TERENSKA NOTICA / FIELD NOTE 
 
 
71 
Recording the Eurasian lynx 
(Lynx lynx) vocalization 
sequences on Snežnik 
plateau, Slovenia 
 
BELEŽENJE SEKVENC OGLAŠANJA 
EVRAZIJSKEGA RISA (LYNX LYNX) NA 
SNEŽNIŠKI PLANOTI 
 
Miha KROFEL* & Ivan KOS, Department of Biology, 
Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna 
pot 111, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia.  
* E-mail: miha.krofel@gmail.com 
 
Vocalization of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in 
the wild is very poorly documented in the 
literature. For this reason we are presenting 
herewith the records of calling sequences recorded 
by one of the authors (M.K.) on Snežnik plateau in 
the Northern Dinaric Mountains in southern 
Slovenia during the lynx mating period in 2008. 
They were recorded during the monitoring of 
radio-collared female lynx, which had been 
equipped with VHF-GPS-GSM collar (Televilt, 
Sweden) three weeks earlier. At the time of 
capture, she weighed 18 kg and her age was 
estimated at 3-4 years (I. Kos et al., unpublished 
data). 
 
Around midday on 24th February 2008, in 
sunny weather, several lynx calls were heard while 
searching for prey remains of the radio-collared 
female. On that day, the VHF transmitter was not 
working, and it could not be ascertained whether it 
was the radio-collared female that was calling or 
some other lynx. On 28th February 2008, a lynx 
was heard calling during the setting of a box-trap 
for lynx by one of the authors (M.K.). It was 
approximately 14:00, and within the next half hour 
6 series of 5-10 mew calls were recorded. 
Although the author was relatively far away from 
the calling lynx (about 2 km), he could clearly hear 
the calls through the forest canopy. Afterwards, 
the author approached the lynx and made more 
detailed notes on the vocalization between 15:00 
and 18:30. From the forest road about 250 meters 
from the lynx, the following sequences of lynx 
calling were recorded: 
• 16:47 – 7 consecutive mew calls 
• 16:51 – 5 consecutive mew calls 
• 17:11 – 7 consecutive mew calls 
• 17:14 – 8 consecutive mew calls 
• 17:16 – 9 consecutive mew calls 
• 17:18 – 11 consecutive mew calls 
• 17:20 – 4 consecutive mew calls 
• 17:22 - 7 consecutive mew calls 
 
On average, the sequences lasted 7.25 calls 
and were repeated every 5 minutes. On this day, 
the VHF transmitter was activated and it could be 
determined that it was another lynx, probably a 
male, that was calling, and not the radiocollared 
female which, however, was present close by. This 
day was again clear and windless. 5 days later, in 
the afternoon, the author went back to the vicinity 
of the radio-collared female to record any 
additional vocalization. However, no lynx calls 
could have been heard until the nightfall. It was a 
rainy day. The radio-collared female gave birth to 
two cubs on 12th May 2008. Since the Eurasian 
lynx gestation period usually lasts 67-74 days 
(Breitenmoser et al., 2000), the successful mating 
must have taken place between 28th February and 
6th March; this includes the day when the 
vocalization was recorded (28.2.), or in the 
following days. 
 
According to the observations made in 
captivity, the Eurasian lynx acoustic repertoire 
includes about 10 – 12 signal types (Peters 1987). 
While most of the signal types are used in close 
range communication, the mew is a long-distance 
call. Peters (1987) argued that this type of 
vocalization occurs in various behavioural contexts, 
but that main calling activity is during the mating 
season, when it is used by males and females and 
serves to bring the partners together for mating. 
Such function can also be concluded on the basis 
of observations from the wild given above. 
Although very scant amount of data exists, it 
seems that such calling can be important for the 
partners to meet during the short oestrus period of 
females (which lasts for about three days – Kos et 
al., 2005). As also observed in our case, such calls 
are effective over distances of several kilometres. 
In this respect we have to draw attention to 
possible detrimental effects of artificial noise in the 
environment, such as from highways with heavy 
traffic, which could hamper intraspecific 
communication, and in combination with habitat 
fragmentation perhaps even affect the lynx’s 
reproductive success. 
TERENSKA NOTICA / FIELD NOTE 
 
72 
Literature 
 
Breitenmoser U., Breitenmoser-Würsten Ch., 
Okarma H., Kaphegyi T., Kaphegyi-
Wallmann U., Müller U.M. (2000): Action 
plan for the conservation of the Eurasian 
lynx in Europe (Lynx lynx). Council of 
Europe Publishing, Strasbourg,  69 pp. 
Kos I., Potočnik H., Skrbinšek T., Skrbinšek 
Majić A., Jonozovič M., Krofel M. (2005): 
Ris v Sloveniji: strokovna izhodišča za 
varstvo in upravljanje, 2. edition. Oddelek 
za biologijo, Biotehniška fakulteta, 
Ljubljana, 272 pp. 
Peters G. (1987): Acoustic communication in 
the genus Lynx (Mammalia: Felidae) – 
comparative survey and phylogenetic 
interpretation. Bonn. zool. Beitr. 38(4): 
315-330.