Stuffed hunting and commercial animals of the Volsk district are housed in the hall dedicated to ecology and the interaction between man and nature.
The animals include a lynx, a representative of the Felidae family. It is a typical medium-sized predatory cat with a dense, short body and long legs. The length of its body varies from 80 to 130 centimeters, and this cat grows up to 70 centimeters, which is the size of a large dog. The lynx weighs from 18 to 25 kilograms.
The head of the lynx is rounded and small, and the muzzle is shortened. Long whisker-like hair grows on the sides of the muzzle.
The lynx has very thick and warm fur, especially in winter. The length of the guard hair can reach five centimeters, and on the abdomen — seven centimeters. A dense, soft, short fur lining hides under this hair. The coat color usually depends on the habitat: the color varies from reddish-brown to pale-smoky tones, and there are always spots on the back, sides, and legs. The belly of the lynx is always white with small fine specks.
The Eurasian lynx is the most cold-resistant feline. It can be found even beyond the Arctic Circle. It lives in Eurasia; however, the lynx is almost exterminated in Central and Western Europe.
In Russia, the lynx prefers to live in remote, heavily cluttered coniferous forests and taiga but can enter the forest tundra and forest steppe. It moves silently, climbs trees easily, and swims well.
The lynx is silent and leads a solitary lifestyle. It is active at night, early in the morning, and at dusk. It hunts mainly hares but can attack roe deer, musk deer, and young wild boar. Sometimes the lynx catches squirrels or martens, hazel grouse, western capercaillie, and black grouse. A lynx can walk about 30 kilometers a day in search of food. This cat does not make stocks and, having eaten enough, leaves the prey behind, but at the same time can return to it later.
The mating season begins in March. At this time, the lynx screams, purrs, and meows loudly. Each female is accompanied by several males fighting with each other. Pregnancy lasts 64-70 days. The litter usually consists of two kittens. After birth, they are blind and deaf, so the mother hides them in her lair. Up to a month, the female feeds the kittens with milk and then brings them their first prey. Both parents teach young animals to hunt.
In the Saratov region, the lynx appeared in the second half of the 1980s in the northern districts of the Right Bank: Khvalynsky, Volsky, Voskresensky, Bazarno-Karabulaksky, Baltaysky and Petrovsky. About 30-50 individuals live in the Saratov region and only six in Volsk. The population of these cats largely depends on the availability of food — hares and roe deer. The lynx is listed in the regional Red Data Book.
The negative aspects that reduce the lynx population include the reduction of habitable territories, periodic snowy winters, and the human factor, for example, accidental or intentional extraction of the beast during round-up hunting for wolves or hoofed mammals.
The animals include a lynx, a representative of the Felidae family. It is a typical medium-sized predatory cat with a dense, short body and long legs. The length of its body varies from 80 to 130 centimeters, and this cat grows up to 70 centimeters, which is the size of a large dog. The lynx weighs from 18 to 25 kilograms.
The head of the lynx is rounded and small, and the muzzle is shortened. Long whisker-like hair grows on the sides of the muzzle.
The lynx has very thick and warm fur, especially in winter. The length of the guard hair can reach five centimeters, and on the abdomen — seven centimeters. A dense, soft, short fur lining hides under this hair. The coat color usually depends on the habitat: the color varies from reddish-brown to pale-smoky tones, and there are always spots on the back, sides, and legs. The belly of the lynx is always white with small fine specks.
The Eurasian lynx is the most cold-resistant feline. It can be found even beyond the Arctic Circle. It lives in Eurasia; however, the lynx is almost exterminated in Central and Western Europe.
In Russia, the lynx prefers to live in remote, heavily cluttered coniferous forests and taiga but can enter the forest tundra and forest steppe. It moves silently, climbs trees easily, and swims well.
The lynx is silent and leads a solitary lifestyle. It is active at night, early in the morning, and at dusk. It hunts mainly hares but can attack roe deer, musk deer, and young wild boar. Sometimes the lynx catches squirrels or martens, hazel grouse, western capercaillie, and black grouse. A lynx can walk about 30 kilometers a day in search of food. This cat does not make stocks and, having eaten enough, leaves the prey behind, but at the same time can return to it later.
The mating season begins in March. At this time, the lynx screams, purrs, and meows loudly. Each female is accompanied by several males fighting with each other. Pregnancy lasts 64-70 days. The litter usually consists of two kittens. After birth, they are blind and deaf, so the mother hides them in her lair. Up to a month, the female feeds the kittens with milk and then brings them their first prey. Both parents teach young animals to hunt.
In the Saratov region, the lynx appeared in the second half of the 1980s in the northern districts of the Right Bank: Khvalynsky, Volsky, Voskresensky, Bazarno-Karabulaksky, Baltaysky and Petrovsky. About 30-50 individuals live in the Saratov region and only six in Volsk. The population of these cats largely depends on the availability of food — hares and roe deer. The lynx is listed in the regional Red Data Book.
The negative aspects that reduce the lynx population include the reduction of habitable territories, periodic snowy winters, and the human factor, for example, accidental or intentional extraction of the beast during round-up hunting for wolves or hoofed mammals.
