Steppe lynx - surprisingly beautiful and graceful beast

In our world there are many amazing creatures of nature. How many wild cats can be found on our planet! And you, for example, know what are the breeds of lynx? This is Spanish, and Canadian, and even steppe. We will talk about the latter.

Steppe lynx

Caracal is a carnivorous mammal that belongs to the Cat family. Externally, the animal is very similar to other similar ones, however, genetic features have caused that it was singled out in a separate row.

"Karakal" in Turkish means "black ear". By the way, the back side of the ears in such cats is black.

In North Africa, the steppe lynx is called "Berber". Outwardly, the animal really resembles a lynx, but caracal is slimmer and slightly smaller. Another difference is the one-color color.

The average body length is 75 cm, and the tail is 28 cm, the height in the shoulders is about 44 cm. Its weight varies from eleven to nineteen kilograms.

Ears in a lynx with tassels (no more than five centimeters long) at the ends. The fur is thick and short. The outer side of the ears and brushes are black. Color resembles a North American puma: on the muzzle on the sides are black marks, a whitish bottom and a reddish-brown or sandy top. Very rarely, but you can meet such an amazing creature as a black caracal. Steppe lynx with such color is called "caracal melanist".

According to the morphological features, this animal is closer to the puma, although outwardly it looks like a lynx. Also caracal is close to the African serval. By the way, in captivity it is crossed with it.

Steppe lynx is found in the foothills, deserts and savannas of Africa, as well as in Asia. You rarely meet such an animal in the CIS: it is found in Turkmenistan, as well as in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.

As a rule, the steppe lynx hunts at night, but in spring and winter it can be found in the afternoon.

Where does the wondrous beast live?

As a rule, burrows for the caracal are burrows of foxes and porcupines, as well as crevices of rocks. Sometimes they use one place for several years. Females occupy small areas that are located on the periphery, and males select extensive ones.

Although a steppe lynx and long legs, it can not run long distances, so it hunts, catching the victim with large (in length up to 4.5 m) jumps. It has a very fast reaction. Caracal from the flying up flight immediately can snatch a few birds. The main food of the steppe lynx is rodents (ground squirrels, gerbils), antelopes (small), and also hare-tolai. Sometimes its food becomes reptiles, insects, small predatory animals (mongoose, fox). In addition, it can attack goats and lambs or steal poultry. Steppe lynx can go without water for a long time, the liquid it will receive from its prey.

To hide his game from other predators, Karakal drags her into the trees.

Reproduction

The steppe lynx breeds all year round, the female for this period can have up to three partners. The gestation period is about 80 days. One female is born to six young. Before the babies turn a month, she once a day carries them from one lair to another. When the cubs turn six months old, they leave the mother and settle in their possessions. At 18 months the steppe lynx becomes sexually mature.