The Turkestan lynx (''Lynx lynx isabellinus'') is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of Eurasian lynx native to Central Asia. It is also known as Central Asian lynx, Tibetan lynx or Himalayan lynx. It is widespread from Central Asia, continental South Asia to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and Mongolia. About 27,000 mature individuals have been estimated to occur in China as of 2013.

Taxonomy

''Felis isabellina'' was the

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

proposed by

Edward Blyth Edward Blyth (23 December 1810 – 27 December 1873) was an English zoologist who worked for most of his life in India as a curator of zoology at the museum of the Asiatic Society of India in Calcutta. Blyth was born in London in 1810. In 1841 ...

in 1847 for a lynx skin from Tibet. ''Lynx lynx wardi'' was proposed by Richard Lydekker in 1904. However, most authors considered it as synonymous to ''Lynx lynx isabelinus''. Further investigations are in need in order to declare it whether as a separate subspecies or not. As of today, ''wardi'' is sometimes regarded as a synonym to ''isabellinus''.

Distribution and habitat

The Turkestan lynx occurs in Central Asia from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. It lives mostly in open woodlands,

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslands, ...

and rocky hills. In the Indian Himalayas, individuals were sighted at an elevation of in Hemis National Park and at on the Changtang Plateau in Ladakh.

Conservation

The Turkestan lynx has been protected under Schedule I of India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. In Afghanistan, it is considered threatened. It is listed as Near Threatened on Pakistan's and Mongolia's national Red Lists. It is listed as Endangered in China, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and as

Vulnerable Vulnerable may refer to: General * Vulnerability * Vulnerability (computing) * Vulnerable adult * Vulnerable species Music Albums * ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997 * ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003 * ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...

in Nepal and Uzbekistan.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q27627917 Eurasian lynx subspecies Mammals described in 1915 Taxa named by Edward Blyth Felids of India Mammals of Central Asia Fauna of South Asia Fauna of Tibet Fauna of the Himalayas Mammals of Afghanistan Mammals of Bhutan Mammals of China Mammals of India Mammals of Mongolia Mammals of Nepal Mammals of Pakistan Mammals of Russia Fauna of Jammu and Kashmir