Experts investigated the issue and concluded that the animal has a condition called melanism, which makes it have totally dark fur.
International media reported a historic sighting recorded in Canada, where A woman caught a completely black lynx on camera for the first time. It is estimated that this animal has a genetic condition called melanismo.
According to what was reported by National Geographicthe cat was recorded on video in the vicinity of the city of Whitehorse, at the end of 2020. However, the video was released after completing an investigation.
One of the conclusions recorded by the scientific journal Mammalia is that the lynx has the aforementioned genetic mutation, which makes have very high levels of melanin.
The latter consists in the production of a higher than normal dark pigmentation in animals. This had been seen before in cats, but never in lynxes.
For Stan Boutin, an ecologist at the University of Alberta, this condition would be a clear disadvantage for these animals, especially in winter, since it would make it even more difficult for them to camouflage themselves in the snow.
“Being black is definitely a disadvantage in winter, so this lynx (addressing the one in the video) has done pretty well,” he said.
In his explanation, Boutin expressed that these animals usually change their fur in each season of the year. During the winter it turns silvery gray, while in spring it turns reddish brown.
This obviously helps them hide and hunt smaller animals in their environment, such as hares or farm birds.
So far it is not clear which mutation is causing melanism in these animals. The condition affects leopards and bobcats the most, which are in a natural environment.
“It is considered to be more common in settings where you do not select against. For example, a melanistic jaguar keeps blending into a gloomy jungle,” said Doran-Myers, head of the research.