Lynxes are at the brink of extinction, they are an endangered species with only 1,000 left in the wild. Lynxes are threatened by global warming and rising temperatures melting the ice homes in which they live. Climate change is also a problem altering the dynamics of the forests and creating an increase in fires wiping out dens and their living habitat. Another threat that possesses to the lynxes survival is logging, it is destroying their habitat and bother the lynx and the snow hare depend on their habitat for survival.
Epidemics, such as myxamatosis have affected rabbit populations, which affect the lynxes survival because snow hare and rabbits are the lynxes main source of food. Barriers are needing to be created between their own species and other animals, to prevent disease being carried from one animal to another, possessing as a threat towards their survival.
Humans are another problem as to why the lynx’s populations have dramatically dropped. The Spanish National Hydrolical plan has started construction on dams and other water infrastructures impacting on the lynx’s population. They are wiping out the lynxes habitat in order to create such infrastructures. Also, with the construction of 12 dams being built this too possesses as a negative threat to the lynxes survival because Nautura2000 are destroying parts of the habitat that is protected for the lynx to survive.
One last threat that the lynx has are other animals. They are highly preyed upon by cougars, coyotes, wolves and owls, all of which are looking to making a meal out if the lynx.
Friday, June 4, 2010
What are the eating patterns of the lynx to enable its survival?
Lynxes are nocturnal animals, meaning that they hunt at night. They are also carnivores and eat a variety of foods such as: mice, squirrels, birds, voles, grouse, ptarmigan, red squirrel, rabbits, rodents, foxes, weasels, small deer, eggs and snow hare.
About 75% of the lynx's diet is made up of the snow hare. The snow hare is the lynxes, almost exclusively main source of food. Lynxes depend on the snow hare so much that if they can not hunt the snow hare then the lynxes population decreases, rising and falling in sync with the snow hares populations.
In the summer a lynx has a larger variety of foods to choose from but the lynx will still consider its main prey to be the snow hare. A hungry lynx will eat an entire snow hare in one meal but lynxes will usually hide a partly eaten snow hare to finish later and hide it under the snow where no other animal will find it.
Male lynxes will usually hunt alone because they are solitary animals.
The lynx is a part of the family of felidae, the order of carnivivora. Lynxes are considered as to being the most carnivorous of all meat-eating animals, this is good with their survival enabling the lynx to hunt better because their digestive systems are designed to only eat meat and because of that they have a very high source of protein giving the lynx strength, Meaning lynxes don’t have to eat large amounts of quantities of food and only hunt when they need to eat.
Because lynxes cannot run fast except for over short distances, they stalk or ambush their prey at close a range. A common strategy the lynx use is to lie and wait beside the well-used trails, or runways, of the snowshoe hare. They will also lodge themselves into trees and watch their prey below. Stalking their prey in the tree tops is a lot safer from predators because they can take refuge in the tress so predators can’t eat them.
About 75% of the lynx's diet is made up of the snow hare. The snow hare is the lynxes, almost exclusively main source of food. Lynxes depend on the snow hare so much that if they can not hunt the snow hare then the lynxes population decreases, rising and falling in sync with the snow hares populations.
In the summer a lynx has a larger variety of foods to choose from but the lynx will still consider its main prey to be the snow hare. A hungry lynx will eat an entire snow hare in one meal but lynxes will usually hide a partly eaten snow hare to finish later and hide it under the snow where no other animal will find it.
Male lynxes will usually hunt alone because they are solitary animals.
The lynx is a part of the family of felidae, the order of carnivivora. Lynxes are considered as to being the most carnivorous of all meat-eating animals, this is good with their survival enabling the lynx to hunt better because their digestive systems are designed to only eat meat and because of that they have a very high source of protein giving the lynx strength, Meaning lynxes don’t have to eat large amounts of quantities of food and only hunt when they need to eat.
Because lynxes cannot run fast except for over short distances, they stalk or ambush their prey at close a range. A common strategy the lynx use is to lie and wait beside the well-used trails, or runways, of the snowshoe hare. They will also lodge themselves into trees and watch their prey below. Stalking their prey in the tree tops is a lot safer from predators because they can take refuge in the tress so predators can’t eat them.
How have humans effected the way lynx live today?
Humans have impacted on the lynxes population in many harmful ways. Humans hunt lynxes for their fur and hunters prize the lynxes valuable fur and sell it on the market because it is unique and a “fashion statement.” The killing for this animal for any reason is illegal yet people are still hunting and killing them to sell.
The lynx’s dramatic decline in numbers is due to our activities. There is a long history of hunting the lynx in Canada, Eastern Europe and Russia. A major contribution is that they are simply being hunted for commercial reasons. Hunters might dislike the lynx because it preys on such animals as small deer and that too is another animal that hunters like to shoot. The negative attitude towards the lynx from farmers is that they like to kill and shoot the lynx because they are believed to pose as a threat towards farmers livestock. Farmers don’t care and know little about the lynx because lynxes really pose as a small threat towards livestock. Killing lynxes for their fur is inhuman and affecting their survival because they are already an endangered species from “our doings.”
Human impacts that are killing lynxes every day are shooting, trapping, destruction of their habitat, hunting and poaching. There is no reason as to why humans should harm or be violent towards the lynx because lynxes do not attack people and there is no threats from lynxes, but quite the opposite.
The lynx’s dramatic decline in numbers is due to our activities. There is a long history of hunting the lynx in Canada, Eastern Europe and Russia. A major contribution is that they are simply being hunted for commercial reasons. Hunters might dislike the lynx because it preys on such animals as small deer and that too is another animal that hunters like to shoot. The negative attitude towards the lynx from farmers is that they like to kill and shoot the lynx because they are believed to pose as a threat towards farmers livestock. Farmers don’t care and know little about the lynx because lynxes really pose as a small threat towards livestock. Killing lynxes for their fur is inhuman and affecting their survival because they are already an endangered species from “our doings.”
Human impacts that are killing lynxes every day are shooting, trapping, destruction of their habitat, hunting and poaching. There is no reason as to why humans should harm or be violent towards the lynx because lynxes do not attack people and there is no threats from lynxes, but quite the opposite.
How has the lynx evolved to live in its habitat?
Lynxes are active throughout the winter because its adaptations have enabled it to live in the snow and cold. Lynxes have evolved to their cold and hostile environment with a thick fur that covers their body to keep them warm in extreme winter weather conditions. Because of the lynxes dense fur, soft inner layer and outer guard hair it helps them survive in temperatures that drop below -45°C. The lynxes fur will malt in the summer and spring and only starts to grow its thickness at the nearing of winter. They have large furry paws that help function as natural snow shoes enabling the lynx to hunt easily and effectively in deep snow.
Lynxes have very complex needs for their habitat and in the spring and summer require different forest types to live with young youthful forests with their thick vegetation. For hunting their main source of food the now hare and find older forests for making their nest and dens. They require forests with rocky areas, bogs, swamps and thickets to hide from predators and to camouflage themselves to hide from predators. This habitat that they choose to live in provides some essential needs for the lynx to survive. Their habitat provides prey, den sites, cover and protection from bad weather and predators. It is essential that lynxes have somewhere to shelter and hide for their survival because they are heavily preyed upon by animals such as cougars and wolves.
Features of which that have enabled it to survive in their habitat are their large, canine colossal teeth. Lynxes have very powerful jaws to protect themselves from predators and danger. Powerful jaws also enable the lynx to kill their prey with one powerful bite. Their teeth are good for crushing bones, tearing, cutting and gripping. These are all good indicators that the lynx is a meat eating animal or carnivore. It is helpful to their survival that they are near the top of the food chain, with only larger mammals than itself preying on them.
Lynxes also have its eyes facing forward for excellent binocular, allowing it to judge distances. Because they lynx lives in forests or heavily treed areas they need good eye sight so they keep an eye on their prey and not collide with their existing environment. Unlike humans, lynxes don’t need to blink their eyes on a regular basis to keep their eyes lubricated. This is an advantage to the lynx on hunting to it can always have an eye on their prey.
The lynx aren’t fast runners like their close relatives but capture their prey to more of a canine approach. They lodge themselves into trees and watch their prey below; once they have stalked and focused sight on their prey they will pounce to kill it. They don’t use speed like their relatives but use their strength built from its habitat to kill their prey. Stalking their prey in the tree tops is a lot safer from predators because they can watch from above all that is happening. They can see predators approaching and also their prey below. It is an advantage to the lynxes survival because it lives where its prey lives, making it easier to hunt for their food.
The lynx is a nocturnal animal meaning that it will sleep during the day and hunt during the night. They have developed a special reflective layer behind their retina which allows them to have good vision at night. This adaptation is helpful towards the lynx’s survival because it enables the lynx to hunt at night time, away from predators.
Smell is very important to lynxes to enable them to communicate with each other.Tthey can also get more detailed information from a scent through flehmen. This allows scents to be picked up by the vomeronasal organ. This organ is found of the roof of the lynx’s mouth and it is particularly used to detect sex pheromones.
The external ears of the lynx are flexible and can turn as much as 180° and when listening for something the lynx’s ear will swivel in that direction. The lynx will move its ears in all directions to perfectly pinpoint the sound it is listening to. The feature that enables the lynx to hear so well is the tuffs on the ends of the lynx’s ears which act like antenna for an excellent sense of hearing. This helps its survival by being able to find prey and detect predators approaching.
Whiskers are found on the lynxes cheeks which is also an adaptation to its habitat because it is a sensory function which helps it to avoid objects in its path that is can’t see at night. If the lynx passes an object that touches its whickers, it will blink to protect its eyes from injury which is a good skill because its eye sign is then protected.
The lynx’s nose has an amazing sense of smell to detect prey from a long distance. It can pick out an animal and stalk it for a tasty meal. Another way the nose helps the lynx’s survival is that its nose can determine the temperature. This is good because if a snow storm comes the lynx can detect this and take refuge in the tress or in dens to protect it.
Lynxes have very complex needs for their habitat and in the spring and summer require different forest types to live with young youthful forests with their thick vegetation. For hunting their main source of food the now hare and find older forests for making their nest and dens. They require forests with rocky areas, bogs, swamps and thickets to hide from predators and to camouflage themselves to hide from predators. This habitat that they choose to live in provides some essential needs for the lynx to survive. Their habitat provides prey, den sites, cover and protection from bad weather and predators. It is essential that lynxes have somewhere to shelter and hide for their survival because they are heavily preyed upon by animals such as cougars and wolves.
Features of which that have enabled it to survive in their habitat are their large, canine colossal teeth. Lynxes have very powerful jaws to protect themselves from predators and danger. Powerful jaws also enable the lynx to kill their prey with one powerful bite. Their teeth are good for crushing bones, tearing, cutting and gripping. These are all good indicators that the lynx is a meat eating animal or carnivore. It is helpful to their survival that they are near the top of the food chain, with only larger mammals than itself preying on them.
Lynxes also have its eyes facing forward for excellent binocular, allowing it to judge distances. Because they lynx lives in forests or heavily treed areas they need good eye sight so they keep an eye on their prey and not collide with their existing environment. Unlike humans, lynxes don’t need to blink their eyes on a regular basis to keep their eyes lubricated. This is an advantage to the lynx on hunting to it can always have an eye on their prey.
The lynx aren’t fast runners like their close relatives but capture their prey to more of a canine approach. They lodge themselves into trees and watch their prey below; once they have stalked and focused sight on their prey they will pounce to kill it. They don’t use speed like their relatives but use their strength built from its habitat to kill their prey. Stalking their prey in the tree tops is a lot safer from predators because they can watch from above all that is happening. They can see predators approaching and also their prey below. It is an advantage to the lynxes survival because it lives where its prey lives, making it easier to hunt for their food.
The lynx is a nocturnal animal meaning that it will sleep during the day and hunt during the night. They have developed a special reflective layer behind their retina which allows them to have good vision at night. This adaptation is helpful towards the lynx’s survival because it enables the lynx to hunt at night time, away from predators.
Smell is very important to lynxes to enable them to communicate with each other.Tthey can also get more detailed information from a scent through flehmen. This allows scents to be picked up by the vomeronasal organ. This organ is found of the roof of the lynx’s mouth and it is particularly used to detect sex pheromones.
The external ears of the lynx are flexible and can turn as much as 180° and when listening for something the lynx’s ear will swivel in that direction. The lynx will move its ears in all directions to perfectly pinpoint the sound it is listening to. The feature that enables the lynx to hear so well is the tuffs on the ends of the lynx’s ears which act like antenna for an excellent sense of hearing. This helps its survival by being able to find prey and detect predators approaching.
Whiskers are found on the lynxes cheeks which is also an adaptation to its habitat because it is a sensory function which helps it to avoid objects in its path that is can’t see at night. If the lynx passes an object that touches its whickers, it will blink to protect its eyes from injury which is a good skill because its eye sign is then protected.
The lynx’s nose has an amazing sense of smell to detect prey from a long distance. It can pick out an animal and stalk it for a tasty meal. Another way the nose helps the lynx’s survival is that its nose can determine the temperature. This is good because if a snow storm comes the lynx can detect this and take refuge in the tress or in dens to protect it.
How is the lynxes life style of living different from other cats, and how does this help with their survival?
There are eight different species of big cats that include the lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, snow leopard, cougar and lynx. Each of these big cats have different adaptations to help them survive and the lynx possesses different features and behaviours that help them to survive in their environment, here are some of the different behaviours that the lynx possesses:
Tuffs - On the ends of the lynxes ears are tuffs. This helps with the lynxes hearing so they can detect prey and predators from a long distance.
Eye sight – Lynxes have strong eye sight and can see up to 75 metres away unlike their fellow relatives who see their prey from a short distance. Lynxes have also adapted their eye sight to being able to see at night because they are nocturnal and active at night where as other big cats prefer to hunt during the day time.
Fur – The lynx have adapted a thick fur which enables the lynx to live in the snowy areas. The lynx is very different from other big cats because they are mostly found in very hot and open areas. They do not develop a thick layer of skin in the winter like the lynx that is why the lynx is very different from other cats.
The lynx is an agile predator and a solitary animal. Lynxes don’t like company from others of its own species. Relatives like the lion enjoy the company of other lions and create a pride that all hunt, eat and sleep together.
Lynxes are very poor runners. They have a technique of climbing trees and pouncing on their prey. They also have a technique of ambushing and don’t use their speed to their advantage because they don’t use speed to hunt their food. They have a more canine approach to killing unlike the other big cats who use their speed to their advantage.
Lynxes are very different to other big cats and although they are all related to the cat family it was interesting to see how they are all different from each other.
Tuffs - On the ends of the lynxes ears are tuffs. This helps with the lynxes hearing so they can detect prey and predators from a long distance.
Eye sight – Lynxes have strong eye sight and can see up to 75 metres away unlike their fellow relatives who see their prey from a short distance. Lynxes have also adapted their eye sight to being able to see at night because they are nocturnal and active at night where as other big cats prefer to hunt during the day time.
Fur – The lynx have adapted a thick fur which enables the lynx to live in the snowy areas. The lynx is very different from other big cats because they are mostly found in very hot and open areas. They do not develop a thick layer of skin in the winter like the lynx that is why the lynx is very different from other cats.
The lynx is an agile predator and a solitary animal. Lynxes don’t like company from others of its own species. Relatives like the lion enjoy the company of other lions and create a pride that all hunt, eat and sleep together.
Lynxes are very poor runners. They have a technique of climbing trees and pouncing on their prey. They also have a technique of ambushing and don’t use their speed to their advantage because they don’t use speed to hunt their food. They have a more canine approach to killing unlike the other big cats who use their speed to their advantage.
Lynxes are very different to other big cats and although they are all related to the cat family it was interesting to see how they are all different from each other.
How does the lynx’s reproduction and parenting help the survival of the species?
The reproduction on the lynx is rather complex. Mating will occur in late winter and early spring from February to April and the female will only raise their litter once a year and have an average of 1-4 cubs.
The courtship between lynxes is the time where two sexes are attracted to each other and synchronise their wanting to reproduce with one another. Only sexually mature lynxes are ready to perform this act through the male seeking out the females that are ready to mate. Both male and female lynxes use their scent to communicate with other lynxes during breeding time. Female lynxes will demonstrate though vocalisations a courtship method to attract males such as yowling and hissing.
If a male is confronted with another male the two will fight for the female and she will then choose the more dominant male. It is very important that female chooses the more dominant male because she wants her cubs to be as strong and healthy as possible and the DNA from the stronger male will mix with hers to create a new generation of strong and healthy lynx.
The fertilization is the process of the two sexes mating. The female will have her cub internally. The male’s sperm from the penis will meet with the egg inside the female’s body entering through the female’s vagina. Only a few eggs will be distributed because there is a high risk of the sperm meeting with the egg so the female’s body acts as a barrier allowing the embryo to develop within the mother. This extra protection increases the chances of survival because the female supplies everything that the embryo needs and will produce on an average around 1-4 cubs. The DNA from the dominant male will then mix with the females and produce a strong and healthy cub.
When an animal fertilizes external fertilizes this will occur mostly in wet environments and requires both the male and the female to release their gametes into their surroundings and they will distribute 1000’s of eggs at a time and hopefully meet. A big disadvantage with external fertilization is that environmental hazards such as predators greatly reduce the chance of surviving into adulthood because there is no barrier to make sure the eggs and sperm will meet it is entirely up to nature to take its course.
The parenting of the cub is done purely by the female and the male will take no part in looking after or raising the cub. The mother will teach her hunting skills to her cub by bringing back dead prey. The mother will then bring back an injured prey and allow the young to kill by themselves she will then take her cubs of a staling and killing mission teaching them how to hunt successfully. If a cub is abandoned by its mother it will not become a good hunter because it needs to learn the skills from its mother if it wants to become a successful hunter.
Lynxes will only raise her litter once a year so she is very dependant that her cubs will learn her skills and carry them onto the next generation. There is a high investment into the well being of the cub but there is high risk that if that cub dies that will be one generation gone. The mother will give all her knowledge and will teach her cub the skills she has learnt through her lifetime.
Lynxes are a snow cat but they do not hibernate during the winter, this is good for their survival because they can take advantage of the winter to teach the cubs valuable skills to enable their survival. She will let her cubs play and with one another to learn skills and exercise their brains and mussels moving, learning valuable skills on the “do’s” and “don’ts” needed for adulthood.
The courtship between lynxes is the time where two sexes are attracted to each other and synchronise their wanting to reproduce with one another. Only sexually mature lynxes are ready to perform this act through the male seeking out the females that are ready to mate. Both male and female lynxes use their scent to communicate with other lynxes during breeding time. Female lynxes will demonstrate though vocalisations a courtship method to attract males such as yowling and hissing.
If a male is confronted with another male the two will fight for the female and she will then choose the more dominant male. It is very important that female chooses the more dominant male because she wants her cubs to be as strong and healthy as possible and the DNA from the stronger male will mix with hers to create a new generation of strong and healthy lynx.
The fertilization is the process of the two sexes mating. The female will have her cub internally. The male’s sperm from the penis will meet with the egg inside the female’s body entering through the female’s vagina. Only a few eggs will be distributed because there is a high risk of the sperm meeting with the egg so the female’s body acts as a barrier allowing the embryo to develop within the mother. This extra protection increases the chances of survival because the female supplies everything that the embryo needs and will produce on an average around 1-4 cubs. The DNA from the dominant male will then mix with the females and produce a strong and healthy cub.
When an animal fertilizes external fertilizes this will occur mostly in wet environments and requires both the male and the female to release their gametes into their surroundings and they will distribute 1000’s of eggs at a time and hopefully meet. A big disadvantage with external fertilization is that environmental hazards such as predators greatly reduce the chance of surviving into adulthood because there is no barrier to make sure the eggs and sperm will meet it is entirely up to nature to take its course.
The parenting of the cub is done purely by the female and the male will take no part in looking after or raising the cub. The mother will teach her hunting skills to her cub by bringing back dead prey. The mother will then bring back an injured prey and allow the young to kill by themselves she will then take her cubs of a staling and killing mission teaching them how to hunt successfully. If a cub is abandoned by its mother it will not become a good hunter because it needs to learn the skills from its mother if it wants to become a successful hunter.
Lynxes will only raise her litter once a year so she is very dependant that her cubs will learn her skills and carry them onto the next generation. There is a high investment into the well being of the cub but there is high risk that if that cub dies that will be one generation gone. The mother will give all her knowledge and will teach her cub the skills she has learnt through her lifetime.
Lynxes are a snow cat but they do not hibernate during the winter, this is good for their survival because they can take advantage of the winter to teach the cubs valuable skills to enable their survival. She will let her cubs play and with one another to learn skills and exercise their brains and mussels moving, learning valuable skills on the “do’s” and “don’ts” needed for adulthood.
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