Lynxes
The lynxes make up a subgroup of the lesser cats. There are four distinct types of lynxes, all different in general appearance from other members of the Felidae. Lynxes have small heads, long hind legs,tufted or plumed ears, short, stubby tails, heavy bodies and hairy feet.They are widely distributed in the northern and temperate regions of the Old and New Worlds.
Canadian lynx (Lynx lynx). A familiar lynx of North America is the Canadian, or northern, lynx. It is a large, stocky cat with reddish-grey coat, sometimes spotted, especially in the young. The hair is long, the feet are furry and fluffy and the ears are tipped with long hairs or plumes. The lynx’s hairy feet serve a useful purpose in enabling this cat to move freely and quickly over deep snow. Canadian lynxes often reach a length of four feet. This cat feeds on small mammals and birds. It occasionally ventures south of the Canadian border.
Bobcat (L. rufa). The bobcat is found throughout the United States and northern Mexico. It resembles the Canadian lynx but is smaller.Also called the bay lynx, this cat has a rusty-red or dark brown coat.Like the Canadian lynx, the bobcat adult and young may have spots.Bobcats are expert climbers and feed on small mammals and birds.
Although bobcats have been captured as kittens and tamed, they are generally unreliable pets. When angered, the bobcat can be a very dangerous animal, one that will not hesitate to attack a human being.Bobcats can and do interbreed with domestic cats, but offspring rarely survive beyond the kitten stage.
Caracal (L. caracal). The slender caracal is a lynx found throughout Africa, mainly in the arid regions, and in parts of India. It has a reddish-brown coat and very long ears that terminate in dark pltunes which often hang down• like tassels. The inside of the ears is white, the outside black. Caracals possess great speed and are capable of running down a fleet gazelle. This strange cat also catches birds, leaping high to slap its prey down in mid-air.
Jungle cat (L. chaos). A fourth member of the lynx group is knownas the jungle cat. This lynx ranges from the Caucasus in western Asia,through the Near East, including Iran and India, to the eastern part ofNorth Africa. It is also found in Ceylon and Burma. Despite its name,the jungle cat prefers open woodlands and cultivated fields.
Typically lynx like in appearance, the jungle cat has an ash-grey or grey-brown body, with plumes of longer hair on the tips of its ears.Jungle cats feed on small mammals and birds. As in the case of other lynxes, the jungle cat will interbreed with domestic cats. Because of this, it is believed to have played an important part in the evolution and development of the domestic cats, particularly the Abyssinian breed.