A Canadian scientist has captured the first images of a black-furred Canadian lynx (‘Lynx canadensis’).
The sighting happened in August 2020 when wildlife biologist Thomas Jung came across the unusual creature in rural Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and was reported in a Mammalia magazine article published last week . .
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The Canada lynx typically has silver or grayish fur in the winter, which can turn reddish-brown mottled with black spots in the summer. Thus, the black fur of this species, known as melanism, is not very common.
It’s unclear whether or not the dark coloration helps the animal’s survival, although Jung thinks it could be a disadvantage when hunting hares in winter, RT says.
In the 30-second video, the cat was seen from a distance of 50 meters and was unaffected by humans and a dog until it left the area, possibly due to barking from the dog.
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