Wandering Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in Kansas

摘要

Historically, the Canada lynx (Lynxcanadensis) ranged across Alaska, Canada,and the northern United States and south onthe Rocky Mountains to Colorado and perhapsNew Mexico (Hall 1981, Frey 2006). Borealor boreomontane forest, especially areassupporting populations of the snowshoe hare(Lepus americanus), is favored habitat of thespecies (Quinn and Parker 1987). However, itsporadically occurs outside its natural rangein seemingly unsuitable habitats duringpopulation irruptions that typically follow acyclical pattern like that of the snowshoe hare(Jones, Armstrong, and Choate 1985; Wilsonand Reeder 2005). At those times, the Canadalynx may be found in Minnesota, the Dakotas,Iowa, and Nebraska well to the south of itsnatural range (Gunderson 1978, Hoffman andGenoways 2005). However, the Canada lynxhas never been recorded on the Great Plainsas far south as Kansas.