U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Editors: Digital photos and video footage (.mpg file) accessible at
http://northeast.fws.gov/lynxmain.html
Biologists Find Growing Number of Canada Lynx in Maine
In the 5th year of an interagency study of Canada lynx in northwest Maine, U.S.F.W.S. and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists this spring documented 6 dens containing nearly double the number of lynx kittens found in previous years. The lynx is listed as a threatened species in the lower 48 states under the federal Endangered Species Act.
"The size of the litters exceeded our expectations," said Service biologist Dr. John Organ. "We found 5 lynx kittens each in 4 of the dens. These are the biggest litters we've seen in Maine."
"We had expected the number of lynx to decrease over the next few years as a result of a decline we observed in the snowshoe hare population during the past 2 winters," said Maine DIFW biologist Jennifer Vashon. "Den production this spring suggests that Maine's lynx population may be reaching its peak. The data we collect over the next couple of years will be essential in determining if hare and lynx populations are cyclic."
According to Organ, the average litter size for 2003 is 4.3 kittens. The yearly average from 1999 through 2002 ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 kittens per litter.
6 of the 8 radio-collared adult female lynx monitored by the biologists bore litters this year. The dens contained a total of 26 kittens - twelve females and 14 males. The biologists weighed, measured and marked each kitten with ear tags and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. They also collected hair samples for future genetic studies.
Biologists will return later this summer when the dens are vacant to conduct detailed sampling of vegetation characteristics to further their understanding of lynx habitat requirements.
The Service and the Maine DIFW began studying lynx in the Allagash region of northern Maine in 1999 to learn more about the status of lynx populations in the state, and to determine what, if any, management actions would help conserve the species.
Biologists verified the existence of a resident population of lynx in Maine in the 1st year of the study when they documented a den with 2 kittens. To date, they have studied 23 litters totaling 63 kittens, and have captured and marked 93 lynx, including 32 radio-collared adult and sub-adult animals and 61 kittens.
Biologists are compiling data from the 1st 5 years of the study for scientific review and publication. They will release information on the size of individual lynx ranges, use of habitats, mortality factors, and survey methods.
The Maine lynx study occurs on private lands primarily owned and managed by industrial forest product companies. The landowners, as well as conservation organizations and other partners, have been very supportive of the interagency study.
If additional backing can be secured, the interagency study will continue for 5 more years, providing biologists with an opportunity to evaluate fluctuations in the lynx population and its food supply in relation to changing habitat conditions over time.
"By extending the study, we would gain information critical in guiding landowners on how to manage their properties to ensure the conservation of the Canada lynx in the Northeast," said Organ.
Canada lynx, a close relative of the bobcat of North America, the Iberian lynx of Spain, and the Eurasian lynx, are medium-sized wild cats that live in the extreme northern forests of North America. Canada lynx have large paws that function like snowshoes, allowing them to hunt in deep snow. The cats feed primarily on snowshoe hare and other small mammals and birds. According to Organ, one of the goals of the study is to investigate the role managed cutting of timber in northern Maine had in influencing conditions for snowshoe hare and, therefore, for lynx as well.
The Service in 2000 listed the Canada lynx as a threatened species in 14 of the lower 48 states, the southern part of its historic range. A species is listed as threatened when it is likely to become endangered throughout all or a significant portion of its range in the foreseeable future.
The lynx's range extends from Alaska, throughout much of Canada, to the southern boreal and transitional forests in the northeastern United States, the Great Lakes, the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Mountains. With the exception of Maine, it is believed that lynx populations have been extirpated in the northeast.
The U.S.F.W.S. is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 National wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 Countrywide fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid plan that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
