Cats, including tigers, leopards, lions, domestic cats, and wildcats, all have long tails that help them maintain balance during movement and activity. So why is the lynx an exception with its notably short tail that seems disproportionate to its body?
There are four members of the Lynx genus: Eurasian lynx, Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx, and bobcat. All of them possess short tails, which are significantly shorter than those of other felines. For instance, while the body length of a leopard can reach around 90 cm, its tail can be about 80 cm long. In contrast, the Canadian lynx has a tail that measures only 10 cm, which is absurdly short compared to its large body.
Lynxes have much shorter tails compared to other feline species.
The Purpose of a Cat’s Tail
Why is the tail of the lynx so short? To answer this question, we must first understand the purpose and function of a cat’s tail.
Many believe that a cat’s tail is related to tree climbing. The more a cat climbs, the longer its tail, which supposedly indicates better climbing skills.
Other feline species, except for cheetahs, are essentially tree-climbing masters.
In reality, from a scientific perspective, this is incorrect. Cats primarily climb trees using their limbs and sharp claws, meaning that the length of the tail, whether long or short, does not significantly impact their climbing ability.
In the feline family, aside from cheetahs (which have relatively blunt claws that cannot retract fully), lions and tigers (which find it challenging to climb trees due to their weight), other cat species are generally excellent climbers.
The lynx is no exception. Scientists have found that adult lynxes often climb trees over 20 meters high just to sleep up there.
Adult lynxes often climb trees over 20 meters just to sleep.
In fact, the true role of a cat’s tail is to maintain balance. Therefore, the more a species within the feline family needs to maintain balance, the longer its tail will be.
Three prime examples include the clouded leopard, marbled cat, and Margay cat. These species are known for their agility and speed as they navigate through tree branches, resulting in notably long tails.
Specifically, the clouded leopard has a body length of around one meter, and its tail can reach 80 cm (tail length = 80% of body length). The marbled cat has a body length of 55 cm and a tail length of 40 cm (tail length = 70% of body length). In contrast, the margay cat’s body can be half a meter long, but its tail exceeds one and a half meters (tail length > body length).
Additionally, snow leopards and Andean cats also frequently traverse steep, rocky terrains, making balance crucial, and thus their tails are also long. Snow leopards have a body length of over one meter and a tail length of 90 cm (tail length = 80% of body length), while Andean cats measure 60 cm in body length and 40 cm in tail length (tail length = 67% of body length).
The true role of a cat’s tail is to maintain balance.
Large cats, such as cheetahs, mountain lions, and tigers, hunt hoofed animals and also have long tails that aid balance at high speeds, particularly when making sharp turns. However, their tails are not as long as those of tree-dwelling cats, typically just slightly more than half their body length.
Large cats use their tails for balance at high speeds, especially during sharp turns.
Why is the Lynx’s Tail Short?
As previously mentioned, the tail primarily functions as a balancing rod. While lynxes are also adept at climbing, the difference between them and clouded leopards is that lynxes primarily ascend and descend without the need for a long tail to maintain balance while perched high in trees.
Another function of a long tail is to maintain balance during high-speed chases. However, for lynxes, their primary prey is rabbits—smaller, agile creatures capable of evading attacks. Lynxes do not pursue rabbits by relying solely on speed; instead, they primarily ambush and utilize a series of pounces and jumps to capture them. Additionally, lynxes typically chase their prey for only about 20 meters. If unsuccessful, they abandon the chase and seek other opportunities.
Balance is not crucial for lynxes.
Therefore, for lynxes, the key attributes for hunting and survival are hearing and jumping ability. This is evident in their long ears, which have “antennas” at the top, and their relatively long legs compared to their body proportions, along with their well-developed thigh muscles.
Since balance is not particularly crucial for lynxes, possessing a long tail is unnecessary. It is possible that their ancestors had long tails like other felines, but over time, this trait diminished due to lack of utility.
Furthermore, there are two other cat species with long ears, long legs, and short tails: Caracal caracal and Serval. These species rely on hearing to detect prey and utilize jumping for capture. Similarly, their tails have also diminished in size, like those of lynxes.
Scientific observations indicate that the short tails of modern cats often accompany long hind legs, and some domestic cat breeds with short tails tend to have longer hind legs compared to other breeds.
Thus, scientists speculate that the genes responsible for shortening tails in the feline family may be linked to genes that promote longer hind legs. The short tails observed in Caracal caracal and Serval may simply be a “side effect” of elongated hind legs and enhanced strength.
In 2016, scientists at Peking University discovered that at least three genes could cause cats to have shorter tails. However, the reason behind the simultaneous development of longer hind legs remains unexplored.
Overall, the reason why the lynx’s tail is so short remains an unresolved question.
