The Iberian lynx is one of the world’s most endangered felines, emblematic of the Iberian Peninsula. Its survival depends on a specific habitat that provides both shelter and sustenance. Understanding the components of this specialized environment is central to its conservation efforts.
The Mediterranean Woodland Environment
The Iberian lynx primarily inhabits Mediterranean woodland and maquis thicket, a landscape characterized by a mosaic of dense scrub and open pastures. This ecosystem, found across southern Spain and Portugal, offers cover for stalking prey and safe areas for resting and raising young. Key plant species include cork oaks (Quercus suber), holm oaks (Quercus ilex sub. ballota), and wild olive trees (Olea europaea var. sylvestris). The dense undergrowth features shrubs such as mastic (Pistacia lentiscus), strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo), heather, cistus, and juniper, providing thickets for daytime resting spots and breeding dens.
The climate is Mediterranean sub-humid, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, influencing plant growth and food availability. Lynx prefer varied terrain below 1,300 meters in elevation. While historically widespread, suitable habitat is now concentrated in regions like Andalusia, specifically Doñana National Park and the Sierra Morena mountains, with smaller populations in Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, and the Guadiana Valley in Portugal.
The Essential Role of Rabbit Populations
A suitable Iberian lynx habitat requires a high density of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the lynx’s primary food source. Rabbits comprise over 90% of the lynx’s diet; an adult lynx needs about one rabbit per day, and a mother raising kittens needs around three. The presence of large, healthy rabbit warrens dictates where a lynx can establish a territory.
Rabbit populations have faced severe declines due to two viral diseases. Myxomatosis, introduced in France in the early 1950s, arrived in Spain in 1954, causing up to a 90% reduction in rabbit numbers. Later, in the late 1980s, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) emerged, leading to an additional 60% mortality. A new RHD variant has also been identified across the Iberian Peninsula, affecting even young rabbits and further threatening recovery. These declines have rendered large areas of otherwise suitable Mediterranean woodland uninhabitable for the Iberian lynx.
Habitat Fragmentation and Conservation Corridors
The Iberian lynx habitat faces a threat from fragmentation, where continuous natural areas are broken into smaller, isolated patches. This results from human activities like highway and dam construction, and agricultural expansion, which sever landscape connections. Roads, for instance, divide territories and pose a direct threat through vehicle collisions, a leading cause of lynx mortality. Such isolation prevents lynx from safely dispersing to find mates and establish new territories, leading to reduced gene flow and a decline in genetic diversity.
To counter these effects, conservation efforts implement “conservation corridors,” also known as wildlife corridors. These are strips of protected or restored land designed to connect fragmented habitats, allowing lynx and other wildlife to move safely between isolated areas. Corridors facilitate dispersal, important for young lynx seeking new territories, and help maintain genetic exchange among subpopulations. Projects like LIFE LYNXCONNECT create these corridors and establish intermediate populations to guide dispersing individuals, supporting the species’ long-term recovery across the Iberian Peninsula.