Coauthor Irina Rotenko
Through the heat season of 2021 in Naliboki Forest we investigated post-denning life of 4 households of Eurasian lynxes. Doing that, we utilized about sixty digital camera traps. Among the many mom lynxes there have been three mannequin females (Aurelija, Jurchykha and Darota), which we traced for a number of years earlier than, and one newly appeared mom lynx. The variety of kittens diverse from one to a few: 1 (the brand new mom), 2 (Jurchykha and Aurelija) and three (Darota).
A post-denning section in elevating of kittens begins when kittens begin strolling with the mom. Within the traced households that occurred ultimately of July and the start of August. The earliest registration of a mom with kittens following her was gained on 2oth July in Darota’s case.
Probably the most spectacular footage was put collectively in two movies: the primary one about Darota’s household with three kittens and the second about Jurchykha and her two kittens. Right here it’s worthwhile to note that these two movies have been made for YouTube, and they also embrace just some our video-materials of 2021 which may be attention-grabbing for a excessive amateurship of wildlife.
Beneath we summarized our supplies on the query. The supplies have been gained each the nice and cozy season 2021 and earlier than.
Behaviour of a mom lynx at kittens predominantly consisted of taking part in with kittens (44% of the time, n=662 video and picture registrations), watching round from a spot of kittens’ keep (15%), joint sleeping (19%) and grooming kittens (13%). About 3% of the time a mom lynx was grooming herself. Apparently, that mom lynxes have been absent of the spots of kittens’ keep so little time round 6% solely.
Respectively, a query arises. How is a mom lynx in a position to feed kittens, as a result of she is free from kittens so little time that’s seemingly inadequate for foraging sufficient? Right here it’s worthwhile to note that we not often registered {that a} mom lynx was bringing some meals to her kittens, whereas she was coming again to a kittens’ refuge. On the similar time, an grownup male lynx (potential father) was ordinarily current within the homesites of every household that was traced by us.
The above options not directly means that even within the heat season an grownup male maybe often forages a household, which stays in his dwelling vary.
Moreover to the quite a few video-registrations of an grownup male close by a household, we discovered that massive footprints of grownup males have been ordinarily current in household homesites at shelters, playgrounds and stays of kills. It’s believable that an grownup male brings meals in a detailed proximity to a household, calls and leaves meals there. In winter we have already got one well-documented state of affairs, when an grownup male lynx hunted 4 roe deer for a household, and the household consumed the kills.
On the similar time there is no such thing as a doubt {that a} mom lynx hunts as properly, however seemingly it’s not the one meals useful resource for feeding of kittens.
On this side it’s worthwhile to note that, when a mom lynx killed one thing kind of massive similar to a roe deer, she tends to drive kittens to the kill. Regarding bringing of meals by a mom lynx to a spot, the place kittens keep, solely small prey have been often introduced by the mom.
When a mom lynx is watching round from a spot of kittens’ keep, kittens are both quiet (sleeping, grooming) – 72% of the time, or taking part in – 28%. When a mom lynx is absent at kittens (maybe, she went for searching), kittens are predominantly quiet – 91% of the time.
In Naliboki Forest we investigated lots the habitats which have been often utilized by mom lynxes throughout post-denning elevating of kittens. The outcomes may very well be listed by many habitat mixtures. Nevertheless, after we fastidiously analyse that massive collected info on lynx household habitat utilization, it turns into evident one predominant characteristic that’s current in all of them with none exceptions. It seems like in Naliboki Forest a lynx household prefers a mix of the next three environmental elements similar to outdated forest with some fallen timber, treefall spots and opening edges. That opening in essentially the most of circumstances was both drained lands with grassy area or deserted peatery. Additionally, such a gap could also be an agriculture area or an open river valley. As to an outdated forest, all sorts of them have been favored by lynx households. Anyway, we wish to say that in Naliboki Forest lynx households want spruce-deciduous blended one with oaks within the tree stand. Broadleaved deciduous outdated forest was barely much less engaged by lynx households, and outdated coniferous stands have been inhabited markedly much less typically than different two talked about ones.
Regardless of of getting increasingly more info on lynx household life, it seem feeling that there are a lot nonetheless unknown on the query. The 2 following documented conditions from lynx household life are good examples on this side.
Within the early January 2020 one mannequin mom lynx (we name her Aurelja) having one personal kitten has adopted a kitten of one other (neighboring) mom lynx after her dearth. The kitten, which misplaced the mom, roamed alone about 20 days steadily approaching the home space of Aurelja. Lastly, we photo-documented each kittens along with Aurelja within the thicket, the place Aurelja stayed often and once they have been crossing a canal by a fallen tree.
One other instance is much more stunning you might even see on the second video. On 18th August 2021 we video-documented taking part in of two kittens of 1 mannequin mom lynx (Jurchykha). After the household get out of the body of the digital camera lure, the identical minute one other unknow small kitten appeared, which was not registered with the household neither earlier than nor after the occasion. This small kitten in the identical place was 20% as smaller than the smaller kitten of Jurchykha. There isn’t any a good suggestion what that was. The one tough guess could also be stated that this small kitten may very well be one in all Jurchykha’s former daughter. This relative household may seem close by that second, and the small kitten tried to strategy the taking part in household.