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The First Recorded Sighting of a Black-Colored Canada Lynx

(Image Credit Google)
A Canadian researcher, discovered a black-coated Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), just in time for the Halloween season. Interestingly, this is the first recorded sighting of a lynx with this specific coloring in the wild. Thomas Jung, a wildlife biologist, and lecturer at the University of Alberta, first noticed the odd cat in a rural location close to the town of Whitehorse, Yukon, in August 2020. He was about 50 meters away when he was able to get a 30-second video of it on his mobile. Additionally, the lynx first appeared to be rather comfortable in the presence of several humans and a dog, but finally left—possibly due to the dog's barking. Jung, who works for the Yukon Territory government, claimed that he contacted a number of lynx specialists who all concurred that he had witnessed the actual thing. Black-Colored Canada Lynx Furthermore, the journal Mammalia published Jung’s findings, including the images captured on video, this month.

About the Canada lynx

The lynx family of cats lacks the great range of coat colors that are characteristic of domestic cats. In the winter, Canada lynx often have a silvery or greyish coat, which can transform into a reddish brown coat with black markings in the summer. However, the lynx Jung spotted had a black appearance, known as melanism, which is so uncommon that it appears to be the first incidence of this species. Although the shaky video prevents a thorough examination of the lynx's distinctive coat, the cat did seem to have some pale grey hairs around its outer coat and face ruff. Black-Colored Canada Lynx Moreover, it's also unclear if its color helps or hurts its chances of survival, though Jung thinks the latter is more plausible. That is due to the fact that Canada lynx usually pursue snowshoe hares. The burned-down forests that these hares choose to visit are places where the cat's black coat might not be readily visible in the summer. However, Jung claimed, "However, dark-colored Canada lynx are likely far less camouflaged to snowshoe hare during winter when the ground is covered with deep snow. Hence, melanistic individuals would be at a distinct disadvantage when hunting hares during winter.” Also, Read- Bird Closes Shop in Select Countries And US Cities On another note, the populations of the Canada lynx are declining elsewhere in the United States and southern Canada, although it is constant in Alaska and the northern portions of Canada. Experts predict that human encroachment and the effects of climate change, such as more frequent and intense wildfires, will further threaten the species.

By Alberto Mesti

Introvert. Eccentric at times. A fashion enthusiast, designer and writer. Lives for the drama, hates being at the centre of it. Can be best described as \'wannabe modern day Lady Whistledown\'.

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