First breeding record of a 1-year-old female Eurasian lynx

Engleder, Thomas; Mináriková, Tereza; Volfová, Josefa; Watzl, Jonatan; Watzl, Benjamin; Gerngross, P.; Belotti, Elisa

doi:10.1007/s10344-019-1256-8

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…We found a rare case of a reproducing female first reproducing at one year of age (Supplementary Table S3). The first reported case of a 1-year-old female Eurasian lynx breeding in the wild was recently observed in the Bohemian-Bavarian-Austrian population range, outside the study area 57 . The authors hypothesised this could be related to very high prey density or high turnover due to poaching.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demography of a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population within a strictly protected area in Central Europe

Palmero

Belotti

Bufka

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Large carnivores promote crucial ecosystem processes but are increasingly threatened by human persecution and habitat destruction. Successful conservation of this guild requires information on long-term population dynamics obtained through demographic surveys. We used camera traps to monitor Eurasian lynx between 2009 and 2018 in a strictly protected area in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem, located in the core of the distribution of the Bohemian–Bavarian–Austrian lynx population. Thereby, we estimated sex-specific demographic parameters using spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models. Over 48,677 trap nights, we detected 65 unique lynx individuals. Density increased from 0.69 to 1.33 and from 1.09 to 2.35 individuals/100 km2 for open and closed population SCR models, respectively, with corresponding positive population growth rates (mean = 1.06). Estimated yearly sex-specific survival probabilities for the entire monitoring period were high (females 82%, males 90%) and per capita recruitment rate was low (females 12%, males 9%), indicating a low yearly population turnover. We ascertained an average number of recruits of 1.97 and a generation time of 2.64 years when considering resident reproducing females. We confirmed that reproduction in the study area took place successfully every year. Despite the overall increase in local lynx densities, the number of detected family groups remained constant throughout the study period. These results indicated that the strictly protected study area acts as a source for the multi-use landscapes in its surroundings. In this first open population SCR study on lynx, we provide sex-specific demographic parameters that are fundamental information for lynx management in the study area as well as in similar contexts Europe-wide.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demography of a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population within a strictly protected area in Central Europe

Palmero

Belotti

Bufka

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

Self Cite

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The unique case of marking behaviour in juvenile lynx

Mináriková

Belotti

Volfová³

et al. 2023

acta ethol

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Active scent marking with urine has been described in a number of mammal species, including felids. In Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), scent marking plays a role in intra-sexual competition and territory defence as well as in attracting sexual partners during the mating season. Marking is most frequent during the mating season and least frequent during the period when females give birth and lactate. Males generally mark more frequently than females and resident animals mark more frequently than dispersers. Juveniles have never been recorded actively marking. Here, however, we present a well-documented case of an actively marking juvenile lynx. Lynx females Koka and Baronka were born in 2019 to mother Nela, who disappeared in December 2019. Nela’s territory stayed vacant, with her juvenile daughters being the only females recorded there. On the 30th March 2020, during the mating season, Koka was recorded on a camera trap video actively marking with urine, rubbing her face and again marking with urine on a rock. On the following day, she again marked with urine on the same marking site. After that, Koka left the area and the former territory of Nela was taken over by Baronka. In the BBA lynx population, juvenile lynx females were documented to successfully reproduce. This poses the question of whether their adult-like marking behaviour should be explained in the context of early reproduction, or if it has other reasons. Neither Koka nor Baronka successfully reproduced with the local male during their first year of life, but that does not mean they did not try to attract him by marking. Also, juveniles’ competition over the territory left vacant by their mother is a feasible explanation. We suggest that high population turnover may result in unusual social situations, with juveniles consequently performing unusual behaviour. This does not have to be related to early reproduction.

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First breeding record of a 1-year-old female Eurasian lynx

Cited by 2 publications

References 13 publications

Demography of a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population within a strictly protected area in Central Europe

Demography of a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population within a strictly protected area in Central Europe

The unique case of marking behaviour in juvenile lynx

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