Consolo Murphy and Meagher (in press) reported a total
of 57 records of lynx on file in Yellowstone for the
period 1883-1995, all but one of which were within
park boundaries. Sightings were reported 34 times and
tracks reported 17 times, both throughout the park,
although more reports occurred in the southern half of
Yellowstone. Lynx were reported more often in winter,
although all months are represented in these records.
Since 1995 there have been two reports of lynx, both
in 1997, in the northern half of the park. The
Smithsonian Museum has a skull of a female lynx
reportedly collected from an unspecified location in
Yellowstone in 1904. Museums at the Universities of
Idaho and Wyoming have no specimens of lynx collected
in Yellowstone. The park has no records of lynx having
been killed or found dead here. Neither has research
been conducted to determine whether transient or
resident populations exist. Sightings by visitors or
employees are the only evidence we have of the
possible presence of these animals that so closely
resemble bobcats (Felis rufus) that sightings are
difficult to verify. Consolo Murphy and Meagher
concluded that evidence is too scant to reliably state
that a resident population of lynx exists in the park
today, if it did historically.
As part of a proposed settlement over a lawsuit filed
by the Defenders of Wildlife and 14 other
organizations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) recently proposed to take action to list the
Canada lynx under the Endangered Species Act. A series
of legal actions regarding the lynx have been pending
since 1991. The USFWS determined that lynx were
historically resident in 16 of the contiguous United
States, and that they currently occur at low levels in
Montana, Washington, and Maine. They are rare in
Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Michigan, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Utah, Colorado, Vermont, and New Hampshire;
the USFWS believes they have been extirpated from New
York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Publication of
a proposed rule in the Federal Register is planned for
the summer of 1998, followed by a public comment
period to actively solicit new information about the
status of lynx, related threats, and ongoing
conservation activities.
Adult lynx are about the size of a large domestic cat.
Males can weigh upwards of 30 pounds, while females
are smaller. Lynx have large legs and broad, well-
urred paws, blunt tails, and prominent tufted ears.
Lynx are generally grayish-brown with white, buff, or
brown on the facial ruff and throat. Limited studies
suggest that lynx breed in April or May, and give
birth to three to five kittens in late May or June.
Lynx are usually found in boreal forests and they
tolerate deep snow quite well. They are commonly
associated with snowshoe hares, but may also prey on
squirrels, grouse and mice. The conifer forests, semi-
pen and rocky areas of the park seem to offer summer
conditions suitable for both bobcats and lynx--
dequate shelter, a variety of rodents, rabbits, hares,
birds, and other small animals for food. Lynx survive
similarly severe winter weather conditions in Canada.
Research there has shown that bobcats, another native
wildcat, and lynx are seldom found in the same area as
bobcats are more aggressive and may dominate. Whether
this behavioral factor may affect living conditions
for lynx in Yellowstone is presently unknown.
The similarity between lynx and bobcats makes it
difficult to determine their status in Yellowstone. A
large adult bobcat may be larger than a small adult
lynx, so size is not a good characteristic for
positive identification. Both bobcats and lynx have
ear "tufts" of black hair. Although lynx are more
solidly gray and bobcats are often buffy and have many
black spots, larger bobcats usually have fewer spots
and some turn almost solidly gray in winter, so
general coloration is also a difficult characteristic
for distant identification. If you see one of these
small wildcats and have time, good light, and
binoculars, look at the inside of the cat’s forelegs.
There are no black bars there on a lynx, although
there may be some dark spots. Also, the tip of the
tail of a lynx is solidly black. (The upper side of a
bobcat's tail has several dark bands that become more
distinct toward the tip but the underside of the tip
itself is white.)
If you find only tracks, measure and photograph them
carefully, then consult a track field guide for
identification. Bobcat tracks seldom exceed 2 1/4
inches; lynx tracks usually are longer than 3 1/2
inches. And consider yourself lucky to see any of the
three felids that may exist in Yellowstone (bobcat,
mountain lion, lynx). These rare and elusive cats are
most active at night, so even those who study them
seldom have an opportunity to see one! If you think
you see a lynx or lynx tracks, please report them
promptly to a ranger or visitor center. For animals so
rarely recorded, every observation is useful and
important.
In recent years, the park has experimented with non-
harmful methods to determine the presence of some
rarely seen animals, by sampling for snow tracks and
guard hairs. To date, the presence of lynx has not
been confirmed by these methods.
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