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Lynx in the NWT
The lynx
(Lynx canadensis) is a member of the "felid" or cat family. It lives in boreal forests across North America.
Within the NWT, lynx are found below the treeline and
are most numerous in the southwest and in the Mackenzie Delta.
Although other prey are eaten, lynx depend heavily on snowshoe hares to
thrive. As a result, the
lynx
populations fluctuate with cycles of the snowshoe hare.
Lynx are
medium-sized animals, with the adults weighing an average of 10 kg for
males and 8.5 kg for females. They
appear somewhat larger than they are because of their long legs and long, thick
fur. Some distinctive features of
lynx are ear tufts, a ruff of fur around the face, a short black-tipped
tail, snowshoe-like paws, and long legs. With
their broad, well-furred paws, a necessary adaptation for chasing snowshoe hares
in deep snow, lynx are particularly well suited to their northern environment.
Their fur is a gray-brown mixture with paler gray or brown on the belly,
legs, and feet. In late spring,
their colour darkens to a reddish brown.
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