Bobcats are a North American wild cat that can be found from the southern parts of Canada to Mexico’s northern regions. The medium-sized cat looks similar to other members of the Lynx genus, especially the Canada lynx.

The cat’s fur can be many different colors, from yellow-tan to red-brown. Melanistic (all dark) and albino bobcats have also been seen.

Unlike many other wild cats, the bobcat is not an endangered or threatened species. For the most part, they are only attacked and killed by humans.

The bobcat population is currently estimated at between 700,000 to 1.5 million.

Scientific Name: Lynx rufus
Conservation Status: Least Concern, the population is stable

Subspecies:

  • L. r. rufus
  • L. r. fasciatus

About the Bobcat

There are 13 subspecies of bobcats, but only two have been recognized: Lynx rufus rufus (eastern and midwestern United States) and Lynx rufus fasciatus (West of the Great Plains, North America). The others include:

  • Lynx rufus gigas (northern New York to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick)
  • Lynx rufus floridanus (southeastern United States and inland to southwestern Missouri and southern Illinois)
  • Lynx rufus superiorensis (western Great Lakes area)
  • Lynx rufus californicus (California west of the Sierra Nevada)
  • Lynx rufus mohavensis (California’s Mojave Desert)
  • Lynx rufus texensis (western Louisiana, Texas, south central Oklahoma, and south into Tamaulipas, Nuevo
  • León, and Coahuila)
  • Lynx rufus baileyi (southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico)
  • Lynx rufus escuinipae (primarily central Mexico, but also along Mexico’s west coast)
  • Lynx rufus peninsularis (Baja California)
  • Lynx rufus oaxacensis (Oaxaca, Mexico)
  • Lynx rufus pallescens (northwestern United States and southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan

Physical Appearance

Bobcat in the snowThe bobcat has black stripes on its legs, a black-tipped tail and black-tufted ears. Lips and chin are an off-white.

The cat’s coat can range in color from gray to brown.

They are similar in appearance to a lynx, although generally smaller. Because of the tufts of hair beneath their ears, their face has a wide appearance.

Territory

Bobcat’s like living in forests, but can also be found in deserts and even swamps. Sometime their range will overlap with the range of another bobcat. They mark their territory with urine, feces and claw marks. Most of their activities are confined to their territory, where it has a main den and many shelters.

Hunting and Prey

The bobcat preys on rabbits and hares, in addition to hunting birds, insects, chickens, rodents and deer. They stalk their prey and pounce for the kill. The cat is most active at twilight. It  can climb trees and swim if necessary. Like most wild cats, bobcats  lead a solitary life. They can go without food for long periods of time.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Females are pregnant for 60 or 70 days. A male travels with a female from winter to early spring, and will mate with her multiple times while they are together. Kittens are born in covered spaces, and have quite a bit of fur and spots. They open their eyes around the ninth or tenth day after birth. Bobcats live for seven to ten years in the wild.

Conservation Issues

Bobcats have been aggressively hunted for their fur, as well as for sport. The cat is protected in the countries where it lives. Other threats include disease, accidents, starvation and automobiles.

 

Bobcat Videos

httpv://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU47nhB-2QbYMCDar3X9LI5_aNzrIi1yR


Comments

Bobcat — 6 Comments

  1. I swear I just saw a golden or albino bobcat in my neighbor’s yard. We live south of San Francisco CA and bobcats, coyotes, etc are common in our neighborhood as we live amidst trees and hills. Has there been any sightings of golden or albino bobcats in CA? Thank you.

  2. I live in the foothills of Himalaya and it is mostly covered with Leopards, and while traveling with my father I’ve seen a lot of Leopards in the jungle. There is a Corbett National Park which functions as a Tiger Reserve, so I have seen many Tigers too, but I’ve always wondered to see a Lion other than in the ZOO of course. After reading this I already asked my friend to book a safari to Gir Forest which is in Gujrat. Lions can only be seen there in India. Hope I will be as lucky as the cameraman in discovery where the Lion comes and hop onto the safari, I’ll not fear because I like this “cat family” group.

  3. I was quite surprised to see no mention of the short tail. After all, that is the origin of its name. Also, it is often refered to as the Bob-tailed cat.

  4. I was born and in Santa Barbara Ca. and am quite familiar with the bobcats in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, and up north in the coastal ranges.
    For the last 25 years I have lived in Nevada, mostly in the Reno aria Washoe county, so the biggest bobcat I have ever seen was in northwest Churchill county, north east of Fernley Nevada, and this cat was huge I have to guess but I would put it in the 60 Lbs. range, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
    A few winters back on the north slope of Peavine Mt. Reno Nevada, I saw a bobcat that looked quite strange to me it was in the snow and sage brush it to was large but the interesting thing was the size of its paws they were larger than any paws I have seen before on a bobcat and quite furry I mean long fur and kind of a reddish brown. Any way you list bobcats found west of the Sierra Nevada, but what I am curious about are the bobcats of the northern Great Basin and along the Sierra Nevada Great Basin interface? I have lived in Las Vegas aria and can assure you that the northern Great Basin desert is a completely difrent from the Mojave desert or the southern Great Basin deserts.

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