Lynx: an animal that deserves attention

Among all the variety that the taiga animals can boast , lynx, perhaps, has generated among the people far from these edges, the greatest number of superstitions and delusions. Most people consider it a fairly large cat - almost the size of an Amur tiger. There are stories about the insidiousness of the beast and stories chilling about the soul jumping from a branch to the neck of a man (elk, wild boar ...) and breaking his back, as it penetrates into the dwellings and drags children away. In our opinion, the lynx is an animal that does not deserve such a prejudiced attitude. She lives, hunts, grows young, like any other taiga (or living elsewhere) beast. Let's talk about it in more detail.

Appearance of the animal

Contrary to popular belief, this cat is not too large. Its size is unlikely to exceed the size of the average sheepdog. With a body length of a meter, it weighs no more than fifteen kilograms, and small specimens hardly ever exceed eight. Her constitution is somewhat more dense than that of domestic cats; The tail is short compared to them - no longer than 30 centimeters - and has a blunt tip resembling a stump. On the ears are characteristic brushes, according to which even a person far from zoology will understand that the lynx is in front of him. The description of the animal should be supplemented with a reference to the membranes between the toes on the feet, thanks to which the cat does not fail even in loose, not caked snow. These predators live until the age of 21, if the natural enemies or human hands do not die from the teeth before.

Habitat

In the past, about 200-300 years ago, even the Europeans knew who the lynx was. The animal was spread quite widely, and was encountered much to the south of the current living areas. However, everywhere it was considered a harmful predator and mercilessly exterminated. Nowadays in Russia it inhabits hollow conifers between Kamchatka and Sakhalin. By the way, this island "discovered" the beast for itself not so long ago. In other regions, also in the deserted forests, one can find a lynx - an animal is observed in Central Asia, the Carpathians and the Caucasus. Everywhere the populations are very small, why they are protected.

Method of food

I must say that the lynx is an animal, territorial and sedentary, but if necessary, when it ceases to feed, it can roam. At the heart of her diet are hares, which are supplemented by rodents and birds - black grouses, partridges and hazel grouses. Large animals avoid the beast, but can pick up young roe deer, elks, deer, and in case of an accident - and boar pigs. A lynx hunts (an animal's photo is shown in the article) from an ambush, stealthily sneaking up and suddenly attacking. A long run she can not stand, and if the extraction managed to dodge, the persecution ceases. From the tree, the beast never jumps on the victim, although it climbs well, can jump not only from one branch to another, but also through trees. However, this method of movement is used only to escape danger. Lynx swims perfectly, but does it extremely reluctantly, like all cats. All the prey is not immediately eaten by the animal - it partially hides "for a rainy day." The natural enemies of the trot are wolverines and wolves. In the habitats of the last lynx almost does not live.

Lynx-Parents

In February, at the latest - in March, the lynx begins a "marriage period". At this time, animals that usually prefer solitude and drive competitors from their hunting territory, are quite patient with the emerging neighbors. For the female there are quite bloody fights. Pregnancy in lynxes lasts from 63 to 70 days; The female usually brings 2-3 kittens. Both parents look after the offspring. The first couple of months, the trotters feed exclusively on mother's milk, then, with the appearance of teeth, go to the usual predatory diet, but they continue to feed from their mother for a long time. In three months they begin to accompany their parents, and by 8-9, when the spot of the skin appears, begin to participate in the hunt. Children stay with their mother until the next race; If she did not have a pair, the trotters can stay with her until they themselves enter an age sufficient for breeding.

What are the values of trot?

The reasons why these animals were so carefully destroyed are not completely clear. They are considered almost pests, but with the same success can be considered their "hospital attendants", like wolves: first of all they destroy the sick, inferior and weak representatives of the species. The lynx avoids people; In hungry winters can go close to housing in the hope of eating poultry or a litter of cattle - but the same behavior is characteristic of wolves, foxes, ferrets and even bears, not counting harmless ungulates. Is that because of the skins could actively knock out the populations of lynx: the fur is strong and beautiful, highly valued in fur-bearing industry.

By the way, trot meat, unlike most predators, is delicious and tender, a bit like a veal. In the modern world, predators are rejected by cooking. And on the ancient Russian feasts were considered a delicacy.

So it's not so harmful and useless lynx. Photo of the animal, by the way, shows how beautiful and graceful it is. And no worse and no better than any other predator - they were created by nature.