A lynx is any of four species of short-tailed cats in the genus Lynx . They are mammals that can be found in the forests of Europe, Asia, and North America. Lynx have long legs and large paws, tufted ears, hairy soles, and a short head. Their coats are tawny to cream in color, mottled with brown and black, and form a bushy ruff on the neck. Most range in size from 80 to 120 cm long, without the 10- to 20-cm tail, and stand about 60 cm tall at the shoulder. Weight typically ranges from 10 to 20 kg, though Eurasian lynx are often larger. These cats live alone or in small groups, are nocturnal and silent (except during mating season), and climb and swim well. They feed on birds and small mammals, but the bobcat and Eurasian lynx will take larger prey such as deer. Lynx breed in late winter or early spring, and a litter of one to six young is born after about two months.

Where do lynxes live?

Lynxes have varied habitats across North America and Eurasia. The Canada lynx inhabits the forested regions of Alaska and Canada, extending into the Rocky Mountains and parts of the Great Lakes and New England regions. The Eurasian lynx occupies a broad strip from Scandinavia to Russia's Far East, with isolated populations in central Europe and Central Asia. The Iberian lynx is primarily found in southwestern Spain and Portugal. Habitats include forests, scrublands, grasslands, and mountains, with elevations ranging from sea level to 5,500 meters depending on the species.

What do lynxes look like?

Lynxes are short-tailed cats found in the forests of Europe, Asia, and North America. They have long legs, large paws, tufted ears, hairy soles, and a broad, short head. Their coats, which form a bushy ruff on the neck, range from tawny to cream and are mottled with brown and black. The tail tip and ear tufts are black. Most lynx species are about 80 to 120 cm long, without the 10 to 20 cm tail, and stand about 60 cm tall at the shoulder. They typically weigh 10 to 20 kg, though Eurasian lynx are often larger. Males are larger than females. The Canada lynx has longer legs, wider feet, longer ear tufts, and a more prominent black-tipped tail compared to the bobcat.

Lynxes' diets depend on their species and location. The Eurasian lynx specializes in hunting ungulates like roe deer , chamois , and musk deer . They also eat hares , wild boars, marmots, foxes, rodents, birds, and domestic livestock. The Canada lynx's primary food source is the snowshoe hare . When hare populations decline, they eat birds and smaller mammals like squirrels, mice, and beavers. They may also prey on larger animals such as white-tailed deer . An adult lynx needs 1–2 kg of meat every day.

How do lynxes hunt their prey?

Lynxes are nocturnal hunters that live alone or in small groups. They are well-adapted for predation, and their hunting techniques vary depending on the species and the availability of prey. The Canada lynx primarily hunts snowshoe hare, waiting in ambush for hours and relying on sight and hearing to catch its prey. The Eurasian lynx ambushes its prey and often hunts ungulates, such as roe deer. They will hide uneaten parts of the carcass and return to feed on it later. Bobcats and Eurasian lynx will also take larger prey, such as deer.

What are some adaptations that help lynxes survive in their environments?

Lynx species, including the Canada lynx and Eurasian lynx , have several adaptations that help them survive in their environments. They have large paws and long legs that allow them to navigate snowy terrain. Their thick coat provides insulation in cold climates and is tawny to cream in color, mottled with brown and black for camouflage. Lynx are primarily nocturnal hunters that rely on sight and hearing to catch prey such as ungulates, hares, rodents, and birds. The Canada lynx depends heavily on the snowshoe hare for food, and their populations rise and fall together in a cycle.

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Images

A line graph with red and blue shaded areas shows cyclical rises and falls in the populations of snowshoe hares and lynx from 1855 to 1925, illustrating how hare population peaks are followed by lynx population peaks. Small illustrations of a running snowshoe hare and a lynx appear above the graph.

Bobcat (Felis rufa) standing alert on a rocky outcrop, with spotted fur and tufted ears, against a background of pine branches and blue sky.

A small catlike animal with brown fur, a short tail, and hair growing on the tips of its ears stands in snow.

An Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) with spotted fur, tufted ears, and a short tail stands alert on forest ground near a tree in Castilla la Mancha, Spain.

Juvenile Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) standing on dry grass, looking toward the camera with ears upright and tail curled.

World map displaying the geographic ranges of lynx species with color-coded areas: the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in orange across Canada and Alaska, the bobcat (Lynx rufus) in green across the United States and parts of Mexico, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in shades of blue and purple across Europe and northern Asia, and the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in red in a small region of southwestern Europe.

At a Glance

lynx summary

lynx

mammal

Also known as: Lynx

Written by

John P. Rafferty

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 23, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a lynx?
A lynx is any of four species of short-tailed cats in the genus Lynx. They are mammals that can be found in the forests of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Lynx have long legs and large paws, tufted ears, hairy soles, and a short head. Their coats are tawny to cream in color, mottled with brown and black, and form a bushy ruff on the neck. Most range in size from 80 to 120 cm long, without the 10- to 20-cm tail, and stand about 60 cm tall at the shoulder. Weight typically ranges from 10 to 20 kg, though Eurasian lynx are often larger.

These cats live alone or in small groups, are nocturnal and silent (except during mating season), and climb and swim well. They feed on birds and small mammals, but the bobcat and Eurasian lynx will take larger prey such as deer. Lynx breed in late winter or early spring, and a litter of one to six young is born after about two months.
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Where do lynxes live?
Lynxes have varied habitats across North America and Eurasia. The Canada lynx inhabits the forested regions of Alaska and Canada, extending into the Rocky Mountains and parts of the Great Lakes and New England regions. The Eurasian lynx occupies a broad strip from Scandinavia to Russia's Far East, with isolated populations in central Europe and Central Asia. The Iberian lynx is primarily found in southwestern Spain and Portugal. Habitats include forests, scrublands, grasslands, and mountains, with elevations ranging from sea level to 5,500 meters depending on the species.
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Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do lynxes look like?
Lynxes are short-tailed cats found in the forests of Europe, Asia, and North America. They have long legs, large paws, tufted ears, hairy soles, and a broad, short head. Their coats, which form a bushy ruff on the neck, range from tawny to cream and are mottled with brown and black. The tail tip and ear tufts are black.

Most lynx species are about 80 to 120 cm long, without the 10 to 20 cm tail, and stand about 60 cm tall at the shoulder. They typically weigh 10 to 20 kg, though Eurasian lynx are often larger. Males are larger than females. The Canada lynx has longer legs, wider feet, longer ear tufts, and a more prominent black-tipped tail compared to the bobcat.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do lynxes eat?
Lynxes' diets depend on their species and location. The Eurasian lynx specializes in hunting ungulates like roe deer, chamois, and musk deer. They also eat hares, wild boars, marmots, foxes, rodents, birds, and domestic livestock. The Canada lynx's primary food source is the snowshoe hare. When hare populations decline, they eat birds and smaller mammals like squirrels, mice, and beavers. They may also prey on larger animals such as white-tailed deer. An adult lynx needs 1–2 kg of meat every day.
3 Britannica Sources
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How do lynxes hunt their prey?
Lynxes are nocturnal hunters that live alone or in small groups. They are well-adapted for predation, and their hunting techniques vary depending on the species and the availability of prey.

The Canada lynx primarily hunts snowshoe hare, waiting in ambush for hours and relying on sight and hearing to catch its prey. The Eurasian lynx ambushes its prey and often hunts ungulates, such as roe deer. They will hide uneaten parts of the carcass and return to feed on it later. Bobcats and Eurasian lynx will also take larger prey, such as deer.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some adaptations that help lynxes survive in their environments?
Lynx species, including the Canada lynx and Eurasian lynx, have several adaptations that help them survive in their environments. They have large paws and long legs that allow them to navigate snowy terrain. Their thick coat provides insulation in cold climates and is tawny to cream in color, mottled with brown and black for camouflage. Lynx are primarily nocturnal hunters that rely on sight and hearing to catch prey such as ungulates, hares, rodents, and birds. The Canada lynx depends heavily on the snowshoe hare for food, and their populations rise and fall together in a cycle.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

lynx, (genus Lynx), any of four species of short-tailed cats (family Felidae) found in the forests of Europe, Asia, and North America. The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and the bobcat (L. rufus) live in North America. The Eurasian lynx (L. lynx) and the Iberian lynx (L. pardinus) are their European counterparts. The Iberian lynx, which lives primarily in the mountainous scrubland of southern Spain, was the world’s most endangered feline during the early 2010s; however, the species had undergone a substantial recovery by the 2020s.

Lynx are long-legged, large-pawed cats with tufted ears, hairy soles, and a broad, short head. The coat, which forms a bushy ruff on the neck, is tawny to cream in colour and somewhat mottled with brown and black; the tail tip and ear tufts are black. In winter the fur is dense and soft, with hairs up to 10 cm (4 inches) long, and is sought by humans for trimming garments. Most lynx range in size from about 80 to 120 cm (about 32 to 47 inches) long, without the 10- to 20-cm (4- to 8-inch) tail, and stand about 60 cm (24 inches) tall at the shoulder. Weight typically ranges from 10 to 20 kg (22 to 44 pounds), though Eurasian lynx are often larger. In all species males are larger than females.

Nocturnal and silent except during the mating season, lynx live alone or in small groups. They climb and swim well and feed on birds and small mammals. The bobcat and the Eurasian lynx will take larger prey such as deer. The Canada lynx depends heavily on the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) for food, and its population increases and decreases regularly every 9 or 10 years, relative to the population of its prey.

Lynx breed in late winter or early spring, and a litter of one to six young is born after a gestation period of approximately two months. Three species have life spans of at least 13 years in the wild, but most Eurasian lynx rarely live longer than 10–12 years.

Bobcat

The coat of the bobcat (L. rufus), or bay lynx, ranges from yellow and gray to reddish brown in colour, with the darker pelage occurring more frequently during the summer. The coat also harbours dark streaks and spots, and the short tail, for which the bobcat is named, is banded with a black tip. The bobcat, roughly the size of a large domestic cat, is the smallest lynx. It weighs 9–12 kg (about 20–26 pounds) and stands 45–58 cm (18–23 inches) tall at the shoulder, and most individuals grow up to 65–70 cm (26–28 inches) in length; however, some as small as 47 cm (about 19 inches) long and as large as 125 cm (about 49 inches) have been sighted.

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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The habitat of the bobcat is primarily in the continental United States, except for the agricultural heartland of the Midwest and parts of the East Coast, where they were hunted aggressively during the first half of the 20th century. The species also inhabits Mexico as far south as the states of Oaxaca and Baja California Sur and is found as far north as southern Canada. Despite thousands of bobcats being harvested annually in the United States for the commercial fur trade, population numbers have not declined appreciably. The U.S. population is thought to be in excess of several hundred thousand, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has classified the bobcat as a species of least concern.

Canada lynx

The Canada lynx (L. canadensis) is similar to the bobcat in appearance but can be identified by its longer legs, wider feet, longer ear tufts, and more prominent black-tipped tail. The weight of an adult ranges from 8.0 to 17.3 kg (about 18 to 38 pounds), and its length ranges from 67 to 107 cm (about 26 to 42 inches). On average its height at the shoulder is 61 cm (24 inches).

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The Canada lynx is also listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN, but it is considered to be a threatened species in the United States. At present the species is found in the boreal forests throughout Canada (except Nova Scotia) and in the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Maine in habitats coincident with that of the snowshoe hare. In the southern part of its range, however, the Canada lynx’s diet is more diversified: it preys on carrion and possibly even young ungulates.

Canada lynx have been hunted and trapped for their fur for hundreds of years, but the levels of northern populations have remained fairly stable over time. Southern populations, especially those in the conterminous United States, are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation from logging and agricultural conversion, and many individuals are victims of vehicle strikes or are captured in traps meant for other species. Reintroduction programs begun in the early 21st century, in which groups of animals were released in other parts of the Rocky Mountains, have met with moderate success.

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Bobcat

Canada lynx