Canadian scientists have recorded the first-ever cell phone footage of a melanistic Canada Lynx, a rare genetic variant<\/p>\n
with a striking dark coat. Normally, Canada Lynx have gray or reddish-brown fur, making this discovery a significant surprise for researchers.<\/p>\n
Rare Canada Lynx captured on video sitting, Photo Credit: The Weather Channel<\/p>\n
Melanism, the result of excess dark pigmentation, is unprecedented in this species and could disadvantage the<\/p>\n
lynx in snowy habitats where camouflage is key to hunting. Scientists are now exploring possible links<\/p>\n
between melanism and climate change, referencing a 2014 study that suggested warming temperatures may encourage darker coats in some animals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Canadian scientists have recorded the first-ever cell phone footage of a melanistic Canada Lynx, a rare genetic variant with a striking dark coat. Normally, Canada Lynx have… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42108,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n