Co-author Irina Rotenko
In mammals, it is not uncommon for adult males to assist mothers or engage in continuous fathering, and the lynx species Lynx lynx shows such behavior as well.
Until recently, this type of lynx behavior was not documented in Europe. Over the past decade, there has been a gradual increase in recorded instances of mother lynx tolerating presence of adult male lynx nearby; adult male and female without kittens staying and hunting together; and adult male lynx assisting a mother lynx in obtaining food. These findings were first published in the book “Behaviour and Ecology of the Eurasian Lynx” (Sidorovich, 2022) and in a post on this blog.
Our initial findings on the enigmatic behavior of lynxes have captured the attention of both specialists and amateurs. Nearly three years have elapsed since these results were published, and in that time, we have managed to gather more pertinent data on the subject. Consequently, with all the accumulated data considered, we aim to present our insights and conclusions regarding the interactions between mother lynxes (or adult females without offspring) and adult male lynxes during the non-mating season.
We aim to present the following theses on the relationships between both sexes of lynxes during non-mating seasons in Belarus, noting whether it is more of a conceptual notion or an actual finding:
(1) Finding: Almost all adult males not infrequently engage in temporary associations with adult or subadult females, which include cooperative hunting. However, during walking-marking days, adult males operate solo, while the female either stays within the male’s home range or ranges independently.
(2) Finding: Adult male often provide food for the mother and her kittens, which stay within his territory. This provision of food is typically achieved by hunting prey in the housing area—one of the commonly utilized zones within the family’s range. After killing the prey, the adult male conceals it, then vigorously marks the nearby area and vocalizes loudly.
(3) Partly Idea and Partly Finding: The majority of adult males help mothers within their home ranges to obtain food, although the level of assistance varies among mothers. Some mothers may not receive any help from adult males. Typically, adult males provide food assistance primarily during the denning period and in the winter.
(4) Idea: The regular presence of an adult male in family living areas can offer a form of protection against wolf aggression.
(5) Finding: We have registered on three occasions that during the mating season, the same female has mated with two different males. Consequently, it is possible for an adult male to assist a mother in raising kittens sired by another male.
(6) Idea: The motivation for adult males to offer such assistance is to attract adult females into their territories and gain their tolerance. During the mating season, these efforts by adult males can lead to increased mating opportunities.
(7) Finding: The death of an adult male leads to a disruption in the established distribution of adult females, whether they have kittens or not. Most mothers with kittens choose to relocate, and the territory of the deceased adult male is slowly taken over by subadults. Over time, a new adult male will establish a different home range from the one used by the deceased. The process of attracting adult females by this new adult male is gradual.
While our findings provide valuable insights, much remains to be studied about the complex interactions between adult male and female lynxes. Continued research will help us further understand these behaviors.
Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich 