
By Keith Williams (on Flickr), [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The beautiful thickly furred Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) is one of the few cat species that still have healthy populations in its remote range in Canada. Nevertheless due to trapping for their luxurious fur, populations have declined in southern areas where they were less abundant and local protection measures have become necessary.
Canada Lynxes, sometimes called Canadian Lynxes, are endemic to North America and their numbers are intricately tied to population cycles of their primary prey - the snowshoe hare.
Lynx Lineage
1. Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)
2. Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
3. Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)
4. Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Unique Facts
~ Numbers linked to snowshoe hares ~
~ Legal trapping programs CA ~
~ Endemic to North America ~
Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) Classification
The Canada Lynx belongs to the genus Lynx and the full taxonomy or scientific classification of the Canada Lynx species is:
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Chordata (vertebrates)
Class: Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Carnivora (carnivores)
Suborder: Feliformia (cat-like)
Family: Felidae (cats)
Subfamily: Felinae (small cats)
Genus: Lynx
Species: Lynx canadensis (Canada Lynx)
Subspecies: none
The scientific name for the Canada Lynx is Lynx canadensis; which is also known as the binomial name, species name, Latin name, biological name or zoological name.

View Lynxes of the World Print
Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) Subspecies
The Canada Lynx is a monotypic species and as per the last Felidae taxonomy revision in 2017 there are no recognized subspecies.
Canada Lynx Conservation and Research
The global conservation status of the Canada Lynx, also known as Canadian Lynx, is Least Concern (LC), but the cat is listed as "Endangered" and "Threatened" under local legislation in some parts of its southern range.
The following organizations are involved in protecting the Canada Lynx by ensuring harvesting is sustainable in Canada, and to mitigate further declines due to excessive trapping, habitat destruction and fragmentation in its southern range.
International Society for Endangered Cats - Canadian Cats
National Wildlife Federation - Canada Lynx
Please support these organizations with their important work if you can. No matter the size of your contribution, every bit helps!
Research - the Lynx Project Alaska
- Lynx take epic, 2,000-mile treks—but why is a mystery - National Geographic 2020
- Species Spotlight Lynx - Alaska Wildlife Alliance 2020 - video about the research
- How to Catch a (Wild)cat - USFWS 2019
- The Northwest Boreal Lynx Project Alaska - USFWS 2018
Canada Lynx Facts and Information
The following organizations have well researched and authoritative information on the Canada Lynx:
- Canada Lynx Status and Distribution Map - IUCN Red List
- Canada Lynx Detailed Information - IUCN Cat Specialist Group
- Canada Lynx Academic Literature pdf - IUCN Cat Specialist Group
- Canada Lynx Fact Sheet pdf - Wildscreen Arkive
- Canada Lynx Overview - ISEC Int. Soc. Endangered Cats
Canada Lynx Documentaries and Videos
These documentaries and video clips about the Canada Lynx are currently available on YouTube.
Apologies if any links are broken as videos are removed from time to time. If so, search for the video title to find if it is available elsewhere.
*Year published on YouTube when no year given in the video.