First breeding record of a one-year-old female Iberian lynx

• Published in: European journal of wildlife research Vol. 63; no. 5; p. 1
• Main Authors: Garrote, Germán, Bueno, José Francisco, Ruiz, Manuel, de Lillo, Santiago, Martín, José Manuel, López, Guillermo, Simón, Miguel Ángel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal breeding; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Breeding; Breeding of animals; Deforestation; Ecology; Females; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Life Sciences; Reproduction (biology); Short Communication; Wildcats; Zoology; Iberian Peninsula; Reproduction; Yearling female; Litter; Iberian lynx
• ISSN: 1612-4642; 1439-0574
• DOI: 10.1007/s10344-017-1141-2

According to literature, female Iberian lynx ( Lynx pardinus ) start reproducing at 3 years of age. In more recent years, females breeding at 2 years have been recorded in wild populations. Here, however, we describe the first breeding record for a one-year-old female Iberian lynx. This finding was obtained by camera-trapping data, provided by the yearly monitorization of the species that is carried out across its distribution area. A litter of two lynx kittens was found at the south-east limit of the Andujar-Cardeña population. Two camera-traps were set up near the den to identify the breeding female. Photographs obtained confirmed that the breeding female had already been identified the previous year at less than 3 months of age. The case reported here of a yearling female breeding is the first ever from historical distribution range of the species, and as such, is an exceptional event in the reproduction of the Iberian lynx.