Central Asian lynx, Tibetan lynx, Himalayan lynx
The Turkestan lynx (Lynx lynx isabellinus) is a subspecies of Eurasian lynx native to Central Asia. It is also known as Central Asian lynx, Tibetan lynx, or Himalayan lynx. It is widespread from west in Central Asia, from South Asia to China and Mongolia.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withGenerally, Turkestan lynxes have a similar appearance to Eurasian lynxes. They have a relatively short, reddish, or brown coat that is marked with black spots; their number and pattern are highly variable. The underparts, neck, and chin are whitish. The fur is more brightly coloured with more numerous spots in animals living at the southern end of its range. In winter, it is much thicker and varies from silver-grey to greyish-brown. Some animals have dark brown stripes on the forehead and back. Eurasian lynxes have powerful, relatively long legs, with large webbed and furred paws that act like snowshoes. They also have a short "bobbed" tail with an all-black tip, black tufts of hair on their ears, and a long grey-and-white ruff.
Turkestan lynxes are found in Central Asia from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. They live in open woodlands, steppe, and rocky hills. In the Indian Himalayas, these animals were sighted at high elevations in Hemis National Park and on the Changtang Plateau in Ladakh.
Little information is available about the behavior of Turkestan lynxes. Generally, Eurasian lynxes are nocturnal or crepuscular animals and spend the day sleeping in dense thickets or other places of concealment. However, they may hunt during the day when food is scarce. Adult lynxes are typically solitary and have hunting areas that can be anything from 20 to 450 km2 (7.7 to 173.7 sq mi), depending on the local availability of prey. Males tend to hunt over much larger areas than females, which tend to occupy exclusive, rather than overlapping, hunting ranges. Eurasian lynxes can travel up to 20 km (12 mi) during one night looking for prey. They patrol regularly throughout all parts of their hunting range, using scent marks to indicate their presence to other individuals. Eurasian lynxes are ambush predators but also hunt by stalking, sneaking, and jumping on prey using both vision and hearing. They often climb onto high rocks or fallen trees to scan the surrounding area. Eurasian lynxes are generally silent outside of the breeding season. They have been observed to mew, hiss, growl, and purr, and, like domestic cats, will "chatter" at prey that is just out of reach. Mating calls are much louder, consisting of deep growls in the male, and loud "meow-like" sounds in the female. Eurasian lynxes are secretive, and because the sounds they make are very quiet and seldom heard, their presence in an area may go unnoticed for years.
Turkestan lynxes are carnivores and like other Eurasian lynxes, they hunt on small to fairly large-sized mammals and birds. Populations that live in Dolpa District in the Nepal Himalayas prey on Woolly hares, pikas, Mountain voles, Himalayan marmots, and domestic goats.
Information about the reproductive habits and time of breeding of Turkestan lynxes is scarce. Like Eurasian lynxes, they are probably polygynous meaning that one male mates with more than one female during the breeding season. Like in Eurasian lynxes, the gestation probably lasts 67-74 days. Pregnant females construct dens in secluded locations, often protected by overhanging branches or tree roots. The dens they line with feathers, deer hair, and dry grass to provide bedding for the young. Females usually have 2 kittens, rarely 3. At birth, kittens weigh 240 to 430 g (8.5 to 15.2 oz) and open their eyes after 10-12 days. They initially have plain, greyish-brown fur, attaining full adult coloration around 11 weeks of age. They begin to take solid food at 6-7 weeks when they begin to leave the den but are not fully weaned for 5 or 6 months. The den is abandoned 2-3 months after the kittens are born, but they typically remain with their mother until they are around 10 months of age. Reproductive maturity is usually attained at 2-3 years of age.
As a whole Eurasian lynxes suffer from habitat loss, loss of prey due to illegal hunting, game hunting, and trapping for fur.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Turkestan lynx total population size. However, there are available estimates of populations in the following regions: 130 individuals in the Gissar Nature Reserve, Uzbekistan; 27,000 individuals in China in 2019; 80-120 individuals in northern Pakistan in 2003. In Afghanistan, the Turkestan lynx is considered Threatened. It is listed as Near Threatened on Pakistan's and Mongolia's national Red Lists. It is listed as Endangered in China, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and as Vulnerable in Nepal and Uzbekistan.
