# Canada lynx (*Lynx canadensis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/canada-lynx  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a mammal of the family Felidae, subfamily Felinae, in the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and nocturnal carnivore with an adult body mass of 9.4 kg and a highest reported value of 9.7 kg. Its main foods include american red squirrel, arctic hare, beaver, lemming, vole, mule deer, rangifer tarandus and carrion.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9.37 kg – 9.68 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Height | 48 cm – 56 cm |
| Lifespan | 26.8 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 26.9 years |
| Main food | american marten, american red squirrel, arctic fox, arctic hare, beaver, carrion and 14 more |
| Habitat | forest |
| Gestation | 63 days – 73 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3.19 |
| Age at maturity | 17.6 months – 18.8 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Felidae
- genus: Lynx
- species: *Lynx canadensis* Kerr, 1792

Synonyms: *Felis borealis*, *Felis canadensis*, *Felis lynx canadensis*, *Felis lynx canadensis*, *Felis lynx subsolanus*, *Lynx canadensis canadensis*, *Lynx canadensis mollipilosus*, *Lynx canadensis subsolanus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the canada lynx?

The canada lynx is a mammal in the family Felidae and the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial carnivore.

### How heavy is a canada lynx?

An adult Canada lynx weighs 9.4 kg, with a highest reported body mass of 9.7 kg.

### What does the canada lynx eat?

The canada lynx is a carnivore. Its main foods include american red squirrel, arctic hare, beaver, lemming, vole, rabbit, mule deer, rangifer tarandus and carrion.

### Is the canada lynx endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List lists the canada lynx as Least Concern (LC), which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a canada lynx live?

Our sources give a lifespan of 26.77 years for the canada lynx, with a highest reported value of 26.9 years.

### When does the canada lynx reach sexual maturity?

The canada lynx reaches sexual maturity at 1.5 years (554.3 days).

### Who named the canada lynx?

The scientific name Lynx canadensis was given by Kerr, 1792.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/canada-lynx