Imagine being so connected and intertwined with your greatest enemy that both of your lives are dictated by the actions and in this case, population, of the other; just like how the only reason why amazing conservation efforts today exist is because we humans fucked up the ecosystem. Hi, I’m Deidre and you’re listening to Weird Animal Facts: Explicit a show dedicated to the weird, odd, unusually, gross and often times disturbing facts about animals and today starts our four week journey in to some winter themed animals! Even though winter is still about a month away, it can still feel like winter for many people of the world so grab yourself your snuggliest blanket and a warm cup of tea as we dive in to some weird winter animal facts. Today’s weirds facts are about death…and also life. The death and life of the snowshoe hare and Canada Lynx. Think of it like Batman to the Joker, democrat to republican, or even the ying to the yang. Can’t have one without the other.
But how can this be? Well, its actually just a simple math explanation… or more so counting. Canada Lynx eat snowshoe hare. So if there’s more snowshoe hare that means there’s more resources and energy for lynx to have more babies but if there’s less hare then there’s less food, so less lynx. And if there’s more lynx then there will be less hare, for obvious dietary reasons, and if there’s less lynx then there will be more hare for obvious sexual opportunity reasons. Get it! Ying and yang…. Wow. I guess I didn’t really need to make an entire episode on the relationship snowshoe hare and Canada lynx’s if it was going to be that easy to explain….But since you’re already here and committed let’s make like a lynx murdering a snowshoe hare and swipe on in to this episode (this way it also leaves room for me to have mistakes as lynx’s hunting success rate would be considered an F in any University).
As the name suggests; the Canada Lynx, lives in Canada. And so does the snowshoe hair, incase that wasn’t obvious. And they share pretty much the exact same range. Which is crazy! Most predators aren’t so specific in their diet.
Fun Fact: Some lynx have been found that snowshoe hare makes up to 96% of their diet.
The snowshoe hare must taste more delicious than a bacon, wrapped chicken, shoved in the ass of a turkey garnished with ground beef. As its safe to say that the Canada lynx’s favorite food is snowshoe hare. Not to say they don’t venture out of their diet and have themselves a cheat day and gobble down a squirrel here and there. But my guess is a hare is going to taste better than a squirrel because you are what you eat and squirrel is said to taste a bit nutty, while hare is said to taste like chicken.
Disclaimer: hares do not eat chicken. Both hares and chickens are herbivores and eat similar things. End of Disclaimer
Plus, I think there’s a greater payout for eating that bigger hare very scrawny ass squirrel.
Fun Fact: Rabbit and hare is said to be richer in omega 3 then chicken or pork. And omega 3 is the “good’ type of fat. But since squirrels use omega 3 fat to help keep warm during hibernation, they too probably have a better omega 3 count then our food.
Then why does the lynx mainly eat the hare?
Before we answer that I should point out that there is a difference between rabbit and hare…and pika! So, technically speaking a bunny is the term for a baby rabbit, where a baby hare is called leverets…not a very cute sounding word if you ask me, nor memorable. (To learn more about domestic rabbits check out episode 19) Basically: rabbits and hares… and pikas are lagomorphs (NOT RODENTS!). But the differences between a rabbit and a hare are great. There’s lots of differences. Hares, tend to be larger: larger legs, and longer ears. Also hares, in my opinion are designed better for survival (which might be why we have domesticated rabbits and not hares, or why the two have minor different characteristics). Hares, in addition to their large ears, for better listening for approaching predators, and longer legs for better running away from approaching predators are even better designed to avoid predators then rabbits. From the beginning of life, a hare is ready to survive. Or at least run away terrified with confidence, because if a baby rabbit was to be eaten as a newborn, they wouldn’t know what was happening as they are blind and naked! As for the hares of the world, they’re ready to go; they come out fluffy and eyes opened so they know they’re about to die. But where a tiny naked rabbit would be inside a burrow, a hare, lives on the edge and nests above ground, meaning instead of being the chicken-shit-scaredy-cat of a rabbit who hides like a pussy in the safety of the underground burrow, a hare is designed to run. And it’s a good thing too, because if the snowshoe hare didn’t run, well, let’s just say the lynx of the world would be a bit chunkier… or the hares would be extinct.
But why doesn’t the snowshoe hare just go into a burrow. Why nest above ground when they are a prey animal, everyone wants to eat them! Well, most burrowing animals that live in regions where it can snow quite a bit, also hibernate. Think about groundhogs, or those other animals that do a light version of hibernation (not true hibernators, like the groundhog who is completely clocked out for the winter); squirrels, chipmunks and skunks who all live and partially hibernate in burrows or dens. Because of all the snow, it may make it a bit inconvenient for the snowshoe hare to have to dig through any freshly fallen snow just to escape their burrow, after all the snowshoe hare doesn’t hibernate, or do that semi-hibernation. Because of this the hare will simply nest in thickets or other somewhat protected area above the ground.
So now let’s go back to that original question: why does the Canada lynx mainly eat the snowshoe hare? Because they’re there. All the other available animals are sleeping, the hare is there above the snow and ground, not hibernating.
Excuse me; if feel a bit embarrassed asking this after you’ve already started but um…what is a lynx?
It’s a cat. Not a big cat as it doesn’t roar, nor should you get one as a pet. That would be stupid! A lynx is in the Felidae family (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) and all four species of the world’s lynx are in the genes of Lynx. The four species are; the Canada Lynx, from Canada, the Eurasian lynx who has a more spotted coat and ranges from easter Europe to Siberia, the very endangered Iberian lynx, who are risking extinction due to a decline in the rabbit prey (And are very cute by the way, they have a baby mane of fur that can be seen on their chin line), and the final lynx species is the bobcat.
Scientific Names are hard: Its time for a rapid fire round of scientific names are hard were my roommate Emily writes down the scientific names of these four lynx and I attempt to speak Latin. This time I will not sound them out and read them out loud as my eyes transmit the letter to my brain.
Canada Lynx: Lynx canadensis
Iberian Lynx: Lynx pardinus
Eurasian Lynx: Lynx Lynx
Bobcat: Lynx rufus
Snowshoe hare: Lepus americanus
Many people get the Canada lynx and bobcat confused, but even those they are in the same family and genus, the bobcat is the most un-lynx looking of all the lynx. The bobcat to the Canada lynx is like the rabbit to the hare: the bobcat is smaller, with shorter legs and shorter ears. And our Canada lynx star of the day also is a bit extra as they’ve got a cute little black tuft extending from either one of their ears. Bobcats don’t have that. One of the main characteristics of the lynx family is that short stubby tail. Unlike all the rottweilers, boxers and pinschers of the world the lynx’s family is supposed to have a short tail and didn’t get docked off because someone thought it would look better.
The reason behind lynx having a short tail isn’t exactly known. One guess is thought its to lower their weight. But if your dog is over weight don’t go out and cut off their tail, as it’s connected to their spine! For the lynx, since they are designed to walk on snow, the heavier they were, the more they would sink. And I don’t know if you’ve even walked on snow without snowshoes before but you sink and it sucks. Another thought is because they are ground cats, meaning they don’t do as much climbing as the other cats of the world, they exchanged the long tail in for a pair of thunder thighs! (they have strong and long leg muscles). But whatever the reason, its natural for a lynx species to have a short tail; not your dog.
Fun Fact: If you have a French bulldog, Boston terrier, Welsh corgi don’t beat yourself up for your dog not having a long tail because we dough bag humans designed those dogs to not have that long wager; meaning no one took a butcher’s knife and cut it off literally. The butchery took place in the genetics over a long period of time.
Even though both the Canada Lynx and snowshoe hare depends on the other for survival they are still enemies. The Lynx running for their next meal and so they don’t starve to death, and the hare racing for their literal life. They are at war with one another. Each trying to out run the other. And many of their adaptations to survive with the other and to survive the hard winters of the Canadian wilderness they share with one another.
We have already mentioned both the long legs of both the hare and lynx as well as their large ears. But what about the feet? (What about the feet!?) Even though Canada isn’t always covered in snow, being further north then other regions does mean they do tend to get more snow and that their snow sticks around a bit longer then other areas, because of that these two rivals need to not only be able to out maneuver each other but do so in deep, thick, fluffy snow.
Years ago, I went winter camping in Maine, which could pretty much be considered Canada. It was miserable! I like the snow and I love the outdoors, I’m a human, who is not designed to do well in the snow. My main issue were my feet. Having been an athlete my entire life, somehow my legs bowed out like a duck who just got off of a cattle drive. As since I’m a human, and even though I do have large feet they were no where near large enough to keep me a float on top of the marshmallow clouds of that mountain. And snowshoes only made it worse as I was forced to go against my cowboy walk and point my toes parallel and if I didn’t then the tails of the snowshoes would hit and I’d fall in to the snow. Basically all I’m trying to prove is that humans, especially this human, is not built to be walking on snow. Even with snowshoes! But a snowshoe hare…
Wait a minute; is that why they’re called snowshoe hares? Cuz they’ve go feet like snowshoes? Yeah! And they don’t walk like Clint Eastwood so their big feet are perfect for the snow! Most of us are already aware that both hares and rabbits have large feet, since those are used to help them hope around. Even kangaroos, have large feet for the same reason. But were the naked feet of a kangaroo are ideal for the dry Australia landscape, the snowshoe hares need to keep warm. FUR!! They’ve got lots of it all over their body, including their feet. Helping to keep toes warm and helping to add traction as they hop across the snow, their large hind legs are perfectly built for the winter.
And guess who else has exceptionally large feet. The Canada lynx! The Canada lynx’s feet are so large that they can support twice the weight compared with bobcats at the same snow density!
But there is one area where the snowshoe hare might have an advantage. Their coat can change color! Just like the artic fox we talked about in episode 11, the snowshoe hare’s coat will change color from a traditional brown ordinary looking coat to a white one! Allowing the hare to be even better camouflaged and out of sight from those starving lynx. That is if there happens to be white snow on the ground. Because even though the snowshoe hare’s fur changes white in the winter time, it doesn’t change based on whether there’s snow on the ground or not. Their color change is based on the photoperiod. Meaning once the days start to get short their body naturally knows its time to start turning white. And, just to put a damper on things, I’d like to remind you about global warming! You know, that human caused gradual increase of the Earth’s overall temperature that is now melting the ice caps murdering polar bears and delaying snowfall for ski resorts across the world…oh yeah, and no longer syncing up with the natural cycle of the snowshoe’s hare color morph. Yeah, that global warming.
Oh yeah, you remember how the Canada Lynx, who happened to be a threatened species not that long ago, population depends on the population of the snowshoe hare. Well, let’s say, each year, Canada’s first snow fall of the year doesn’t fall until later and later year after year. And let’s say, the snowshoe hare’s natural body changes their summer morph into the white winter morph as soon as the days starts to become shorts. Meaning that we will have lots of bright, easy to see white rabbits, hopping along the drab brown ground of the Canadian forest floor. If the snowshoe hare aren’t able to adapt and evolve to have the fur morph into white later, then they risk being easily spotted by the lynx and therefore easily captured and eaten. And sure, the lynx will love all this easily of catching of food until there are less and less snowshoe hare, and then soon there will be less and less Canada Lynx. This could put a huge dent into both populations of the Canada Lynx and snowshoe hair that could be very hard to recover from.
The Iberian Lynx, who is only found in two small areas of southwest Spain is the most endangered cat in the world. And the main reason is due to the decline in their food; rabbit. And no their rabbit food isn’t disappearing due to photoperiod and color morphs but from diseases. But as you can see, just like how the population of the Canada Lynx is depended on the population of the snowshoe hare; the population of the Iberian lynx is depended on the population of their rabbit food. And in addition to the Iberian lynx’s food source disappearing from disease, the rabbits are also disappearing from habitat loss. Which seems to be an occurring trend for endangered species. We human need to get our shit together and stop the murdering and deaths of innocent animals around the world, Cuz most of the time its our fault.
Humans are dicks. Humans are dicks. Humans are dick, dick, dick, dick. We’re dicks!
I am so sorry! I love cats…and rabbits too I suppose. How can I stop being a dick and help save these wonderful, elusive cats? Easy. Give you’re the cats. But instead of running like a naked gypsy through a field of wildflowers tossing your money at these cats like a stripper, you can simply go to Conservation Northwest and click on the donation button. That way you can be sure your money is going to help protect these amazing animals and their home. And if you’d like to help out all cats go donate to Felidae conservation fund. And both of these links can be found in the episode description.
And keep in mind that just because you don’t hand your hard earned money directly over to the scientist who are studying these animals doesn’t mean you aren’t helping to protect them. Just like how the Canada Lynx depends on the snowshoe hare for survival. The wildlife on the world depends on their habitats to survive. Meaning if you help to protect their home, you help to protect them!
And if you’re poor like me, then tell all your rich family members and friends about this remarkable relationship that the Canada Lynx and snowshoe hare share and then they can give away their money. OR instead of buying your baby nephew a pair of pants he’s just going to out grow in a month, consider adopting an animal from your local zoo or aquarium. Most animal adoptions come with a stuffed animal look-a-like you can then give to your nephew, as that’s better then a certificate and the money you donate to zoos and aquariums for that adoption goes into helping to save that species and their habitat. See there are lots of saving the animal themed gifts you can do for this holiday season. If you’d like more ideas then stick around for the rest of our winter themed episodes, follow the podcast on social media and stay weird!
https://www.conservationnw.org/
http://www.felidaefund.org/