The Riddle of the Lynx Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lynx canadensis

The four species of lynx are:

Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)
Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

The Eurasian is the largest and most widespread of the four species, while the Iberian lynx is the most endangered cat subspecies in the world, but conservation efforts have moved their status from critical to endangered.

In North America, the Canada lynx and the bobcat share their ranges somewhat, with the Canada lynx to the north and the bobcat to the south.

Answer: light, brightness

The etymologists surmise that the meaning of 'light and brightness' was used as a reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes.

Answer: False

While the Canada lynx would make a fine choice for Canada's National Animal, that honour actually goes to the beaver. The Act recognizing the Beaver (Castor canadensis) as a symbol of the sovereignty of Canada received royal assent on March 24, 1975.

Officially known as the North American beaver, the importance of Castor canadensis to Canada's development with the fur trade cannot be denied. While lynx pelts were also part of the trade, they were not nearly of the same abundance.

The sale of beaver pelts was so profitable and so integral to the system, that a coin was created, called a 'buck', that had the value of one beaver pelt.

Answer: Boreal forest

The range of the Canada lynx essentially matches that of the entire boreal forest bio-region, which extends from Newfoundland in the east to British Columbia in the west and north to include parts of the Canadian territories and Alaska. But it also follows the mountain ranges into the south, with established populations in the Blue Mountains, the Cascade Range, and the southern Rocky Mountains.

Answer: Blue lynx

In essence, blue lynxes have a bluish-grey colour all around, and even the normally black tips present as a dark bluish-grey colour, which is the hallmark of it being a mutation (the entire absence of black).

Answer: The bobcat is half the size of the Canada lynx

In actuality, the bobcat and the Canada lynx are almost identical in size. It would be difficult to distinguish them using only that characteristic.

The Canada lynx grows to 90 cm (35 in) in length and stands 48 to 56 cm (19 to 22 in) tall. The bobcat, in comparison, ranges from 71 to 100 cm (28 to 39 in) in length and stands 51 to 61 cm (20 to 24 in) tall.

Probably the easiest visual difference is the tail. Where the Canada lynx has just a black tip on its bobtail, the bobcat's tail is banded with black, and is white on the underside.

And the Canada lynx's wider paws allow it to better traverse the snows in the winter, acting like a natural snowshoe.

Answer: The Hudson Bay Company

The Hudson Bay Company was founded in 1670 and is one of the oldest still-active companies in the world. While its business has changed over time, for a good portion of its history it was primarily involved in the fur trade alongside the colonial efforts of British North America.

One of the things it kept records of, that has helped in the study of the Canada lynx, is the amount of pelts that were collected over time, and where they were collected from. This has helped to establish evidence of a predator/prey link that closely affects the population of the species. Which I will ask you about in the next question.

Answer: Snowshoe hares

The snowshoe hare is very important to the ecology of the boreal forest, feeding on the forest's various plants and shrubs, while also being a food source for many animals. And this is especially true of the relationship between the snowshoe hare and the Canada lynx.

The term is 'specialist predator'. Unless driven to hunt other animals due to low populations, climatic change or forest fires, the snowshoe hare is the Canada lynx's meal of choice. And when their preys' numbers are low, the Canada lynx will have smaller litters, reducing their own population size.

Canada lynxes are usually solitary hunters, but when 'supply' is low, they do sometimes hunt in groups, and they are not averse to scavenging, should the opportunity arise.

Answer: Kittens

While many of the larger cat species can have cubs, most of the smaller cat species have kittens, and the Canada lynx is no different.

After they are born, the kittens are blind for approximately fourteen days, and they are weaned at twelve weeks. They begin hunting after seven months, and typically become independent after ten months. Full maturity takes approximately two years.

Answer: 15 years

Taking into account the many reasons why domestic cats die, their average lifespan is 15.1 years (according to Catster.com), although they can live to 20 years or older.

The Canada lynx in the wild can live up to 14-16 years of age in the natural course of things, but many are killed through hunting and trapping at a much younger age. While in captivity, they can live to their mid-20s.