Lynx lynx ssp. sardiniae (Sardinian lynx)

[Bucardo]

anotherspecialist said:

thanks for the info Bucardo - very interesting. Where in Spain are you from?

;D I'm from Ciudad Real, but I spend the major part of time in Madrid.

[another specialist]

Nice to meet you Bucardo

[Carlos]

There is an interesting note on pg. 477 in Miller (1912)^* about this form, including a description.

This is the transcription:

Note.- A lynx from Nuoro, Sardinia, has recently been described by Mola (Boll. Soc. Zool. Ital., Roma, 2d ser., IX, p. 48, 1908) as Lynx sardiniae. The more important characters mentioned are as follows: Length of head and body, 1000 mm., tail, 330; height, about 350; cheeks distinctly whiskered, and ears tufted; back reddish, the dorsal area almost forming a band (fascia); sides reddish grey; head, neck, shoulder and flanks with reddish brown or greyish brown spots; legs with transverse tawny (fulvo) stripes; tail with black tip and three black sub-terminal rings; head with black stripe on each side beginning at mouth (fauci) and passing back through eye to side of neck; ear tawny inside, reddish outside; tending toward blck; underparts and inner surface of legs dirty white with a reddish tinge.

^*: Miller, G. S. (1912): Catalogue of the Mammals of Western Europe (Europe exclusive of Russia) in the collection of the British Museum. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) London. Reprinted 1966.

[another specialist]

Thank Carlos for the above - so there may be a stuffed museum specimen still in the British Museum.

Would love to know if it still exists? and if so is there any images available somewhere on the net?

[Carlos]

anotherspecialist said:

so there may be a stuffed museum specimen still in the British Museum.

I don't think so. Miller only refers the description of the new taxon Lynx sardiniae and gives the full reference of its author and description. He doesn't mention any specimen housed in the BMNH as he does of all specimens in all species accounts detailing all of them.

I think that the location of the type specimen should be looked for in Mola's description: Boll. Soc. Zool. Ital., Roma, 2d ser., IX, p. 48, 1908. Most likely it is to be found in any Italian collection (if it ever survived the II World War).

Maybe an Italian member of the forum or someone with access to a good ornithological library (there are many all over Europe and the rest of the World) holding historical publications can check it, and tell us later.

I hope so.

[another specialist]

Turok generally most sources class it as extinct. I've not found any recent reports of any sightings on the net myself.

[Peter]

dragonpaladin said:

Hello! I'm a student doing a report on Extinct animals, and the animal I'm reseraching on is the Sardinian Lynx (Lynx lynx sardiniae). I've been looking through books, websites, and magazines, but I haven't been able to find much information on this animal. Does anyone here know where I might be able to find sources of information on this animal (for example, when it became extinct, why, how did it look like, etc.)? Thanks!

[another specialist]

bucardo said:

Turok said:

Furthermore, the Sardian Lynx was the only Carnivore on the Island, unless im mistaken. It this so, the Sardian Lynx assume the job from the Wolf,Normal Lynx an from the Fox of the mainland.

In ancient times, Sardinia had a small, fox-like canid named Cynotherium sardous that probably extinct at the beginning of the Holocene, due to human hunting and introduction of feral dogs from mainland. Cynotherium also lived in Corsica.

A thread has now been created for this species here

extinctanimals.proboards22.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=quaternary&thread=1160276754&page=1

[another specialist]

The Sardinian Lynx is an extinct subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx that once could be found on the Italian island of Sardinia.

In 1908, Mola described a lynx from Nuoro (Sardinia) as Lynx sardiniae. The length of the Sardinian Lynx was 1 m; the height 35 cm and the tail 33 cm. The cheeks were distinctly whiskered and the ears were tufted. The back was reddish with the dorsal area almost forming a band. The sides were reddish grey. The head, neck and shoulder, and flanks with reddish brown or greyish brown spots. The legs had transverse tawny stripes. The tail had a black tip and three black sub-terminal rings. This subspecies had also a head with black stripe on each side beginning at the mouth and passing back through the eye to the side of the neck. The ears were tawny inside and reddish outside, tending towards black. The underparts and inner surface of the legs are dirty white with a reddish tinge.[2]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardinian_Lynx

[Bhagatí]

From:

www.museodizoologia.it/
www.museodizoologia.it/info-servizi-en/view?set_language=en

and email contact:
[e-mail]

And thinked that pleased for more info about sardinian lynx. Maybe
picture from this extinct mammal subspecies. If I will have more luck.

[Bhagatí]

It's nothing. Nonsense!
Nothing email for me from this Roman museum!!!

[Bhagatí]

I don't find them.
But finded detailed facts about this subspecies.

Link:
www.malachia.it/forumalachia/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1179

Detailed info about sardinian lynx.
Write on bibliography, where this subspecies of lynx, is citated.
Here is:

Pratesi F. & Tassi F. 1973. Guida alla natura della Sardegna. Arnoldo Mondadori Editore Milano.

Puddu F & Viarengo M. 1993. Animali di Sardegna: i mammiferi. Carlo Delfino Editore, Sassari.

Casu T. Lai G. Pinna G. 1984. Guida alla flora e alla fauna della Sardegna. Archivio Fotografico Sardo Editore, Nuoro.

Falchi S. 1986. I mammiferi. In: Camarda I., Falchi S. & Nudda G. (a cura di) L'ambiente naturale in Sardegna. Carlo Delfino Editore, Sassari.

Corbet G. & Overden D. 1985. Guida dei mammiferi d'Europa. Franco Muzzio Editore, Padova.

And special is first publication about description of this subsp.
First - Mola Pasquale, 1908. Ancora della lince della Sardegna. Bollettino della Società Zoologica Italiana, anno 1908, fasc. 1-2. Roma,
Tipografia Friggeri.

[Bhagatí]

A second info is on:

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_(genere)
it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_lynx

Citated:

Between the subspecies of eurasiatica lynx some authors introduce the lynx of the Sardinia Lynx lynx sardiniae MOLA, 1908 of which not are some reference in some museum, not are rests of no type. Surveyings conduct from the Sardinia Region have not found the presence of a lynx neanche to the fossil state, in order a lot the lynx in Sardinia never have not existed. Mola describes it highly summarizedly, like a large wild cat. (Stefano Orga - director of the Zoologico Museum of Avellino)

And this is Link on Stefano Orga – direttore del Museo Zoologico di Avellino.
Here is:
www.primitaly.it/musei/campania/avellino.htm
Museo Zoologico
Via F. Petronelli, 8 - I 83100 AVELLINO - ITALY
Tel. [phone] e-mail: [e-mail]

[Bhagatí]

Very lucky to have gathered just now. I finally found it.
I think it's just he.


Gatto Selvatico Sardo - Lince

Sources:
www.flickr.com/photos/matlin78/5962171074/
www.flickr.com/photos/matlin78/5962165454/

[Peter]

It might be the case, but I personally need more information first. The ears aren't tufted in this specimen as far as I can tell... As for it's description "Gatto Selvatico Sardo" means Sardinian Wildcat and "Lince" means Lynx. It would help if we saw the whole specimen, including body, tail and paws.

[another specialist]

This could be as there are similarities to Felis lybica sarda the Sardinian wild cat?

[Peter]

The specimen in the photograph had many lynx characteristics (e.g. white marking around the eyes, the stripes on it cheeks, etc.), so I guess it is a lynx. But it is also lacking characteristics (e.g. tufted ears), but that can be caused by being a museum specimen and maybe indeed by being a different subspecies/species of lynx than the Eurasian lynx.

The markings on the head are indeed similar to lynx the two European lynx species:

Iberian Lynx


Iberian Lynx


Eurasian Lynx


Eurasian Lynx


Eurasian Lynx

[Bhagatí]

I have very strong indications a very strong suspicion about where they would be able to come.
Sassari a town, in north-east of the island Sardinia.
There is probably the stuffed specimen that I have the agreement of www.flickr.com
Actually:
www.flickr.com/photos/matlin78/5962171074/
www.flickr.com/photos/matlin78/5962165454/

And there are even sources from which I quote directly.

[Bhagatí]

Sources, the agreements only, provided that you leave them alone for themselves.
Please.

So, there are:
www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/07_library/7_2_publications/Pdfs/Kratochvil_et_al_1968_History_of_distribution_of_lynx_in_Europe.pdf
on page 20 - namely

- a very marginal
www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/07_library/7_2_publications/Pdfs/Festetics_1980_Verbreitung_in_Europa.pdf
www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/07_library/7_2_publications/Pdfs/Matjuschkin_1979_Der_Luchs.pdf

originating from:
www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/20_blx-compendium/index.htm
www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/20_blx-compendium/home/index_en.htm
www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/07_library/7_2_publications/publications.htm

[Peter]

Thanks for sharing Baghira.