A blynx is the

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

offspring of a bobcat and a

Canada lynx The Canada lynx (''Lynx canadensis''), or Canadian lynx, is a medium-sized North American lynx that ranges across Alaska, Canada, and northern areas of the contiguous United States. It is characterized by its long, dense fur, triangular ears ...

, two closely related species in the genus '' Lynx''.

Reported bobcat/lynx hybrids

The first evidence of a blynx, based on genetic analysis, was reported from Minnesota. In August 2003, biologists in

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

captured a blynx and deemed it a sterile fluke of nature. They released it with a

tracking collar GPS animal tracking is a process whereby biologists, scientific researchers or conservation agencies can remotely observe relatively fine-scale movement or migratory patterns in a free-ranging wild animal using the Global Positioning System ( ...

to observe its behavior; the collar was placed too tightly, however, and the blynx died of starvation. Soon after, another reported blynx was seen in

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, this one a female with a litter of kittens. This disproved the theory that the blynx was a sterile hybrid like the mule. Another female blynx gave birth in summer 2003 in Maine after being trapped that winter.

Appearance

A blynx is a medium-sized cat, larger than a domestic cat, with ears that lean back and are black at the feathery tips (like its Canada lynx parent). The face more closely resembles that of its bobcat parent, and it may or may not have spots. Like both parents, it has a very short

tail The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammal ...

, if it has one at all.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4930837 Felid hybrids Lynx