Montana mammals

Canada Lynx in Montana

Lynx canadensis

Native to Montana S3 Vulnerable in Montana

Not listed as nonindigenous in Montana by USGS NAS; native to its Montana range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Lynx CanadensisWild Canada lynx standing on hind legs at a scent post in a snowy mountain clearingLynx-canadensisCanada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Photo: Keith Williams · CC BY 2.0Lynx CanadensisPhoto: Matt Muir · CC BY 4.0Wild Canada lynx standing on hind legs at a scent post in a snowy mountain clearingPhoto: Erwin and Peggy Bauer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domainLynx-canadensisPhoto: Matt Muir · CC BY 4.0Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)Photo: Matt Muir · CC BY 4.0Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)

Canada Lynx in Montana, by the numbers

Occasional in Montana 71st most recorded of 122 mammals logged in Montana

48 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

48 total records count every Montana occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 43 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Canada Lynx in Montana

Most sightings fall in September.

43 Montana occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Montana records (table)
MonthRecords
January7
February0
March3
April2
May2
June3
July2
August2
September15
October2
November2
December3

Monthly canada lynx occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Montana, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Montana, with recorded sightings peaking in September.

Occurrence map

Where Canada Lynx has been recorded in Montana

48 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

48 Montana records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Glacier National Park 1

Protected places with the most canada lynx sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Montana

CountyRecords
Flathead County 22
Glacier County 5
Lewis and Clark County 5
Missoula County 4
Ravalli County 4
Lincoln County 3
Powell County 2
Granite County 1
Pondera County 1
Beaverhead County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 10 Montana counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Canada lynx records in Montana concentrate in the state’s high, snowy conifer forest, the kind of habitat that supports the snowshoe hares this cat depends on almost exclusively for food. NatureServe ranks the species S3, Vulnerable, in Montana, and it carries federal threatened status across the contiguous United States.

Reports spike in January and September, winter tracking conditions and fall survey timing rather than a true two-season activity pattern for a cat that’s active year-round in its mountain range. With just 48 total records, all from GBIF specimen and survey data, lynx sightings here are genuinely hard-won.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Canada Lynx in other states

Lynx Canadensis
Full species profile Canada Lynx Lynx canadensis Size 48–56 cm18.9–22 in Weight 5–17 kg11–37.5 lb Lifespan Up to 26.8 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Montana in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"