E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Lynx canadensis Kerr, 1792
Canadian Lynx; Lynx
Family: Felidae
Photo of species

© David Shackleton  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #3393)

E-Fauna BC Static Map
Distribution of Lynx canadensis in British Columbia
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Species Information


The Canada Lynx is one of Canada's three large cat species and one of four species of Lynx worldwide . It is a solitary, not often seen, forest-dwelling large cat that is active at dawn and dusk. It is a distinctive species, with a silvery brown coat, long legs, broad furred feet, short tail with black tips, ruffed face, and long tufts of hair on its ears (Hatler et al. 2008, Wikipedia 2021). It may be confused with the smaller Bobcat (Lynx rufus), although bobcats are usually (though not always) smaller than lynx and have distinctive black bars on the forelegs which are absent in lynx (Wikipedia 2021).

Distribution

The Canadian Lynx is found across most of Canada and in Alaska, Montana, Vermont, Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming. It is rare in Utah, Minnesota, and New England. In BC, the Lynx is found throughout most of the mainland of the province, but is not found on the coastal islands (Hatlet et al. 2008).

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)
COSEWIC
NativeS5YellowNAR (May 2001)
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Additional Photo Sources

Species References

Hatler, David F., David W. Nagorsen and Allison M. Beal. 2008. Carnivores of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum Handbook, Victoria.

Wikipedia. 2021. Lynx. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx Accessed online June 21, 2021, 11:13.

General References


Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-10-13 12:28:53 AM]
Disclaimer: The information contained in an E-Fauna BC atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited (with permission) in each section. This information is scientifically based.  E-Fauna BC also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links.  As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information.  E-Fauna BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.


© E-Fauna BC 2021: An initiative of the Spatial Data Lab, Department of Geography, UBC