Turkestan lynx

The Turkestan lynx (Lynx lynx isabellinus), also known as the Central Asian, Tibetan or Himalayan lynx, is a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) distributed in Central Asia and in the Himalayas.

Taxonomy
Felis isabellina was the scientific name proposed by Edward Blyth in 1847, upon his examination of a lynx skin from Tibet. Lynx lynx wardi was proposed by Richard Lydekker in 1904, though many authors considered it synonymous to L. lynx isabelinus. Further investigations are needed to determine its status as a separate subspecies or not. Currently, wardi is sometimes regarded as a synonym to isabellinus.

Distribution and habitat
The Turkestan lynx occurs in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Tibetan region of China. It lives mostly at higher elevations, in open woodland and steppe habitats with rocky slopes, caves and multiple safe hiding places. In the Indian Himalayas, individuals were sighted at an elevation of 4900 m in Hemis National Park, and at 4800 m on the Changtang Plateau, both in Ladakh.

Conservation
The Turkestan lynx has been protected under Schedule I of India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. In Afghanistan, it is considered threatened. It is listed as Near Threatened on Pakistan's and Mongolia's national Red Lists. It is listed as Endangered in China, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and as Vulnerable in Nepal and Uzbekistan.