The Canada Lynx, scientifically known as Lynx canadensis, is a lynx species found naturally across North America.
The fur of a Canada Lynx is normally a light brownish grey color, but there have been sightings of cats with black fur.
Before 2022, nobody had managed to photograph black-colored type, but that all changed when one lucky person did it.
A student at Alberta’s University was able to capture the animal. Yukon government worker Thomas Jung filmed the animal with his smartphone.
A report on the finding, titled “Paint it black: first record of melanism in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis),” appeared in the journal Mammalia.
Whitehorse, Yukon, a city in the region, can be seen in the background.
The lynx is seen in the footage approximately 50 meters away, where it is not causing any trouble.
There were people and a dog in the area, and the lynx skulked away when the dog started barking.The Canada lynx is a reclusive and solitary creature.
Although the video was too blurry to make out any details, experts were able to certify that the animal was really a Canada lynx.
”It had a black coat containing whitish gray guard hairs throughout, as well as whitish gray hairs in the facial ruff and the rostrum and dorsal regions,” Jung reports.
The winter coats of Canada lynx, like those of most lynx species, tend to be a silvery gray.
In the heat of the summer, their coats often take on a rusty brown hue.
Therefore, the lynx seen in the video is quite rare because of its coat color difference.
According to Jung, such deviations are frequently adaptive adaptations that can either aid in evolutionary success (adaptive) or hinder it (maladaptive).
Researchers have not yet concluded whether or not melanin pigmentation confers benefits or drawbacks on any species. However, Jung considers this characteristic to be maladaptive in the lynx since it prevents the animal from effectively camouflaging itself.
If the animal went hunting in the winter, its darker coat would help it stand out from the snow.
Wow! It’s hard to believe that such a rare animal was captured on film. What do you think?
