Iberian Lynx

Iberian Lynx is a type of feline Friend that first appeared in Kemono Friends 3.

Iberian Lynx
スペインオオヤマネコ
Character Data
AKA		Spanish Lynx, Pardel Lynx
Romaji		Supein'ooyamaneko
Debut		Kemono Friends 3
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Lynx pardinus
Distribution		Iberian Peninsula
Diet		Carnivore
Avg. Lifespan		13 years
Read More		Iberian Lynx
Conservation

Iberian Lynx​

KF3

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role
2019	Kemono Friends 3	↪ Minor character, playable character

In Real Life

An Iberian lynx in Almuradiel, Ciudad Real, Spain

The Iberian lynx, named after its former habitat of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, is one of the four living species of the genus Lynx. It was on the verge of extinction up until the turn of the 21st century.

It has short, spotted fur that ranges from a bright yellowish colour to more of a tawny hue. The spots can be small and round, or elongated, and vary in size, and they are arranged in lines that gradually decrease in concentration the farther they are from the Iberian lynx's spine. Its head is small, with tufted ears and a ruff, and its body and tail are short despite its long legs.

Iberian lynxes, in the wild, reach sexual maturity at the age of one year, however they rarely breed until a territory becomes vacant. Kittens become independent at 7 to 10 months old, however remain with their mother until around 20 months old. Survival of offspring relies heavily on the abundancy of prey in their nearby area.

The Iberian lynx has a low threshold for adaptability, and despite repeated population crashes due to myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease, the European rabbit still encompasses up to 75% of its diet. It is known to kill smaller carnivores, sometimes due to said carnivores being hunting competition.

It prefers environments such as open grasslands mixed with dense shrubs, but it is now largely restricted to mountainous areas due to the limited but steadily increasing population.

Conservation measures such as improving habitats, restocking rabbits and relocating of Iberian lynxes caused the population to increase from 94 individuals in 2002, to 326 individuals in 2012, to approximately 2,021 individuals as of 2014. As of 2014, the Iberian lynx's range includes Sierra Morena, Montes de Toledo of Castilla-La Mancha, and the Matachel Valley of Extremadura in Spain as well as the Guadiana Valley in Portugal.

Trivia

• Iberian Lynx is the first and only Friend who was revealed and released on the same day of the news about the species making its recovery.
• Fossil remains indicate that the Iberian lynx has been present in Iberia since the end of the Early Pleistocene.
• Anaerobic bacteria found in fecal samples of Iberian lynxes suggest that gut microrobes aid in its digestion of plant material left over from the internal digestive tissues of the rabbits they eat.

References

• The Wikipedia page for the Iberian Lynx, accessed on July 6th, 2024.