As Europe's biggest cat and the largest of the lynx family, the Eurasian lynx holds many records. It also has one of the widest distribution of all the cats.

Subspecies
L.l.carpathicus, L.l.dinniki, L.l.isabellinus, L.l.kozlovi, L.l.lynx, L.l.neglectus, L.l.wrangeli.

Life span
They live for up to 17 years in the wild, but in captivity they may live for up to 24 years.

Statistics
Body length: 80-100cm, Tail length: 15-25cm, Shoulder height: 15-75cm, Weight: male: 21.6kg, female: 18.1kg. Eurasian lynx are the largest of the lynx family.

Physical description
Lynx have stout bodies, long legs, large feet and stubby tails. Their fur is soft and thick - usually a shade of yellow or greyish brown with faint lines or spots. They often have long hair around the neck and under the chin. They have fur on their feet which has a snowshoe effect in deep snow. Lynx have distinctive tufts of black hair at the tip of the ears.

Distribution
Eurasian lynx are found in areas of Asia and parts of Europe, especially in Swiss forests. They have one of the widest ranges of all cat species.

Habitat
Lynx live in forested, mountainous areas, away from human populations.

Diet
Their main prey are small ungulates such as musk deer, chamois and roe deer, but when favoured prey are scarce they will also hunt small hares, woodchucks and foxes.

Behaviour
Lynx are shy and solitary, except for mothers with cubs. They mark their territories by urinating on trees and rocks. Male territories can overlap several female territories. Females usually have one mate per season, but males may have more than one.

Lynx are active at dawn and dusk (crepuscular). They stay active in winter and their fur becomes thicker and paler. In extreme weather, they take shelter in caves or trees.

Lynx bury any uneaten prey and return the next day to finish it off. They kill prey by biting its neck and severing the spinal cord or suffocating the victim.

Reproduction
After a gestation period of 67-74 days, females give birth to an average of two kittens. They weigh 200-300g at birth.

Conservation status
Eurasian lynx are not listed on the IUCN red list but are on CITES: Appendix II. Formerly numbers were reduced due to hunting for fur and deforestation. Due to human intervention in the 1970s, when lynx were released in Switzerland, Austria and Germany, populations are now stable.