Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
incredible populations in which there seems to be a hare behind every bush, shrub, and tussock. Then,
almost overnight, hare numbers plummet so drastically that there's hardly a hare to be found where pre-
viously there were hundreds.
The lynx population, with a lag of a year or two, mirrors the population curve of its favored prey. As
hare numbers soar, most female lynx produce an annual litter that averages two kittens, and the kittens
have a high survival rate. After the hare population crashes, the number of kittens declines dramatically,
and the few kittens born rarely survive.
Nor are adults immune to this sudden shift from superabundance to scarcity, for many lynx starve in
the aftermath of the hare's virtual, if temporary, disappearance. One facet of this phenomenon remains
a puzzle to biologists, however: while numerous lynx starve during the great dearth of hares, some in-
dividuals appear to remain well fed. How they manage this feat while so many of their fellows starve
is a mystery. Perhaps the survivors are more adept at foraging on a variety of prey, such as ptarmigan,
squirrels, voles, mice—even carrion. No one knows for sure, although further research may provide
answers to this riddle.
Lynx are by no means suited for long-distance pursuit in the sense that, for example, wolves are,
but they'll pursue hares at high speed for moderate distances, and here their long legs and huge feet,
which parallel the adaptations of their prey, again prove invaluable. Even in soft, deep snow, the lynx
can often run down a hare within a short distance. The contest is hardly one-sided, however, for the
lynx frequently fails in its pursuit of the speedy hare.
Lynx, however, like most other cats, are much more stalkers and pouncers than pursuit animals.
Their instinct is to conserve energy; a careful stalk and a swift pounce, or an all-out sprint for a relat-
ively short distance, expend far less precious energy than a lengthy chase. Using an even more energy-
efficient technique, lynx often simply lie down along hare runs and wait for their prey to come to them.
Lynx mate during January and February—the dead of winter in the northern climes where they
reside. Their gestation period is about two months, so the kittens are born, blind and hairless, in March
or April. The female gives birth in whatever sort of den the terrain offers. This can be a hollow log, a
hole in a tumble of rocks, a space beneath the roots of a large stump, or some similar place that offers
shelter from the elements.
Like cats the world over, the male lynx has no interest in family matters once he has mated, and it's
left to the female to raise the kittens in single-parent fashion. Though the kittens are helpless at birth,
their eyes open after ten days, and they're soon rolling and tumbling much like domestic kittens.
After about twelve weeks the kittens are large and strong enough to accompany their mother during
her quest for food. As they follow her, they learn by example how to stalk their prey, pursue it, or con-
ceal themselves beside a run to await the approach of a hare. Then, once they've received this all-im-
portant education, they set out to find their own territories.
North American scientists are only now beginning to study the lynx in anything approaching the de-
tail lavished on many other species. This oversight is partly due to the elusive character of the lynx,
