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Reproductive biology of captive female Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx

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Abstract

Studies on wild Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) have revealed variation in reproduction between areas, years and individuals. In order to explore potential causes for this variation other than food supply, we analysed data from captive lynx, which provide conditions with minimal environmental variation as all were fed ad libitum. Data from 37 individual female lynx were available from 20 zoos in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Data on 177 reproductive events (where a male was available to the female at mating time) are presented. Of these events, 85% resulted in litters being born. Average litter size was 1.95, with a variation from 1 to 4. The mean birth date was 26th May, and sex ratio was not significantly different from parity. The probability of reproduction was related to age, with fewer litters produced by the very young (2–3-year old), and no sign of a senescence effect. However, a clear effect of senescence on litter size was evident. The captive lynx did not have higher reproductive rates than wild lynx, indicating that either factors other than food supply are driving the variation in wild lynx reproduction, or that a factor such as stress may be causing additional variation in the captive population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway

    Hege Berg Henriksen

  2. Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Technology and Natural Sciences, Realfagbygget, 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Reidar Andersen

  3. Laboratoire d’Ecologie et Comportement de la Faune Sauvage, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, B.P. 52627, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan cedex, France

    Reidar Andersen & A. J. Mark. Hewison

  4. Unité Mixte de Recherche 5558 ≪Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive≫ Bât. 711, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Jean-Michel Gaillard

  5. Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway

    Morten Bronndal

  6. Parken Zoo Vilsta Camping AB, 63007, Eskilstuna, Sweden

    Stefan Jonsson

  7. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tungasletta 2, 7084, Trondheim, Norway

    John D. C. Linnell

  8. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 736, Sentrum, 0105, Oslo, Norway

    John Odden

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  1. Hege Berg Henriksen
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  2. Reidar Andersen
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  3. A. J. Mark. Hewison
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  4. Jean-Michel Gaillard
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  7. John D. C. Linnell
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Henriksen, H.B., Andersen, R., Hewison, A.J.M. et al. Reproductive biology of captive female Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx. Eur J Wildl Res 51, 151–156 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-005-0104-1

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