Taxonomy
| Iberian lynx | ||
| Lynx pardinus | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | |
| Phylum | Chordata | |
| Class | Mammalia | |
| Order | Carnivora | |
| Family | Felidae | |
| Genus | Lynx | |
| Species | pardinus | |
Description
The Iberian lynx is the world's most threatened species of cat, and may become the first wild cat species to go extinct for over 2,000 years. Although smaller in size, it resembles the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), possessing the same characteristically bobbed tail, tufts on the ears and jaw, a spotted coat, muscular body and long legs. European rabbits make up the mainstay of the diet of the Iberian lynx, unlike the larger Eurasian lynx that feeds mainly on ungulates such as roe deer and chamois. Small deer may be eaten on occasion, if rabbit numbers are low. A male Iberian Lynx catches one rabbit a day, whilst a breeding female will need up to 5 rabbits a day to raise her family. Captured prey is usually carried or dragged a considerable distance before being eaten, and the remains are buried.
Population size & trend
| Estimated population size: | 84-143 (IUCN red list), mainly restricted to two isolated populations in southern Spain. |
| Trend: | decreasing; promising results have been achieved in Portugal's Iberian lynx breeding centre in 2011/2012 where 17 cubs successfully have been born and reared. |
Geographical range & habitat
| Historically widespread throughout the Iberian peninsular and the south of France. Today, small and severely fragmented populations are found only in diminishing areas of suitable habitat in central and south-western parts of Spain, and in the Algarve mountains of Portugal.The Iberian lynx prefers a mosaic of woodland or dense scrub for shelter during the day and open pasture for hunting rabbits. It is found mainly between 400 - 900 m but occurs up to 1600 m. |
Biology
| Head-body length: | 85 - 110 cm |
| Female weight: | average of 9.3 kg |
| Male weight: | average of 12.8 kg |
| Age to maturity: | Females reach sexual maturity at one year of age but will only breed once they are in possession of their own territory |
| Gestation period: | 63-73 days; The mating season peaks at the beginning of the year in January and February |
| Birth rate | 0.6 - 0.8 litters/female/year; litter size 1-4 kittens |
| Life span: | up to 13 years |
Conservation & status
| Conservation: | A key to the recovery of the Iberian Lynx is the restoration of the rabbit population. Land management strategies include improving the habitat for rabbits, which will benefit breeding lynx. Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is implementing a strategy for the conservation of the Iberian Lynx in both Portugal and Spain. The strategy aims to secure and manage a belt of land across southern Spain and Portugal that will provide a corridor of suitable habitat large enough to support a viable population of this threatened cat. In addition to protecting a habitat of recognized global importance, the corridor will allow for the reconnection of currently isolated lynx populations and, in the future, for the secure reintroduction into the wild of individuals reared in sanctuaries. One of the projects supported by FFI to stop any further habitat degradation on the Iberian peninsula is The Cork Initiative (more information here). These, and other regional, initiatives contributed to the effect of the most important conservation programme for Iberian lynx, the LIFE Lince project - financially supported by the European Union. The outcome of these conservation initiatives is that in the June 2015 update of the Red List the Iberian lynx' status has improved, and is down-listed to Endangered (coming down from Critically Endangered). So, good news - with five breeding centres and 79 enclosures producing lynx for the reintroduction programme. About 100 lynx born in captivity have been released into the wild since the breeding programme started. And over 327 lynx roam the countryside in Andalucia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Portugal. In other words, wild Iberian lynx specimens can be found outside Andalucia again. |
| IUCN Red list status: | Endangered (Red list); Since June 2015 (Critically endangered from 2002 until 2015) |
| CITES status: | Appendix I (Appendices) |
Threats
The decline in lynx populations is due to a number of factors including scarcity of prey, loss and fragmentation of its cork oak and maquis habitats, road casualties and illegal killing. The introduction of myxomatosis and the subsequent impact of haemorrhagic fever almost resulted in the local extinction of rabbits in Iberia, and populations now stand at only 5% of their 1950s levels. Subsequently the population size of the Iberian lynx dropped dramatically. Genomic analysis of the Iberian lynx, conducted in 2016 and published in the journal Genome Biology, confirms that it is one of the species with the least genetic diversity among individuals, which means that it has little margin for adaptation. |
Zoos
| In Europe the zoo in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain (Zoobotánico JEREZ) is keeping the Iberian lynx. | ||
| Studbooks | ||
| ISB: | - | ISB = International Studbook (WAZA) EEP = European Endangered species Programme (EAZA) ESB = European Studbook (EAZA) SSP = Species Survival plan Program (AZA) ASMP = Australasian Species Management Program (ZAA) |
| EEP: | - | |
| ESB: | - | |
| SSP: | ||
| ASMP: | ||
References
Sources used
More information
- IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group
- Wikipedia- Programa e Conservación ex-situ, Lince Ibérico
Video
Feeding time for Iberian lynx cub
A cub is hand-fed by staff at the Iberian lynx breeding centre in Portugal, which is run by Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e da Biodiversidade (ICNB). This work forms part of efforts to boost numbers of this Critically Endangered cat species:
Video of mother 'Boj' playfighting with one of her cubs
The cub is born in 2012 at one of the breeding centres on the Iberian peninsula:
(Source: Programa e Conservación ex-situ, Lince Ibérico)
