How to identify it
Long legs, very large furry feet, long black ear tufts and a short tail with a completely black tip. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Bobcat · Lynx rufus
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Canada lynx from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Boreal forest strongly associated with snowshoe hare populations. [1]
How it behaves
Solitary apart from breeding pairs and females with kittens, which sometimes hunt hares together in a line. [2][3][4]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Conservation and protection
- THREATENED — The canada lynx, Wherever Found in Contiguous U.S.: listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 2000-03-24. · ECOS species profile: Canada Lynx
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — trapping · Alberta Guide to Trapping Regulations 2026-2027
- British Columbia — hunting, trapping · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Manitoba — trapping · Trapping of Wild Animals Regulation, M.R. 245/90, Schedule A
- Newfoundland and Labrador — hunting, trapping · 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Northwest Territories — trapping · NWT Summary of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, July 1 2022 - June 30 2023
- Ontario — trapping · O. Reg. 670/98 Open Seasons — Wildlife (read via e-Laws .doc export)
- Québec — trapping · Périodes de piégeage
- Saskatchewan — trapping · 2026-27 Trappers Guide
- Alaska — hunting, trapping · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations: Fur Animals, Small Game, Unclassified Game, and Deleterious Exotic Wildlife (pp.140-142)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Boreal forest across Canada and Alaska with range into the northern contiguous United States
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALLynx du Canada
Gouvernement du Québec · reviewed 2026-09-20
Gouvernement du Québec
- BIOLOGICALCanada lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- BIOLOGICALCanada Lynx
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department · reviewed 2026-09-30
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department