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Bobcats are one of the smaller
species of "big cats".
Bobcat Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Lynx
Species: Rufus
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Habitat: Bobcats are found
in North America, from southern
Canada to northern Mexico. Bobcats
can be found in wooded areas, semi-desert,
forest edges, and swampland habitats.
Bobcat Species: There are
currently 12 recognized sub-species
of bobcat.
Size: Female bobcats are
smaller than their male counterparts.
Bobcats are 18.7 to 49 inches in
length and weigh 9-40 lbs. Bobcats
stand 1-2 feet at their shoulders.
Other Names for Bobcats:
Wildcat, Bay Lynx, and Lynx Cat
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Bobcat
in Foreign Languages
Catalan: Linx Roig
Finnish: Punailves
/ Topohäntäkissa
French: Lynx Roux
German: Rotluchs
Hungarian: Voros Hiuz
Italian: Lince Rossa
Navajo: Nashdoi Libahigii
/ Nashdoilbai
Portuguese: Lince-vermelho
Swedish: Rodlo
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Diet: Bobcats are opportunistic
predators and feeders. Bobcats are
carnivores and will eat anything
from insects and small rodents to
deer, but the bobcat prefers rabbits
and hares.
Description: Bobcats have
a bray to brown coat, whiskered
face, and black-tufted ears. The
coat is sometimes spotted. The bobcat
is said to resembles the other species
of the mid-sized Lynx. Bobcats have
a stubby, "bobbed" tail,
for which they are named. Bobcats
have retractable claws.
Behavior: Bobcats will mark
their territory with claw marks
and deposits of urine or feces.
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Birth: Bobcat kittens
are born blind and weigh only
about 4 to 8 ounces. Bobcat
kittens will open their eyes
after 10 days.
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Did
You Know?
Bobcats are preyed
upon by by cougars,
coyotes, wolves, and
owls.
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Gestation: Bobcats will
carry their young for 60 to 70 days.
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Cubs: Cubs remain
with the mother for the first
year of their life.
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Did
You Know?
The bobcat is the
most abundant wildcat
in the U.S.
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Sexual Maturity: Bobcats
are typically sexually mature and
breeding by the age of 2.
Life Span: Bobcats will
live in the wild until the ages
of 6-12 years of age. Bobcats in
captivity will live as long as 25
years.
Social Structure: Bobcat
are solitary but their ranges will
often overlap with other bobcats.
Athleticism: Bobcats are
fierce hunters, they can kill prey
much bigger than themselves, using
a deadly pounce that can cover 10
feet in a single bound.
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