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Body size in the Eurasian lynx in Sweden: dependence on prey availability

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Abstract

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is a common predator of both roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Sweden. We investigated the influence of prey availability, latitude, sex, and age on body size and body mass variation of the Eurasian lynx in Sweden, using data from 243 specimens whose locality of capture, year of capture, sex, and age were known. We found that both body size and body mass of the lynx in Sweden are mainly affected by the lynx sex and age but also by the availability of prey during the first year of life. Body size and body mass of lynx as well as the density of roe deer increased from Central Sweden to South. Furthermore, body size and body mass of lynx increased from Central Sweden to North (i.e. within the reindeer husbandry area). Lynx body size was slightly smaller within the reindeer husbandry area (approximately north of latitudes 62°–63°N) compared to outside, probably because reindeer are more difficult prey to hunt, as well as being migratory and thus an unpredictable prey for the Eurasian lynx compared to the non-migratory roe deer. Our results support a growing body of evidence showing that food availability at growth has a major effect on body size of animals.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Olavi Grönwall for his warm hospitality to YYT and SYT during their visit to the NRM and to Per Ericson for his valuable support. Special thanks to Arne Söderberg at The National Veterinary Institute in Uppsala, Sweden, for his work involving age determination and biometrics of the material. We are grateful to Eli Geffen and two anonymous reviewers for valuable advice and comments and to Naomi Paz for editing the paper. We acknowledge the financial support of a SYNTHESYS grant to YYT (SE-TAF-1844. made available by the European Community—Research Infrastructure Action under the FP6 Structuring the European Research Area Programme, and the Israel Cohen Chair of Environmental Zoology to YYT. PK and HA were financially supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoology Department, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Yoram Yom-Tov & Shlomith Yom-Tov

  2. Department of Ecology, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU), 730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden

    Petter Kjellander & Henrik Andrén

  3. Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 104 05, Stockholm, Sweden

    Peter Mortensen

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  1. Yoram Yom-Tov
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Correspondence to Yoram Yom-Tov.

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Yom-Tov, Y., Kjellander, P., Yom-Tov, S. et al. Body size in the Eurasian lynx in Sweden: dependence on prey availability. Polar Biol 33, 505–513 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0728-9

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