LYNX (Lynx lynx)

Physical characteristic:
Lynx is our largest feline predator. Its coloring is reddish brown in the summer, more grayish in the winter. Underbelly is always white. The number of black spots varies from one individual to the next. Lynx has small, black ear tufts. Tail is short, 4 to 6 inches long (10 to 15 cm). Full grown adult lynx weighs 33 to 66 lbs (15 to 30 kg). The male is slightly larger than the female. Length is between 27.5 and 35 inches (70 to 90 cm), shoulder height is between 20 and 26 inches (50 to 65 cm).

:Reproductive biology:
Lynx has a litter of one to three cubs around the beginning of June. The cubs follow their mother for the next year to learn, among other things the secrets of foraging.

Distribution:
The lynx population has grown noticeably from the 60’s and the 70’s when the populations were at their lowest. Now there are close to one thousand lynx in Finland. The best areas for them are around Tampere, Häme, Savo, and Northern Karelia.

Feeding ecology and diet
Lynx is carnivorous. It forages all kinds of small game, such as hare, mice, fox, and birds, but it may also forage bigger game, such as reindeer and deer. It forages by lying in wait by forest paths, but may also run to catch prey. Lynx is very fast and muscular. Its sense of hearing is excellent, and it uses it to its advantage when hunting.

Habitat and other information:
Lynx is very timid with people, and coming across one in the wild is rare. Sometimes when food is scarce it may venture into populated areas and hunt for cats and dogs. Lynx thrives in rocky areas and in dense woods.

BROWN BEAR (Ursus arctos)

Physical characteristic:
The coloring of a bear varies individually from almost black to light brown. A full grown male weighs between 330 and 506 pounds (150 to 230 kg). The largest males may weigh nearly 880 lbs (400 kg). The female is clearly smaller, weighing between 132 and 330 lbs (60 to 150 kg). Length ranges from 51 to 87 inches (130 to 220 cm). Shoulder height is between 27.5 and 47 inches (70 to 120 cm).

Reproductive biology:
Mating occurs in May or June. Cubs, numbering from one to four are born in the winter, around January or February. A cub’s weight at birth is between 0.5 and 0.8 lbs (250 to 400 g). A cub grows fast, and by fall it already weighs nearly 66 lbs (30 kg). It follows the sow generally for a year, sometimes even for three years if for some reason the sow does not give birth to a new litter.

Distribution:
Currently there are approximately one thousand bears living in Finnish forests. Most of them live in Eastern and Northern Finland. In recent years the bear population has spread widely into the rest of Finland.

Feeding ecology and diet:
Bear is omnivorous. In the spring and fall bears forage moose and reindeer among other game. They prepare the carrion by covering it carefully, and then make use of it as completely as possible. In the summer there are many kinds of vegetable foods available. A bear will enjoy leaves from deciduous trees, fireweed, grasses, and grain. At the end of the summer various wild berries are delicacies for a bear.

Other information:
Coming across a bear in the wild is very rare, because bear is afraid of man. The senses of a bear are considerably more developed than human beings’. A bear will know the movements of a man even from several kilometers away, and it will get out of the way. If one should come across a bear in the wild, the best thing to do is to back away slowly, and not disturb the bear any more than that.

FOX (Vulpes vulpes)

Physical characterics:
The body color of a fox is reddish brown. Legs and the backs of the ears are black. Tail is long, almost as long as the body, and the tip of the tail is white. A full-grown adult fox weighs between 11 and 20 lbs (5 to 9 kg), the male being slightly larger than the female. The length of a fox varies between 23.6 and 31.5 inches (60 to 80 cm). Shoulder height is approximately 13.8 inches (35 cm).

Reproductive biology:
For its den, a fox digs an underground series of caves, the length of which may reach 11 to 22 yards (10 to 20 m). There are always several exits, to better escape approaching danger. Pups are born in the beginning of summer, usually numbering one to three.

Distribution:
Fox is common enough to be seen almost anywhere in Finland, apart from the very northernmost part of Lapland. Fox reproduces rapidly. Each year between 30 000 and 50 000 foxes are hunted and killed. The approximate population is near 100 000.

Feeding ecology and diet:
Fox is carnivorous. It forages many kinds of small game, such as hare, mice, and birds, also robs their nests. Its largest prey is newborn fawns. Fox uses its keen sense of hearing and smell to its advantage when hunting.

Habitat and other information:
Fox has adapted well to humans, and it can even be seen near houses inspecting garbage cans.