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__CANADA LYNX__ //Lynx Canadensis

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 * **Scientific Name****:** Lynx Canadensis
 * **Common Nam****e:** Canada Lynx

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 * **Natural Habitat:**
 * Canada
 * Alaska
 * Northern Maine
 * Northeastern Minnesota
 * The Northern Rocky Mountains (northwestern Montana and northeastern Idaho)
 * The Northern Cascades (north-central Washington)
 * The Greater Yellowstone Area (southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming)
 * Biotic Factors: trees, moss, humans (see why endangered), soil
 * Abiotic Factors: water, rocks
 * **Niche:**
 * Weighs about 20-30 pound
 * About 20 inches tall
 * Long hind legs, a short solid black tipped tail, large well-furred paws and tufted ears very similar to the bobcat.
 * Their diet includes snowshoe hares, red squirrels, some birds and other small mammals including grouse
 * Predators:
 * Mountain Lions
 * Coyotes
 * Live in forests dens they make out of downed logs or windfalls
 * **Why is the Lynx Endangered/Threatened?:**
 * Trappers used to catch the lynx for fur trade
 * Improper forest management such as loggers, roads, winter recreational activities, fires
 * **Current Population Size:**
 * Because the lynx is such a rare animal and there are no reliable population estimates for any region, the size of the total population in the contiguous United States is unknown.

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 * **Conservation Efforts:**
 * The Endangered Species Act requires Federal Agencies to conserve endangered and threatened species and to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on any actions that might affect the lynx. Upon listing, lynx in the United States are protected from “take.” Taking is prohibited unless authorized by a special 4(d) rule that would provide for the conservation of lynx.
 * “Take” is defined as: to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect. Harm may include significant habitat modification where it actually kills or injures a listed species through impairment of essential behavior (e.g., feeding, breeding or sheltering).
 * **How Will the Future Ecosystem be Affected if the Species Goes Extinct?:**
 * If the Canada Lynx goes extinct, the population of snow hares and the other animals the lynx eats may become overpopulated. Also, the predators of the lynx may become hungry and possibly become extinct also, affecting the food web/chains even more.

Picture Link [|Source #1] Source #2 Source #3 [|Source #4]