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| Eurasian Lynx - Lynx lynx | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 7 2012, 08:45 PM (14,265 Views) | |
| Taipan | Jan 7 2012, 08:45 PM Post #1 |
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Eurasian Lynx - Lynx lynx![]() Geographic Range Eurasian lynx are found throughout Europe and Siberia in forested habitats with sufficient ungulate populations. ![]() Habitat Eurasian lynx live in forested, mountainous regions far from dense human populations. When young, lynx spend time in trees. In winter, when many animals hibernate or migrate, these cats remain active. Their large, furry feet, serve as snowshoes. Their coat becomes paler and their fur thickens. Only during extremely bad weather do these lynx take shelter in caves, hollow logs, and trees. Physical Description Mass : Adult males weigh on average 21.6 kg (n=103), while females are slightly smaller at 18.1 kg (n=93). The lynxes of eastern Siberia consistently reach the greatest size. These medium-sized cats have stout bodies, long legs, large feet, and stubby tails. All of these characteristics allow them to move quickly over short distances. There are three main coat patterns: predominantly spotted, predominantly striped, and unpatterned. While the spotted-striped types, controlled by the "Tabby" gene, predominate in present reintroduced European lynx populations (originating mainly from the Carpathian mountains further east), Ragni et al. (1993) show through examination of 26 pelts of the original, now extinct, populations of the European Alps that these animals were chiefly unpatterned, and were, moreover, smaller in size. Eurasian lynx have long, prominent black ear tufts, and short black-tipped tails. Lynx activity peaks in the evening and morning hours, with resting mainly around mid-day and midnight (Bernhart 1990). Most have a kind of collar of long hair around their necks and under their chins. They are distinctivelyfor their prominent ear tufts--long, black hair on the tips of their ears. Eurasian lynx are also said to have a haughty stare. Generally, males are larger and more powerful than females. Size differention probably originated from sexual competition in which only the large and powerful males survived to mate. ![]() Reproduction Number of offspring : 1 to 4; avg. 2.26 Gestation period : 73 to 74 days Birth Mass : 246.50 g (average) (8.68 oz) Time to weaning : 60 to 120 days Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) : 1004 days (average) Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) : 1004 days (average) Courtship lasts a period of about two days. During this time, the male and female chase each other, they hunt together, they sniff and lick each other, and they lie side by side. When the female is ready to mate, she crouches down and raises her tail to alert the male. The male then restrains the female from the back to prevent her from attacking him. When they are finished, they separate quickly while hissing and snarling at each other. They usually mate many times before the male leaves to find another mate. Although females only have one mate each season, males usually have many. Mating season--the only season that males and females associate--is in the early spring (January-March). ![]() Awaiting the arrival of her young, the female looks for shelter in caves, hollow logs, and trees. The kittens arrive roughly 70 days after mating. These tiny creatures -- usually one to five in number, weighing 12 ounces on average -- are born with their eyes closed, making them completely dependent on their mother for warmth, food, and protection. The female stays with her kittens constantly until driven to leave by hunger, and even then she is only away for very short periods of time. Males do not participate in parental care. After two weeks, the kittens open their eyes and are able to keep themselves warm without the help of their mother. The female nurses her young for 3-4 months. At six weeks old, the kittens follow the mother on short trips. Kittens are active, curious, and skilled at climbing trees using their sharp claws. At one year old, the kittens leave their mother. Males travel longer distances than females, who generally stay close to their mother. At this time, females are able to have young of their own. Males, on the other hand, must wait another year before they can reproduce. Behavior Eurasian lynx are shy, secretive cats. Eurasian lynx may live to be 10-12 years old, though they typically live for much less. They are solitary animals. Females hunt with their young in order to teach them proper techniques. A male's home range usually overlaps several different females' home ranges. Lynx mark their boundaries by urinating on rocks, trees, and stumps. When the time comes to mate, these odors help the male to locate potential females. In Eurasian lynx, hunting methods are learned by observation and practice. Rather than smelling their prey, lynx depend on their extraordinary sense of hearing along with sight. Eurasian lynx spend time grooming themselves in order to keep clean and scratch on surface in order to keep their claws sharp. They are most active in early morning and late afternoon. Winter brings both problems and advantages to Eurasian lynx populations. These cats can be easily seen against the snow in wintertime because of the lack of grass to hide behind. They resort to hiding behind rocks at this time of the year. Moving through the snow, on the otherhand, is easy for these cats because of their large, fur-covered feet that prevent them from sinking into the snow. When Eurasian lynx are discovered by a predator, they stand still and stare. Food Habits Eurasian lynx are strictly carnivorous, feeding primarily on small mammals and ground-dwelling birds. Mammalian prey includes roe deer, chamois, hares, marmots, foxes, and squirrels. As is true of all cats, Eurasian lynx are skillful hunters and spend a large part of their time each day in the pursuit of prey. ![]() Since they can only run fast for short distances, Eurasian lynx must surprise their prey. Keeping low to the ground, European lynx attack unsuspecting animals from close range. Once the animal is caught, lynx bite the neck, cutting the spinal cord. If the animal is too large, lynx merely hold the throat of the animal until it suffocates. Their razor-sharp teeth cut through the flesh efficiently. Portions of the prey that are not immediately consumed are cached and retrieved later. In some parts of their range, lynx prey mainly on large ungulate species (mostly females or young), including red deer (Hell 1973, Gossow and Honsig-Erlenburg 1986, Jedrzejewski et al. 1993), reindeer (Haglund 1966, Bjärvall 1992), and argali (Matjuschkin 1978). Lynx are capable of killing prey 3-4 times their own size (Gossow and Honsig-Erlenburg 1986, Haller 1992). Economic Importance for Humans: Negative Where their natural prey populations are low, Eurasian lynx sometimes prey on domestic animals. Hunters also complain that lynx kill deer. Economic Importance for Humans: Positive Eurasian lynx have been hunted for their soft pelts. Currently hunting is prohibited or regulated throughout most of their range. Conservation Status IUCN Red List: Near Threatened. US Federal List: No special status. CITES: Appendix II. Eurasian lynx populations once flourished in many countires of Europe until they almost became extinct in the mid-1900's. Their numbers were drastically reduced as a result of hunting and trapping for their fur. Their habitats (forested areas) also were slowly being destroyed. In the 1970's, great concern lead to taking lynx from areas where they were abundant in Europe and releasing them in the forested mountains of Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. They adjusted well in this new area, except for the lack of their natural prey. Unfortunately, they turned to preying on flocks and herds of domestic animals. Reintroductions have been moderately successful. Other Comments Contrary to popular belief, Eurasian lynx don't climb trees to wait and pounce on their prey, but merely to escape danger. As humans, we tend to be frightened of the lynx, but they rarely attack humans. They may, however, follow humans through the woods, simply watching from a distance out of what we think to be curiosity. ![]() Sources : http://lynx.uio.no/jon/lynx/eulynx1.htm http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lynx_lynx.html |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 03:43 PM Post #2 |
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Eurasian Lynx predation on Red Foxes
Some pics - ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Eurasian Lynx hunting success rate against Reindeer (Caribou) ![]() 83% against a larger prey animal is a fantastic result! Edited by Taipan, Oct 2 2017, 10:06 PM.
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 03:46 PM Post #3 |
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| pars | May 4 2012, 09:44 PM Post #4 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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THE DIET AND COMPETITORS OF EURASIAN LYNX IN ITS RANGE French Pyrenees: Analysis of 30 scats indicated that medium and small prey form 75-76% of lynx food in the Pyrenees. The most frequent prey identified belong to the genera Pitymis (pine voles), Microtus (grass voles), Talpa (moles), Sorex (shrews), Marmota (marmots), Glis (dormice), Lepus (hares), Vulpes (foxes) and Martes (martins). Other genera found regularly, but less frequently, were Capreolus (roedeer), Rupicapra (chamois) and Sus (wild boar). The last were only newly-delivered young. Birds identified included jay Garrulus glandarius, wood pigeon Colomba palumbus and various thrushes Turdus spp. No proof was found of predation on capercaillie Tetrao urogallus or wildcat Felis sylvestris. Predation on domestic animals is rare. However, sheep and goats are uncommon in the lynx zones. It is possible that lynx were involved in attacks on flocks in Béarn in 1972, but it is too late to find out. In Ariège, flocks are present in lynx zones only in summer, but the lynx are at lower elevations. Rare, infrequent, lynx attacks have been reported. There are few sheep and goats in the eastern Pyrenees, which are on the fringe of desertification (CAT NEWS, Issue 14, Spring 1991 by Luc Chazel). Other possible ungulate preys are mouflon introduced in Carlit massive and elk (central and eastern forests of the chain. Forest of d’Iraty, de la Barousse and du Luchonnais.) Elk, Roe deer, Chamois and Mouflon co exist in Ariege (Central Pyrennees). Prey Selection of Eurasian Lynx in Switzerland North Western Alps (NWA), Central Alps (CA), Jura Mountains (JM) and Northeastern Switzerland (NECH) Roe deer Capreolus capreolus, Chamois Rupicapra rupicapra, Red fox Vulpes vulpes, Brown hare Lepus europaeus , White hare L. Timidus, Sheep Ovis ammon, Marmot Marmota marmota, Stone marten Martes foina, House cat Felis domesticus, Red deer Cervus elaphus, Goat Capra aegagrus, Pine marten Martes martes, Wild cat Felis sylvestris, Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, Black grouse Tetrao tetrix, Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris Results The number of different species in the lynx’s diet ranged within 4-9, depending on the study site and/or period (see Table). Nevertheless, lynx diets were generally similar among sites. Roe deer and chamois made up 80% of prey items in all study areas. Only one red deer was killed, and neither ibex nor wild boar were found in our sample. Red foxes, brown hares and mountain hares were the most important non-ungulate prey species. (Breitenmo-ser-Würsten et al. 2001, Breitenmoser-Würsten et al. 2007). IN THE ITALIAN ALPS PAOLO MOLINARI, LUCA ROTELLI, MARCO CATELLO, BRUNO BASSANO RESULTS From 1995 to 1999, a total of 261 signs of lynx presence were recorded in the Italian Tarvisio Belluno Trento Val d’Ossola Val d’Aosta Total Roe deer (C. capreolus) 10 2 1 1 1 15 Red deer (Cer-vus elaphtis) 9 Chamois (R. rupicupru) 1 2 2 5 Ibex (Capra ibex) 1 1 Marmot (M. marmotu) 1 1 The prey species killed indicated a difference in prey selection in the eastern and western Alps. In the Tarvisiano, where red deer (Cervus elaphus) is very common, they were often killed. In the Val d’Aosta, where red deer is rare but ibex (Capra ibex) are common, ibex was reported as lynx prey. However, we need more data to confirm this trend. The inquiry revealed that 30% of all provinces state that lynx is present in their territory, in 37% of the provinces lynx is absent and 33% have no information about lynx presence. Lynx Diet in Norway: 146 scats: Reindeer (% 39), Roe Deer (% 21.9), Unidentified deer (5.5), Hares (24), Rodents: especially Microtinae (9.6), Birds (13), Domestic animals (6.2), Carnivores (4.8) Lynx Diet in Sweden: 158 scats: Reindeer (% 34.2), Roe Deer (% 20.3), Unidentified deer (5.5), Hares (24.1), Birds (13.3), Carnivores (1.3), miscellanous (6.3) Lynx Diet in Southeastern Finland: 88 scats: Hares (% 79.5), Rodents (3.2), Birds (7.4), Domestic animals (4.9), Carnivores (0.8) Diet in Tavastland (Central parts of Southern Finland): Introduced White Tailed Deer, Hare Tatras National Park Slovakia: Lynx, Brown Bear, Wolf, Boar, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Chamois, Marmot, Hare, Red Fox, Badger Bialowieza Forest (Poland/Bellarus): During cold season, in the pristine forest: red deer (%61), roe deer (%28), in exploited forest. Roe deer and red deer (%87), european hare (%11), wild boar (%2), amongst ungulates % 76 were roe deer. Lynx have been reported to kill adult wild boar (dragged 8 m.) and adult male red deer (200 kg.) % 36 of Red deer killed by lynx wer adult female and % 64 were juveniles. In the Belarussian part of the Bialowieza Forest, Sostak and Bunevic (1986 ) determined the sex and age of 29 red deer killed by lynx - 20 ( or about 70% ) were < 1 year - 3 (or about 10% ) were adult males - 6 (or about 20% ) were adult females red deer constitute in other regions a much higer % of the lynx diet: about 60% in the Eastern Alps and 35% in the Carpation region Fauna: 58 species of mammal. european bison, moose, wild boar, red deer, roe deer, wolf, beaver, eurasian badger, otter, red fox, tanuki, european hare, marten Lynx have been recorded bringing down adult male red deer (200 kg) - Lynx regularly take smaller roe deer and female and young red deer. Cases of lynx taking red deer stag were recorded in the Belarussian section of the forest. - Lynx have also killed wild boar: "the 2 wild boar killed by lynx that were aged were both adults". % of large ungulates in lynx diet (red deer): 60% in Eastern Alps (Austria), 33% in Bialowieza forest (Poland and Belarus) Carpatian Mountains: Wild boar (85 – 320 kg. % 5 of hunted ungulates), Red deer (80 – 224kg., % 31 of hunted ungulates), Roe deer (17 – 26, % 64 of hunted ungulates), carnivores (% 12 of preys: red fox, marten, badger, weasel, dog, wild cat) and others )… Lagodekhi Natural Reserve (Greater Caucasus Georgia, mountain deciduous forests and alpine meadows): 40 species of mammals. Lynx, Brown Bear, Wolf, Wild Boar, Red deer, Roe deer, Chamois, Badger, Marmot, Hare, Red fox, Caucasian mole, Pontic wood mouse, Shelkownikow’ s water shrew, Promethe’ s vole, Otter, Wood Marten, Rock Marten, Jungle Cat Caucasian Reserve, Russia: European bison (300- 920 kg., % 0), Wild boar (85 – 320 kg. % 8 of hunted ungulates), Red deer (80 – 224kg., % 16 of hunted ungulates), Caucasian ibex (30 - 155, % 36), Chamois (25 – 36 kg. % 33 of hunted ungulates), Roe deer (17 – 26, % 7 of hunted ungulates) and others… Bashkir Reserve, Russia: Mouse (195 - 382 kg., % 6 of hunted ungulates), Wild boar (85 – 320 kg. %0), Red deer (80 – 224kg., % 68 of hunted ungulates), Roe deer (17 – 26, % 26 of hunted ungulates) and others (rodents, birds and hares) Khunjerab National Park, Pakistan (Chinese Border): Snow leopard, Himalayan Ibex, Siberian Ibex, Bharal (in Shimshal area only), Argali, Tibetan wild ass( Kiang ), Cape hare, Golden Marmot, Large-eared Pika, Common field mouse, Royle's mountain vole, Lesser shrew, Migratory hamster, Ermine, Alpine weasle, Stone Marten, Lynx (Unconfirmed reports), Dhole (Unconfirmed reports), Brown bear, Tibetan red fox, Tibetan wolf. Baltistan Wildlife Sanctuary: Snow Leopard, Brown Bear, Wolf, Lynx, Tibetan fox. Asiatic Ibex, Markhor, Bharal, Urial Hemis High Altitude National Park Jammu Kashmir, Ladakh India: Tibetan Argali, Ibex, Urial, Bharal. The National park is famous for its population of the rare Snow Leopards. Ungulates: Ibex, Tibetan argali, Ladakh urial, Tibetan antelope (Chiru, extremely rare) and Kiang Tibetan wild ass (4 000 m. and above), wild yak. The bharal and urial are seen in large numbers. Wooly Hare, Pika, Himalayan marmot (bobak), rhesus macaque (5 – 11 kg.), Hanuman langur (16 – 21 kg.). The other main species recorded in the National park are Lynx, Pallas cat, srapu, wolf, dhole, red fox, etc. Pin Valley National Park Himachal Pradesh, India: snow leopard, wolf, lynx, Ibex, Bharal, Tibetan gazelle and marmots, porcupine, weasels, lizards and rare species like the wooly hare, Red Indian Fox, Himalayan brown fox, common langur, rhesus macaque etc. Prominent birds are Himalayan snow cock, chakar partridge, hill pigeon, yellow and red bill chough, coots. Qomolangma Nature Preserve (Tibetan part of Mt. Everest): Ungulates: in forests: Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), serow (Capricornis serow), and Barking Deer (Munticus muntjak), In plateaus and higher elevation: Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), Tibetan gazelle (Procapra piticaudata), Bharal (Pseudois nayaur), Goral (Nemorhaedus goral) and Musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster). Tibetan argali (Ovis ammon hodgsoni) (may be extirpated) Bharal (Pseudois nayaur), Kiang (Equus kiang) and Tibetan gazelle (Procapra piticaudata) are widely distributed, Tibetan argali (Ovis ammon hodgsoni) appears to be on the verge of extirpation. East Himalayan goral (Naemorhedeus goral goral) and musk deer (Moschus chyrosgaster) are poorly documented Other species include: Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayensis), Black-Lipped Pika (Ochotona curzoniae), Moupin pika (O. Thibethana), Royle's pika (O. Roylei), Stoliczka's mountain vole (Alticola stoliczkanus), Sikkim vole (Pitymys sikimensis), Blyth's vole (P. Leucurus), Hodgson's flying squirrel (Petaurista magnificus) and Himalayan striped squirrel (Callosciurus macclellandi). Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel (Dremomys lokriah) is found in low elevation forests. tibetan snowcock Primates include langur (Presbytis entellus), Assam macaque (Macaca assamensis) and rhesus macaque ((5 – 11 kg.)M. Mulatta). Carnivores include Himalayan black bear Selenarctos thibetanus (V), brown bear Ursus arctos (rare), snow leopard Panthera uncia (E), leopard Panthera pardus (T) (in low forests), clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa (V), Pallas's cat Felis manul, wolf Canis lupus (V), Asiatic golden cat Felis temmincki (I), jungle cat Felis chaus, wild dog Cuon alpinus (V), leopard cat Felis bengalensis and jackal Canis aureus. Lynx Felis lynx is found in lower forested valleys, while fox Vulpes vulpes and Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata are widespread. Mountain weasel Mustela altaica, Siberian weasel M. sibirica, beech marten Martes foina, and yellow-throated marten M. flavigula are present, and European otter Lutra lutra (V) occurs in rivers at lower elevations and. red panda Ailurus fulgene. Altai Mountains Reserve, Russia: Mouse (195 - 382 kg., %0), Wild boar (85 – 320 kg. %0), Red deer (80 – 224kg., % 15 of hunted ungulates), Siberian ibex (30 - 155, % 0), Roe deer (17 – 26, % 68 of hunted ungulates), Siberian musk deer (15 – 17, % 17 of hunted ungulates) and others… Aertai Mountains (Western China): Roe Deer (% 61.7), Argali (% 13.3), Siberian Ibex (%12.9), Red Deer (% 1.6), Wild Boar (% 0.9), Lepus timidus (% 9.1), Ochotona alpine (% 2.6), Citellus undulatus (% 2.5), Lyrurus tetrix ((% 0.6), Alectoris graeca (% 0.3), Tetragallus tibetanus (% 0.2), Tetrao urogallus (% 0.1) Tianshan Mountains (Western China): Cape Hare (%39.1) Siberian ibex (%17.4), Argali (%14.7), Roe deer (%9.7), Red deer (% 7.1), Bobak Marmot (% 10), Livestock (%6.1), Ochotona roylei (%2.9), Alectoris graeca (% 0.3), Tetragallus tibetanus (% 0.2) Kunlun/Aerjin Mountain Pamir Plateau (Western China): Bharal (%63.8), Tibetan antelope (%3.9), Tibetan gazelle (%2.1), Lepus ciostolus (%14.4), Himalayan marmot (% 9.5), Ochotona cursonise (%5.5), Tetragallus tibetanus (% 0.8) Big Pamir (part of eastern pamir, Tadjikistan): Snow Leopard, Lynx, Brown Bear, Wolf, Fox, Argali, Ibex, Urial, Long Tailed Marmot, Pika, Hare Issik Gol, Kyrghizistan: Snow Leopard, Brown Bear and Lynx. Wild Boar, Elk, Roe Deer, Argali, Ibex, Saiga, Mongolian Gazelle, Marmot, Red Fox, Badger, Muskrat Lake Khovsgol National Park (Northwestern Mongolia): habitat for 68 species of mammals, including snow leopard, moose, elk, reindeer (domesticated), musk deer, argali, ibex, brown bear, lynx, marten, beaver, wolf Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park (West Mongolia, Gurvansaikhan Mountains is an extension into the Gobi of the Altais): Fifty-two species of mammals are found here, including eight species listed in the Mongolian Red Book as endangered. Small herds of wild ass (khulan) and black-tailed (goittered) and Mongolian gazelle roam the desert valleys and desert steppe, while the mountains provide suitable habitat for threatened and endangered animals such as argali, Siberian ibex, and snow leopard. Lynx, wolf, and bactrian camels. Great Gobi Protected Area: The Protected area is devided into two ecologically distinct parts, Southern Altai ('Gobi A") and the Dzungarian Gobi ("Gobi B"), separated by 300 km. Scientists have identified 410 species of plants, 49 species of mammals, 15 reptiles and amphibians and over 150 bird species. Wild Bactrian Camel, Asiatic Wild Ass or Khulan, Przewalski Horse or Takhi, Elk, Argali, Ibex, Saiga, Goittered Gazelle, Jerboa, Gobi Bear, Snow Leopard, Gobi Lynx, Wolf, Fox, and Tatar Sand Boa, Gecko |
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| pars | May 4 2012, 09:59 PM Post #5 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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AVERAGE WEIGHTS OF LYNX IN DIFFERENT REGIONS: Adult males weigh on average 21.6 kg (n=103), while females are slightly smaller at 18.1 kg (n=93). The lynxes of eastern Siberia consistently reach the greatest size. Body Length(mm) -800-1300. Weight (kg): 18-35 k.g. (38 kg. record, not relaible records from Ukranian Carparthians 41 kg. and Romanian Carparthians 48 kg.) Males usually weigh from 18 to 30 kg (40 to 66 lb) and females weigh 18.1 kg (40 lb) on average (Peter Jackson). Average weight including both sexes: 17 (Per Christiensen & Stephen Wroe). Average female and male weights: Eastern Finland (15.1-16.8), Western Finland (16.6 – 19.2), Sweden (14.1- 19.9), Eastern Alps-Austria (19.2- 26.4), Bialowieza Forest- Poland (20.1 - 27.2) in poland in other resources 21.7 for males (19.0 - 25), in Central Russia Europe ( 17.3-19.6) Edited by pars, May 4 2012, 10:00 PM.
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| Dexterous | May 14 2012, 05:28 PM Post #6 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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Thanx for this detailed info pars! I would just like to add some more info on size of the lynx CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS Males 25.7kg Females 19.2kg NORTH DINARIC MOUNTAINS (Croatia and Slovenia) Males 22.0kg (16-30kg) Females 17.1kg (10-22kg) NORWAY Males 19.8kg Females 15.1kg CZECH REPUBLIC Males 21.8kg Females 16.8kg |
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| pars | May 25 2012, 04:56 AM Post #7 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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It is interesting that in Scandinavian countries they are not as big as ELs in Eaastern Alps and Carpathian Range where male average is betwen 25 - 27 kg. Though resources say that the biggest subspecies is the Eastern Siberian I could not find any measurement from there...what is a Siberian male average, 30 kg?!! |
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| Dexterous | May 28 2012, 01:55 AM Post #8 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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I have found no data on the weight of lynx from eastern Siberia, and I've browsed up and down the web.. According to the available data, the Carpathian subspecies (which also includes reintroduced populations in the Alps and Dinaric mountains) is the largest, and that also makes sence since that area has a wider spectrum of ungulate prey base (primarily roe deer and chamois). However the Russian far east is also rich in ungulates, and the siberian roe deer is twice the weight of european roe deer so I suppose the lynx would be larger there.. If anyone has any data, please post it |
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| Kurtz | Jan 15 2013, 09:22 AM Post #9 |
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Kleptoparasite
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From FelinePowah http://www.naturalsciences.be/institute/associations/rbzs_website/bjz/back/pdf/BJZ%20139(1)/Volume%20139(1),%20pp.%2079-80.pdf Killing techniques differ among different groups of carnivores. Since felids are mostly solitary hunters, each bite must be made with precision, and must be positioned to kill the prey as soon as possible to avoid possible risks to the predator during the struggle (1). It has been previously reported that felids kill mainly by suffocation caused by a bite into the throat or muzzle, or by severing the spinal cord with a bite into the nape (2-5). Leyhausen (3) noted that the throat bites are more likely when killing larger prey. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx Linnaeus, 1758) and the grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) are the main predators of ungulates in Europe. When attacking large prey, the lynx usually kills it with a neck bite, either from below, or from above into the nape (6; 7). So far the majority of authors have reported that when biting from below, the lynx suffocates its prey by biting its throat or windpipe (6-10). Suffocation by means of a bite on the larynx was also reported as a killing technique for the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus Temminck, 1827) when hunting ungulates (11). In this paper we present preliminary results from an ongoing study on the ecology of the Eurasian lynx in the Dinaric Mountains in Slovenia. The lynx there hunt mainly roe deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758), red deer (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758), fat dormouse (Glis glis Linnaeus, 1766) and to a lesser extent other rodents, chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra Linnaeus, 1758), red fox (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758), and birds (KROFEL, unpublished data1). Two other species of large carnivore are also present in the study area; the brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) and the grey wolf. We determined the method of killing through autopsy of lynx prey remains. We searched for wounds made by canines and claws inflicted premortem on the outer and inner side of the skin. We also inspected all deeper injuries injuries and recorded their exact location using veterinary anatomical atlases (12; 13). In 13 cases (ten roe deer, two red deer, and one chamois), the prey remains were found early enough for the bite marks to be studied. In all the cases lynx killed their prey with a bite in the neck region. In eight (62%) instances, the bite was from the ventral side of the neck only, in three (23%) cases only from the dorsal side, and in two (15%) cases bite marks could be distinguished on both sides of the neck. In nine cases we performed a more detailed autopsy of the region with the bite marks. In five out of the six cases (83%) where the bite was delivered from the ventral side, we could find injuries in the region of the common carotid artery (a. carotis communis) and the truncus vagosympathicus (Fig. 1). In three out of these five cases the laryngeal cartilages and/or windpipe were damaged. In only one case the injuries inflicted by teeth were restricted to the windpipe. Our observations indicate that, when biting from below, the bite into the throat causing suffocation might not always be crucial for the killing of a large prey by a lynx. The injuries observed in regions other than the throat could have been inflicted incidentally when the lynx missed the windpipe or larynx, but it is also possible that the lynx intentionally aimed for some other vulnerable points. The latter is not unlikely, as it is possible that the bites into the region of the common carotid artery and truncus vagosympathicus could accelerate death of the prey. It is known from forensic studies on humans that pressure on the carotid sinus (located at the origin of internal carotid artery near the end of lower jaw), which contains numerous baroreceptors, can result in bradycardia or in a total cardiac arrest and immediate death (14; 15). This mechanism of death is known as vagal inhibition, reflex cardiac arrest or carotid sinus reflex. Unfortunately, we could not find any data about this mechanism in other mammals, but we assume that it can also occur in other species, including lynx prey. If the lynx is indeed taking advantage of this reflex death in its killing technique, this would be beneficial for the predator, as it would shorten the struggle with the prey and in turn decrease the chances for injury. Such injuries may not be negligible, as was for example indicated by high mortality sustained by cougars during hunting. |
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| Taipan | Aug 20 2013, 10:49 PM Post #10 |
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2.2. Phylogenetic history and subspecies The lynx-like cats are united in one genus (Lynx) with four species (lynx, pardinus, rufus, and canadensis). They occur nowadays in the northern hemisphere only: L. lynx and L. pardinus in the Palaearctic, L. rufus and L. cana-densis in the Nearctic. Lynx pardinus, the Iberian lynx, was always restricted to the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees, whereas the entire remaining area in the Old World from the Atlantic coast in Europe to the Pacific Ocean in the Far East is generally regarded as the area of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Over such an extended range, stretching not only from west to east, but also from south to north across several climatic zones and differ-ent habitats, a differentiation on the level of subspecies is to be expected, not only due to the geographic (and ecological) distance, but also as a consequence of the repeated isolation and merging of sub-areas during the Pleistocene glaciations. The lynx distribution during the last ice age and the subsequent recolonisation of Europe has to be considered for the reconstruction of the (pre)historic range as well as for the possible differentiation of subspecies. Morphologic differences and palaeontologic and zoo-geographic considerations (MIRIC 1974, MIRIC 1978, MATJUSCHKIN 1978, WERDELIN 1981, HEMMER 1993, HEMMER 2001, MATYUSHKIN & VAISFELD 2003) are today complemented with genetic findings (HELLBORG et al. 2002, BREITENMOSER-WÜRSTEN & OBEXER-RUFF 2003, RUE-NESS et al. 2003), but there is no final agreement on the classification of subspecies yet. From all these works, we compile what we believe to be at present the best possible interpretation of the distribution of recent subspecies in Europe (Fig. 2.5). ![]() Assuming that the lynx’ ecology during the late Pleistocene was not completely different from the recent species (chapter 2.4), we can speculate that the recolonisation followed the expansion of forests and prey. Some regions that we today intuitively regard as “good” lynx habitat were also so during the late Pleistocene, other areas however were not. The Alps, for instance, were entirely glaciated and no living space for lynx. This mountain range was likely recolonised from both opposite ends, and the now “homogenous” habitat complex is actually the suture of two isolated Late Pleistocene habitat patches, so called glacial refuges. In contrast, the Carpathians were a forest refuge during the last ice age (BURGA & PERRET 1998), and provided probably a better lynx habitat than the surrounding cold steppe plains. Parallel to the “natural” recolonisation, large scale human activities such as deforestation have had an impact on the distribution of large mammals in Europe for at least 5000 years. Human caused extinction or near-extinction, genetic bottlenecks and recolonisation – whether natural or artificial – have altered not only the distribution, but also the genetic set-up of what may have been the original arrangement of subspecies. As an example, HEMMER (1993) proposes that lynx recolonised Scandinavia in the Holocene from the south (Denmark) and from the north (Finland). The genetic pattern of the recent lynx populations (Fig. 2.6) does not support Hemmer’s hypothesis. This is however no proof that Hemmer was wrong; the reduction of the lynx area and the subsequent recovery (JONSSON 1983) may have camouflaged phylogenetic differences within Scandinavia. ![]() Considering all these aspects, we suggest to adopt the following subspecies of Lynx lynx in Europe for conservation purposes (Fig. 2.5): 1. Northern lynx (L. l. lynx), including the Fennoscandic, the Baltic and the Russian populations; 2. Carpathian lynx (L. l. carpathicus) in the Carpathian Mountains; and 3. Balkan lynx (L. l. martinoi), restricted to the south-western Balkan, mainly Albania and FYR Macedonia. Obviously, the extinct lynxes of the western Alps and the Pyrenees (referred to as L. l. spelaeus) were distinct. This form may have stretched from the Apennines (the place of origin) as far north-east as Scotland. HEMMER (2001) argued that the cave lynx was rather a species (L. spelaeus) than a subspecies, spreading from the Italian refuge after the last ice age and forming a distribution range between the Eurasian lynx (L. lynx) and the Iberian lynx (L. pardinus); but this hypothesis needs verification. Lynx for the re-introductions in the Alps, the Vosges, the Dinaric, and the Bohemian-Bavarian Mountains were taken from the Carpathian population; other occurrences are of unknown origin or – as in the German Harz Mountains and the Kampinoski national park in Poland – a mixture of zoo animals of very diffuse origin (see chapter 2.3). From the preliminary genetic analysis (Fig. 2.6), the differentiation of the European lynx populations is obvious. As this differentiation is not only the result of human-made fragmentation of the area, but reflects the phylogenetic history and local adaptations, we recommend careful selection of animals or source populations for further re-introductions. Furthermore, crossbreeding of subspecies in European zoos should be avoided. Certain subspecies of lynx (e.g. the highly threatened Balkan lynx, L. l. martinoi, or the Caucasus lynx, L. l. dinniki) would be in need of a conservation-breeding programme. The present situation in European zoos, however, is marked by crossbreeding and inbreeding (chapter 2.3). http://www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/02_status/2_3_taxonomy/Pdfs/von_Arx_et_al_2004_Phylogenetic_history_in_Eurasian_lynx_status_report.pdf Edited by Taipan, Aug 20 2013, 10:51 PM.
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| Taipan | Mar 10 2014, 12:31 PM Post #11 |
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Lynx food habits revealed: birds in the summer and deer in the winter News 9.3.2014 19:57 | updated 9.3.2014 19:57 Five years of radio collar monitoring of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has provided much new information about the living patterns of Finland’s largest feline creatures, including data on what they eat. Surprisingly, their diet varies considerably according to the time of year. ![]() The lynx population in Finland was around 2,000 individuals in 2008, but wildlife researchers agree that numbers have increased since then. The radio tracking has provided researchers with extensive information on individual lynx territories and movements. New information on their dietary habits also is of benefit. Lynx apparently hunt for different kinds of food in the summer and winter. During the cold months, they prefer to eat species of the deer family, but in the summer they eat less of these and turn to small predators and birds for nutrition, says lynx researcher Katja Holmala of the Research Institute of Game and Fisheries. No differences were observed in the extent to which lynx move among human settlements in the winter and summer, however. More people report lynx tracks in the snow in the winter because they are easily visible, but facts show that the lynx is always on the move. “Summer through winter, it’s always the same,” says Holmala. http://yle.fi/uutiset/lynx_food_habits_revealed_birds_in_the_summer_and_deer_in_the_winter/7127765 |
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| romanianborz | Mar 15 2014, 02:45 AM Post #12 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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That particular Lynx from Romania was truly huge, I'v seen his skull and skin. It was a world record of the epscies in International Hunting Competition. It was shot in Argel region, Suceava county in 1961. |
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| Taipan | Dec 20 2014, 12:33 PM Post #13 |
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Lynx take lunch breaks Date: December 18, 2014 Source: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Summary: Whether a lynx hunts by day or by night and how active it is overall depend primarily on the behavior of the wild cat's most important prey and its individual traits - lighting conditions, on the other hand, do not play a major role in its basic behavioral patterns. This is the key finding of a new study in which scientists fitted GPS collars and motion sensors on 38 free-ranging lynx. ![]() The scientists fitted GPS collars and motion sensors on 38 free-ranging lynx for the study. An international research team recorded and analyzed the activity patterns of 38 wild cats over the course of months Whether a lynx hunts by day or by night and how active it is overall depend primarily on the behavior of the wild cat's most important prey and its individual traits -- lighting conditions, on the other hand, do not play a major role in its basic behavioral patterns. This is the key finding of a study published in the journal PLOS ONE by an international research team led by forest scientist Dr. Marco Heurich. The scientists fitted GPS collars and motion sensors on 38 free-ranging lynx for the study. Since the study sites were located across a wide latitudinal range from Central Europe to northern Scandinavia, the length of days and nights varied greatly between them. The team recorded and analyzed the activity patterns of the wild cats on a total of more than 11,000 days. The results reveal that lynx in more southerly regions are most active at dawn and dusk and that they move more by night than by day. They take their longest break in the middle of the day, and this break is extended as daylight duration increases. However, the cats exhibit this basic behavioral pattern independently of lighting conditions: "Lynx keep to a 24-hour rhythm with an active and a resting phase even on the polar day and the polar night," reports Heurich. What the study found to be more important for explaining the wild cats' activity patterns are their individual traits: Young lynx are more active than adult lynx, and male adults are more active than female adults. In addition, they move more in spring and summer than in fall and winter, and the farther north they live, the larger the territory they cover -- and this of course results in higher activity. Lynx adapt their hunting schedule to the behavior of their prey. In polar regions, the height of their activity at dusk is less pronounced. This corresponds to the behavioral pattern of reindeer, which exhibit a steady movement profile outside of their sleeping phases.. In Central Europe, by contrast, the team found a maximum amount of activity at dusk -- in lynx as well as in deer. "The findings of this study make an important contribution to our understanding of the habits of predatory animals in our landscape," says Heurich. "They also show that human activities in the areas included in the study do not have a general influence on the activity pattern of the animals." http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218081006.htm Journal Reference: Marco Heurich, Anton Hilger, Helmut Küchenhoff, Henrik Andrén, Luděk Bufka, Miha Krofel, Jenny Mattisson, John Odden, Jens Persson, Geir R. Rauset, Krzysztof Schmidt, John D. C. Linnell. Activity Patterns of Eurasian Lynx Are Modulated by Light Regime and Individual Traits over a Wide Latitudinal Range. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (12): e114143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114143 Abstract The activity patterns of most terrestrial animals are regarded as being primarily influenced by light, although other factors, such as sexual cycle and climatic conditions, can modify the underlying patterns. However, most activity studies have been limited to a single study area, which in turn limit the variability of light conditions and other factors. Here we considered a range of variables that might potentially influence the activity of a large carnivore, the Eurasian lynx, in a network of studies conducted with identical methodology in different areas spanning latitudes from 49°7′N in central Europe to 70°00′N in northern Scandinavia. The variables considered both light conditions, ranging from a day with a complete day–night cycle to polar night and polar day, as well as individual traits of the animals. We analysed activity data of 38 individual free-ranging lynx equipped with GPS-collars with acceleration sensors, covering more than 11,000 lynx days. Mixed linear additive models revealed that the lynx activity level was not influenced by the daily daylight duration and the activity pattern was bimodal, even during polar night and polar day. The duration of the active phase of the activity cycle varied with the widening and narrowing of the photoperiod. Activity varied significantly with moonlight. Among adults, males were more active than females, and subadult lynx were more active than adults. In polar regions, the amplitude of the lynx daily activity pattern was low, likely as a result of the polycyclic activity pattern of their main prey, reindeer. At lower latitudes, the basic lynx activity pattern peaked during twilight, corresponding to the crepuscular activity pattern of the main prey, roe deer. Our results indicated that the basic activity of lynx is independent of light conditions, but is modified by both individual traits and the activity pattern of the locally most important prey. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0114143 Edited by Taipan, Nov 15 2017, 08:39 AM.
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| Taipan | Nov 15 2017, 08:38 AM Post #14 |
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Oops! Cave Lion Mummy Is Probably an Ice Age Lynx By Laura Geggel, Senior Writer | November 14, 2017 04:08pm ET The newfound mummy kitten lying on its back. Credit: Courtesy of Anastasia Koryakina A Russian man hunting for mammoth tusks in Eastern Siberia made an unexpected discovery in September: the incredibly furry, slightly squished mummy of a cat from the last ice age. Scientists are celebrating the rare discovery, but they're not certain on one major point — whether the mummy is a cave lion cub or a lynx kitten, paleontologists told Live Science. If the kitten is a lynx, it would be only the second species of its kind from the last ice age to be uncovered in Beringia, a region encompassing parts of Russia, Alaska and Canada, said Olga Potapova, the collections curator and manager at the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota, who is helping with the logistics of studying the new specimen. People have spent at least 300 years collecting and studying frozen bones and mummies in Eastern Siberia, and "that yielded just one fossil bone of this [lynx] species," Potapova told Live Science in an email. So, "the find of the complete mummy of this species would be very surprising and interesting," she said. Astonishing discovery Boris Berezhnev discovered the ice age kitty by the Tirekhtykh River in Eastern Siberia's Yakutia, a region about the size of India that has a population about equal to that of Delaware. Upon finding the furry, frozen mummy, Berezhnev's colleague notified scientists at the Academy of Sciences of Yakutia, who went to see the mummy at the academy just a few days later. The scientists have had precious little time to study the mummy: They still don't know how long ago it lived, whether it's male or female and — of course — whether it's a lion or a lynx, although new observations suggest it's the latter, Potapova said. But it's a safe bet the mummy dates to the Pleistocene, an epoch lasting from about 2.6 million until about 11,700 years ago. If the mummy is a cave lion, "we believe that this find dates to the Late Pleistocene, considering the fact that the cave lions went extinct together with the woolly mammoths," Albert Protopov, who is head of the Mammoth Fauna Studies Department at the academy and is studying the feline, told Live Science in an email, as translated by Potapova. Protopov had nothing but praise for the newfound mummy, which is in remarkable condition, he said. "The mummy is 100 percent complete and the hair is perfectly preserved," Protopov said. "The hide of the new mummy is just beautiful — it has predominantly gray coloration flecked by black guard hairs [the longer hairs on an animal's pelt]. The hair on the head has many black spots." A closer view of the furry mummified kitten. Notice its whiskers are still intact. Credit: Courtesy of Anastasia Koryakina If it's a cave lion, the size suggests the little cub was probably between 1.5 months and 2 months old when it died, "probably due to collapse of the den," Protopov said, noting that "the mummy’s body is deformed, and its head is flattened" from being crushed over time. The last known cave lion (Panthera spelaea) lived about 14,000 years ago in what is now Alaska, Potapova previously told Live Science. Genetic studies show that P. spelaea and the modern African lion (Panthera leo) are sister groups that diverged to become separate species about 1.9 million years ago. In turn, about 300,000 years ago, the cave lion gave rise to the American lion (Panthera artox), which lived only in North America and has since gone extinct, Potapova said. Uyan and Dina The mummy known as Uyan, who was discovered in the Siberian permafrost in 2015. Credit: Olga Potapova The mummy is the third ice age cat recently discovered in Yakutia. In 2015, two mummified cave lion cubs were found on the banks of the Uyandina River. Researchers named them Uyan and Dina, and speculated that the cubs were merely a week old when their den likely collapsed and killed them. Like Uyan and Dina, the newfound cat was found in permafrost. When the dens of these young cats collapsed, "the instant burial secured preservation of the hides with hair," said Potapova, who studied the cave lion cubs with a team of researchers, including Protopov. "The constant permafrost temperature and lack of oxygen prevented decay of the bodies for thousands of years," she added. Both the modern African lion and the modern Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) make underground dens, where they nurse and raise their litters, Potapova said. "It is likely that in the Pleistocene, the dens were similarly important for the cave lions and the Eurasian lynx to protect their youngsters," she said. That said, the clue that the newfound cat likely lived in a den doesn't help solve the mystery of its species. But Potapova said that the proportions of its body and color of its coat suggest that it might be a European lynx. If that's the case, the kitten was likely between 4 and 6 months old when it died, she said. The Eurasian lynx appeared relatively late in the Pleistocene record, about 130,000 to 120,000 year ago, Potapova said. The cat is an ambush predator that Potapova calls the "coyote of the forest." It somehow survived the end of the last ice age, when countless megafauna (animals weighing more than 100 lbs., or 45 kilograms) went extinct, including the mammoths, short-faced bears, saber-toothed cats and ground sloths. An adult Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Credit: David Castor Is cloning possible? Despite other news reports, it would be extremely challenging to clone the newly discovered kitty. "I believe that the preservation of the DNA exceeds the quality of the Uyan and Dina’s DNA, but I do not think the cloning is possible," Protopov said. "The cloning technology here is useless because it requires a living cell or living soft tissues, which are far gone in mummies that are thousands of years old," Potapova added. However, any genetic information researchers can find will be of use, especially if it's a lynx. Genetic data from the mummy would add to science's very limited knowledge on the genetic diversity of the Pleistocene lynx, "especially from this part of Siberia," where lynx no longer live, Potapova said. If the technology ever gets there, researchers could reintroduce this genetic diversity back into modern lynxes, Potapova said. But that likely won't happen anytime soon. "Our kids or grandkids would be likely able to watch," Potapova said. https://www.livescience.com/60939-mummied-kitten-may-be-lynx-or-cave-lion.html |
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| k9boy | Dec 10 2017, 01:29 PM Post #15 |
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Apex Predator
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Caching prey in trees by Eurasian lynx: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03192475 if someone can embed or link the full article that would be good the 2nd account describes a lynx carrying a 4 year old roe deer male up a tree. Roe deer are apparently 15-35kg, and this account occured in the czech republic, where lynx males average 21.8kg (this lynx was described as big, so i assume its a male). The deer could very well have been similar weight to the lynx. Edited by k9boy, Dec 10 2017, 02:10 PM.
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2:14 AM Jul 14