Species comparison
Leopard Cat vs Canada Lynx
A side-by-side look at Prionailurus bengalensis and Lynx canadensis across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The canada lynx averages about 2.7 times the body mass of the leopard cat.
- Both species use temperate forest and boreal forest.
- Their ranges do not overlap: Leopard Cat lives in Asia, Canada Lynx in North America.
- Both are currently listed as Least Concern on the Red List.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
Canada Lynx
Lynx canadensis
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus
Canada Lynx
Lynx
Leopard Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Canada Lynx
Lynx lineage
Leopard Cat
Small cats
Canada Lynx
Medium-sized cats
Leopard Cat
Mainland leopard cat, Amur leopard cat
Canada Lynx
North American lynx
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Leopard Cat
15 in – 2 ft 2 in (38–66 cm)
Canada Lynx
2 ft 6 in – 3 ft 6 in (76–107 cm) Longer
Leopard Cat
7 in – 12 in (17–31 cm) Longer
Canada Lynx
2 in – 5 in (5–13 cm)
Leopard Cat
8 in – 11 in (20–28 cm)
Canada Lynx
19 in – 22 in (48–56 cm) Taller
Leopard Cat
2.6–15 lb (1.2–7 kg)
Tropical animals often weigh under 3 kg; northern animals reach 6–7 kg.
Canada Lynx
11–37 lb (5–17 kg) Heavier
Most adults weigh 8–11 kg; males average about a quarter heavier than females.
Leopard Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Canada Lynx
Not reliably measured
Not reliably measured; the species relies on ambush in deep snow rather than speed.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Leopard Cat
8–12 years
Canada Lynx
10–14 years Longer
Leopard Cat
13–17 years
Canada Lynx
16–20 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
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.
Canada Lynx
boreal forest, temperate forest, montane forest
Dense spruce and fir forest with thick understorey that supports hares, plus deep, persistent winter snow that gives the lynx its competitive advantage.
Leopard Cat
Asia
From the Russian Far East, Korea and eastern China through the Himalaya and South Asia to mainland South East Asia.
Canada Lynx
North America
Across Canada and Alaska, extending south into the northern Rockies, the Great Lakes states, northern New England and Washington State.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
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.
Canada Lynx
hares, small mammals, birds
Snowshoe hare dominates and can exceed three-quarters of the diet; red squirrels, grouse, voles and carrion fill the gap during hare lows.
Leopard Cat
Solitary
Adaptable and comparatively common; individuals hold modest home ranges and tolerate a good deal of human activity.
Canada Lynx
Solitary
Adults maintain separate ranges that expand dramatically when hare numbers crash, when animals may disperse hundreds of miles.
Leopard Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Chiefly night active, with more daytime movement in undisturbed forest and in cold northern winters.
Canada Lynx
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Hunting concentrates at night and around dusk, matching the activity of snowshoe hares.
Leopard Cat
Active search on the ground
Covers ground steadily through cover, pouncing on rodents and flushing birds; it also fishes in shallow streams.
Canada Lynx
Ambush along hare runways
The lynx waits beside well-used trails in dense cover, or makes a short stalk followed by a rush of a few bounds.
Leopard Cat
Strong
A confident climber that dens in tree hollows.
Canada Lynx
Strong
Climbs readily to rest and to escape larger carnivores, though it hunts on the ground.
Leopard Cat
Strong More developed
Swims well and has colonised numerous offshore islands.
Canada Lynx
Capable
Swims across lakes and rivers during dispersal.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Leopard Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Canada Lynx
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2016
Leopard Cat
Stable
Canada Lynx
Stable
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.
Canada Lynx
Loss of boreal forest connectivity, Shorter and shallower snow seasons, Competition from bobcats moving north, Incidental trapping, Road development
Secure across the boreal core of its range. Southern populations in the contiguous United States are far more fragile and are federally protected there.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
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.
Canada Lynx
- Paw loading — body weight divided by foot area — is among the lowest of any cat, which is what allows travel on soft snow.
- The population cycle of lynx and snowshoe hare is one of the classic examples of predator-prey dynamics in ecology.
- Ear tufts are thought to improve hearing sensitivity as well as serving as visual signals.
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.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal listing status and recovery planning for cats occurring in the United States.
- U.S. National Park Service Long-running monitoring of North American carnivores inside protected areas.