Iberian Lynx

• Context (DTE):  The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the status of the Iberian Lynx from ‘Endangered‘ to ‘Vulnerable‘.
• Lynx are medium-sized wildcats found in dense forests across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
• They belong to the family Felidae, which includes Bengal tigers, Asiatic lions and Indian leopards.
• There are four sub-species of lynx:
  1. Eurasian lynx (L. lynx)
  2. Iberian lynx (L. pardinus)
  3. Canada lynx (L. canadensis)
  4. Bobcat (L. rufus)

About Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)

• The Iberian lynx is the world’s most endangered feline species.
• Distribution: It is native to the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, including Portugal and Spain.

• Habitat: It lives in Mediterranean forests composed of native oaks and abundant undergrowth and thickets. It favours a mixture of dense scrub for shelter and open pasture for hunting.
• Physical description: It is heavily spotted and has long legs and a short tail with a black tip. Its coat is tawny with dark spots, and it bears a characteristic “beard” around its face and prominent black ear tufts.
• Diet: It feeds on the European rabbit (makes up over 80% of its diet), other small mammals, such as rodents, hares, and birds, as well as larger prey such as deer.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable | CITES: Appendix I
• Threats: Illegal hunting, habitat loss and degradation, decreasing food base, caught illegally or hunted with dogs, etc.

 

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