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W front Lynx Felis lynx (Endangered Colorado) Photo by Marty Stouffer Productions hind A member of the cat family that weighs about 30 pounds, the lynx is recognizable by ears that have a tuft of long stiff hairs at the top. Its color is best described as being pallid or grayish with tawny streaks. The lynx is closely related to the more common bobcat, but there are some differ- ences. For one, the lynx is slightly larger, and while the tip of the lynx's tail is completely encircled by a dark ring, the ring on the bobcat is broken on the bottom. Also, the hair on the feet of the lynx extends through the pads and covers the bottom of the feet with fur. Lynx, which are most active during the night, have been known to attack deer and elk, but they ordinarily hunt smaller mammals and birds. They normally occur in higher elevations since they can travel readily through heavy snow, and they're usually seen in dense stands of evergreen. The decline in the lynx population in Colorado is not as scientifically quantifi- able as some biologists would like, but human encroachment may have played a major role in the population decline. The lynx appears in abundant numbers in Canada and Alaska, but the Colo- rado Rockies seem to be its southernmost occurrence. Although the lynx was probably always rare in Colorado, the species historically occurred in the state as a native: and its occurrence in Colorado was verified in 1979 and 1980 by tracks in Eagle and Clear Creek counties. The lynx has also been documented in two additional Colorado counties since 1969. The lynx is well adapted to cold by having large feet that serve as snowshoes. 14