also necessary to completely understand how perceived threats such as forest management techniques, trapping, competition from other predators, hybridization, and climate change will affect lynx populations in the future. Finally, once the Canada lynx has been removed from the threatened species list, a monitoring plan must be put in place to ensure that the steps taken continue to be effective and allow for modifications in the plan (Nordstrom).
While recovery efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are already underway, that does not mean there is nothing left to be done. You, the reader, can contribute to the conservation of the Canada lynx, too. Using the link that I have provided below, you can adopt a lynx of your own! Unfortunately, the adoption is purely symbolic but your donation will be used by the National Wildlife Federation to ensure the continued conservation of lynx. I have also linked the website of the Staying Connected Initiative--a partnership between the National Wildlife Federation and dozens of private and public entities dedicated to conserving key areas in the Northern Appalachian-Acadian region for lynx migration as their habitats change in response to climate change. There you can sign up for their newsletter or donate directly to the NWF. If none of these methods appeal to you, think about writing directly to regulatory officials or even your local elected representatives. Speak up for the lynx and become a powerful advocate for all wildlife. If you want to learn more about this beautiful species, then please feel free to check out any of the sites I have linked in my bibliography. Thank you for reading!
Links
Bibliography
Wow, it is really interesting to see how animals biologically adapt to the environment around them! The lynx, with their abnormally large paws and size make it perfectly adapted to its environment. It is really unfortunate to see this species become threatened as a result of habitat fragmentation. Although I do not plan to adopt a lynx of my own (haha), I do hope that the species recovers in due time, and the Northern Appalachian-Acadian region for lynx migration is properly preserved and maintained.
ReplyDelete-Jay Gubbi
Wow baby Canadian Lynx are adorable! They are a little scary when they get older though. It is interesting that the lynx relies so heavily on Snowshoe hare in order to survive because lynx are fully capable of eating other small animals. Predator-prey relationships in nature truly are fragile.
ReplyDelete-Isabelle Farrell
Amazing that Lynx were spread throughout the northern states in the US ranging from coast to coast. I have heard about lynx but thought they were only in the far northern parts of Canada. Hopefully logging can somehow be changed to help with their ecosystem so they can be more sustainable.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog!
-Brody Gill
It's crazy how the Canadian Lynx can endure such cold weather and migrate such long distances! And I think it's unique how they thrive after natural disasters like wildfires. Hopefully the governments in places that they live can supply enough suitable area to combat the encroachment and recreational development. A lot of good research was put into this blog, nice work!
ReplyDelete-Josh Gillespie
It's amazing to see how some animals have such successful adaptability. However, it's sad to see the effects of fragmentation on species because we may not think about how big of an effect fragmentation really has on species because we think were not completely destroying the entire area, and yet it may have even worse effects.
ReplyDelete-Samantha Friesen
I really enjoyed your blog. I hope that the United States and Canada can begin working together to find protective methods to save this amazing animal. There ability to adapt so successfully definitely makes them deserving of being protected. It is also so interesting that the lynx is so dependent on the snow hare to survive. That could be very hard to protect two animals from extinction however.
ReplyDelete-Katie Halstead
It's so interesting that these lynx have such large paws specifically for being able to walk in the snow, that's so cool. It is sad that, like so many other endangered animals, humans are the cause, but it's good that they are a low priority since they have a high probability of recovering. Great job on your blog, I enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDelete-Rebekah Fesmire
I always thought that lynx were larger. Also its incredible how large one lynx's range can be and their paws acting as snow shoes are amazing. I had no idea they relied so heavily on the snowshoe hare. It would be a shame to see them go extinct.
ReplyDeleteGavin Griffin