European Cats

EURASIAN LYNX (Lynx lynx)

Also known as: Common lynx, Northern lynx.

Conservation status:  Least concern

Size: The adult Eurasian Lynx is 31 to 55 inches long from the head to the base of the tail; the tail adds a further 4 – 10 inches. It weighs roughly between 12.5 – 25 kg.

Colour and markings: Fawn yellow grey to light brown with reddish brown or dark brown spots.

Distribution:  The Eurasian lynx inhabits forest and scrubland regions of Western Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Iran, Iraq, and Asia.

Prey: Wild pigs, beavers, rabbits, birds, deer.

Threats:  Fur trade.

CAT-FACT: The Eurasian lynx is one of the widest ranging cats in the world and can be found in the forests of western Europe, Russia and central Asia.

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EUROPEAN / SCOTTISH WILD CAT  (Felis silvestris)

Also known as:  Highland Tiger (Scottish), wild cat.

Conservation status:  Critically Endangered (Scottish).

Size:  The adult Scottish Wild cat is 18 to 25 inches long from the head to the base of the tail; the tail adds a further 10 – 13 inches. It weighs roughly between 2.5 – 7.5 kg.

Colour and markings: Grey coat with tabby markings, tail will have unconnected rings rather than connected rings. They can be difficult to tell apart from a domestic cat;

 The diagram below illustrates the differences between a hybrid (left) and a true Scottish wildcat (right).

Distribution:  Scotland (Scottish Wildcat) Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Moldova (European Wildcat)

Prey:  Rabbits and other small mammals, birds.

Threats:  A decline in rabbit numbers due to myxomatosis has almost wiped out the Scottish wildcat. In the rest of Europe cross breeding with domestic cats threaten numbers.

CAT-FACT: The last documented sighting of a wildcat on English soil took place in 1849.

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Cat Specific Research and fund raising:  Save The Scottish Wild Cat

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IBERIAN LYNX (Lynx pardinus)

Conservation status:  Critically endangered (estimates only 500 left in the wild)

Size: The adult Iberian Lynx is 28 to 38 inches long from the head to the base of the tail; the tail adds a further 4 – 5 inches. It weighs roughly between 9 – 16 kg.

Colour and markings: Pale yellow beige to light reddish brown coat with with dark spots and bars.

Distribution: Parts of Southern and Central Spain and Eastern Portugal.

Prey: Rodents, Birds and Rabbits.

Threats:  Habitat loss, Pouching, poisoning and Road casualties.

CAT-FACT: If the Iberian lynx were to become extinct, it would be the first big cat species to do so since Smilodon populator 10,000 years ago.

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Cat Specific Research and fund raising:   The LIFE-lince Project:

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