Lynx pardinus

• Main Authors: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2009
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Carnivora; Felidae; Lynx; Lynx pardinus; Lince; Ruff
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6772744; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/5923B2744679C819E7FDC0FCF91492CF

24. Iberian Lynx Lynx pardinus French: Lynx ibérique / German: Pardelluchs / Spanish: Lince ibérico Other common names: Pardel Lynx, Spanish Lynx Taxonomy. Felis pardinus Temminck, 1827, Portugal. Formerly considered a subspecies of L. lynx, but a recent molecular phylogenetic assessment suggests specific status. Monotypic. Distribution. SW Spain and Portugal. Descriptive notes. Head-body 68.2-82 cm, tail 12:5-16 cm; weight 7-14 kg. About half the size of Eurasian Lynx, and are closer in size to the Bobcat and Canadian Lynx. Males are about 25% larger than females. A long-legged cat, with a short tail, short body, and relatively small head. Both sexes have a prominentfacial ruff and the ears are tipped with a long tuft of black hair. Easily recognizable as the most heavily spotted member of the genus. The basic coat color is bright yellowish red or tawny with dark spots and white underparts. The coat is sparse, short and coarse. Habitat. Generally, most abundant in areas of high habitat diversity, particularly in a mosaic of open forest mixed with extensive dense brush or shrub. In Donana National Park in south-west Spain, consistently prefer Mediterranean scrubland habitat over all other habitat types. They also use ash stands but avoid pine and eucalyptus plantations. Not unexpectedly, the two preferred habitats contained the highest densities of rabbits, the cat’s main prey. More than 90% of daytime rest sites are in thick heather scrub. The presence of permanent water sites and relatively low disturbance by humans are also important components of high quality habitat. Food and Feeding. Feed almost exclusively on European Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus); unlike Eurasian Lynx, which is principally a predator of small ungulates. In Donana National Park, rabbits contribute 75 to 93% of the diet, but in other areas their diet includes a few other taxa. Fawns and juvenile Fallow Deer and Red Deer form a minor part of the diet in fall and winter, and a variety of small murid rodents, snakes, and lizards are also ...