Alpine Lynx
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Feral bobcats, Lynx rufus, inhabit most of North America, from as far south as the Florida Everglades and northern Mexico north into Canada. The bobcat is somewhat larger than domestic cat breeds. It is a powerful animal with long legs and a muscular body and is noted for its short tail. While the Alpine Lynx today is a completely domestic cat, it is bred to resemble the bobcat. Through generations of selective breeding with different breeds of domestic cats, the breed group (Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx, and Alpine Lynx) has incorporated many characteristics similar to those of the bobcat. These cats are medium in length with longer hind legs, and toes may be tufted. They are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. These cats come in both long and short hair.
The head is large but not round, with a full, well-developed muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads. The wide set eyes are large and expressive, set at an angle, with colors coming in blue, green, gold, and odd-eyed, with one blue eye and one green or gold eye.
The ears of the Alpine Lynx may be straight as in the Desert Lynx, or curled, as in the Highland Lynx. Straight ears are large and set wide apart, usually with feathering and tufts on the tip. Curled ears are smaller than in the Desert Lynx and set wide apart, usually with feathering and tufts on the tip. Ears curl backwards at the tips. The degree of the curl may be slight or extreme, with the tip of the ear actually curling back and touching the back side of the ear. The gene which causes the ear to curl actually hardens the cartilage in the ear dwarfs the ear size. The gene for curled ears is a dominant gene.
The tail may be the length of the bobcat tail, which may come half way to the ground, or it may be lacking entirely, as in the Manx, or it may be any length in between. Alpine Lynx come in one coat color--white.
[edit] External links
- Timberline Cattery – Alpine Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Highland Lynxsimple:Alpine Lynx
