The lynx is any of four kinds of short-tailed cat with pointed, tufted ears. Unlike tigers and lions, which are called big cats, lynx are medium-sized. The largest may be almost as big as a wolf and the smallest just bigger than a housecat.

The Iberian lynx is the only lynx that is endangered. Fewer than 300 remain. Disease, habitat loss and car accidents kill many lynx but luckily, governments are now taking care of these animals to make sure numbers do not continue to fall. 

Lynx have long legs and very large paws with fur on the bottom. The fur keeps them warm in the snow. The size of their feet helps them to walk on the snow, acting like snowshoes. This makes them silent hunters.

They have large, pointed ears with tufts of black fur on the ends. They also have excellent hearing. Their hearing is so good, they can hear animals more than half a mile (1 km) away. They also have excellent eyesight. They can spot a mouse 246 feet (75 m) away. People can only see one about 164 feet (50 m) away. They see well in the dark, too. Their night-vision is 6 times better than ours!

See the chart below to compare the size and appearance of the different lynx.

snowshoes - flat boards worn with boots that are used for walking on the snow

tufts - bunch of long things

night-vision - ability to see in the dark, at night

There are 4 types of lynx: The Eurasian lynx lives thoughout most of northern Europe and Asia. The Canada lynx lives throughout most of Canada. They Bobcat lives throughout most of the US and Mexico. The Iberian lynx lives in parts of Spain, Portugal and France in Europe. 

They live in boreal forests, that is, forests in northern countries and mountainous areas where they have cold, snowy winters. 

Lynx are nocturnal so they mostly hunt at night. Their favourite foods is rabbit or hare but they also eat birds, squirrels, mice and other small animals. They may eat large animals such as caribou, but they rarely hunt such large prey.

hare - an animal like a very large rabbit

caribou - a kind of large deer

Lynx mothers have a litter or 1-4 babies, called kits or kittens.  The babies are very small, about 200g or the weight of a cup of sugar and can fit in your hand. They are born with their eyes closed for the first 2 weeks. When they open, their eyes are a beautiful blue! However, when they are older, their eyes will become a yellowish-brown. 

They stay with their mum and drink her milk for about 6 months when they learn to hunt. When they are only 10 months old, they will be able to live on their own.

litter - a group of baby animals