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Nowicki, P.
Food habit and diet of the lynx (Lynx lynx) in Europe
1997 Journal of Wildlife Research (2)
Literature data on the food habits of the lynx from numerous European localities have been analyzed. The results of the comparison revealed that the primary prey of the lynx were small ungulates, usually roe deer, followed in order of importance by large ungulates. Lagomorphs were an important food item in northernmost localities, whereas tetranoid birds in boreal and alpine forests. The share of rodents, insectivores, small predators and domestic animals seemed insignificant. The relatively small body size of the lynx, competition with other predators, scavenging pressure and freezing prey carcasses were discussed as potential reasons for lynx preference for small ungulates. With regard to the considerable lack of data from the summer season and several European regions as well as the fact that most of the reviewed studies have underestimated the share of small prey in lynx diet, the need for further thorough research into the feeding habits of the predator has been stressed.
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