Species comparison
Eurasian Lynx vs Leopard Cat
A side-by-side look at Lynx lynx and Prionailurus bengalensis across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The eurasian lynx averages about 5.2 times the body mass of the leopard cat.
- Both species use temperate forest and boreal forest.
- Their ranges both include Asia.
- Both are currently listed as Least Concern on the Red List.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lynx
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lineage
Leopard Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Eurasian Lynx
Medium-sized cats
Leopard Cat
Small cats
Eurasian Lynx
Northern lynx, Siberian lynx
Leopard Cat
Mainland leopard cat, Amur leopard cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Eurasian Lynx
2 ft 6 in – 4 ft 3 in (76–130 cm) Longer
Leopard Cat
15 in – 2 ft 2 in (38–66 cm)
Eurasian Lynx
4 in – 10 in (11–25 cm)
Leopard Cat
7 in – 12 in (17–31 cm) Longer
Eurasian Lynx
24 in – 2 ft 6 in (60–75 cm) Taller
Leopard Cat
8 in – 11 in (20–28 cm)
Eurasian Lynx
29–66 lb (13–30 kg) Heavier
Siberian animals are the largest; a few males exceed 30 kg.
Leopard Cat
2.6–15 lb (1.2–7 kg)
Tropical animals often weigh under 3 kg; northern animals reach 6–7 kg.
Eurasian Lynx
Not reliably measured
Not reliably measured; the species hunts by stalking, not pursuit.
Leopard Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Eurasian Lynx
10–17 years Longer
Leopard Cat
8–12 years
Eurasian Lynx
20–24 years Longer
Leopard Cat
13–17 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Eurasian Lynx
temperate forest, boreal forest, montane forest, rocky alpine
Forested landscapes with dense understorey and low human disturbance, from lowland woodland to alpine forest edge above 12,000 feet in Central Asia.
Leopard Cat
tropical rainforest, temperate forest, boreal forest, montane forest, agricultural mosaic
Nearly any wooded or shrubby habitat below about 10,000 feet, including secondary forest, plantation edges and farmland with cover.
Eurasian Lynx
Europe, Asia
Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the Carpathians, the Balkans, the Alps, and across Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Mongolia, China and the Himalaya.
Leopard Cat
Asia
From the Russian Far East, Korea and eastern China through the Himalaya and South Asia to mainland South East Asia.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Eurasian Lynx
medium ungulates, hares, small mammals, birds
Roe deer and chamois dominate in Europe; hares, marmots, musk deer and gamebirds are more important in Asia.
Leopard Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fish
Rodents make up the bulk of the diet, with birds, lizards, frogs, fish and large insects taken opportunistically.
Eurasian Lynx
Solitary and territorial
Home ranges are very large, and males overlap several females. Adults are exceptionally difficult to observe even where they are common.
Leopard Cat
Solitary
Adaptable and comparatively common; individuals hold modest home ranges and tolerate a good deal of human activity.
Eurasian Lynx
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Chiefly active from dusk to dawn, resting by day in rock crevices, root plates or dense thickets.
Leopard Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Chiefly night active, with more daytime movement in undisturbed forest and in cold northern winters.
Eurasian Lynx
Patient stalk followed by a short charge
The lynx tracks or waits near deer trails and closes to within a few bounds before attacking the throat; large kills are cached and revisited.
Leopard Cat
Active search on the ground
Covers ground steadily through cover, pouncing on rodents and flushing birds; it also fishes in shallow streams.
Eurasian Lynx
Strong
A confident climber that uses trees for resting and for escape from wolves.
Leopard Cat
Strong
A confident climber that dens in tree hollows.
Eurasian Lynx
Capable
Crosses rivers when necessary but shows no preference for water.
Leopard Cat
Strong More developed
Swims well and has colonised numerous offshore islands.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Eurasian Lynx
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Leopard Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Eurasian Lynx
Stable
Leopard Cat
Stable
Eurasian Lynx
Illegal killing, Habitat fragmentation by infrastructure, Prey depletion in parts of Asia, Conflict with livestock and game interests, Isolation of reintroduced nuclei
Widespread and recovering in parts of Europe thanks to reintroduction and legal protection, but the Balkan lynx survives as a tiny isolated population and remains critically threatened.
Leopard Cat
Hunting for fur and meat, Road mortality, Intensification of plantation agriculture, Persecution near poultry, Hybridisation pressure from domestic cats
The most secure of the Asian small cats, though hunting for skins, road mortality and intensive plantation agriculture reduce numbers locally.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Eurasian Lynx
- Reintroduction projects re-established the species in Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria and France after regional extinction.
- It is the only lynx for which deer form the main prey base across much of the range.
- Winter tracking in snow remains one of the standard monitoring methods across northern Europe.
Leopard Cat
- Remains from Neolithic Chinese villages show leopard cats hunting rodents around early grain stores.
- Northern and tropical populations differ so much in size and coat that they were long treated as many subspecies.
- It is one of the few small Asian cats that regularly hunts fish in shallow water.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- World Wildlife Fund Range descriptions, threat summaries and conservation programme reporting.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.