Bobcat Photos by Bruce Dayton - Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

ORDER: Carnivora (Carnivores)
FAMILY: Felidae (Cats)
SPECIES: Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
The Bobcat is the most common wildcat in North America. - The Bobcat is named for its short, bobbed tail. - They are smaller than the Canadian Lynx, but about twice as large as the domestic cat. - The color of their coat and the spots help camouflage the Bobcat in the thick underbrush. - Bobcats are excellent hunters, stalking prey with stealth and patience. - They are mostly nocturnal predators, taking quarry ranging in size from mouse to deer. - They are hunted and trapped for their fur throughout most of their range. - Populations are stable in most of the Bobcats northern range at this time. - Lifespan in the wild is 10-14 years - They are also known as Wildcat, Bay Lynx, Barred Bobcat, Pallid Bobcat and Red Lynx. -
SIZE	Average Length: 786 mm (31 Inches) Range: 610-1,219 mm (24-48 Inches) Average Weight: 11.3 kg (25 lbs.) Range: 6.8-13.6 kg (15-30 lbs.) Height: 305 -457 mm(12-18 Inches) Females area somewhat smaller than the male.
DESCRIPTION	The color of the Bobcat varies from shades of tawny orange-tan (grayer in the winter) with indistinct black spotting and lined markings. Bobcats have a white chest and belly (heavily spotted.) The tail is short and stubby (about 6 inches long) with black bars and a black tip. The face has broken black lines which radiate onto the cheek. they have a tuft of facial fur around the cheek area and a tuft of hair on the ear's tips. Sexual Dimorphism: Male is larger than the female.
DENS	The Bobcat may have several dens, one main den and several auxiliary dens, in outer areas of its broad home range. The bobcat build their dens in caves, rock crevices, brush piles and thickets to provide needed shelter.
MATING	Mating season is in late winter, but throughout the year is possible. The gestation period is 50- 70 days. Kittens are born in dens early in the spring. The litter size ranges from 1-7 kittens. The kittens leave the den after about 4 weeks. A second litter in one year is not uncommon.
BEHAVIOR	The Bobcat is territorial animal and largely solitary, although there is some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The Bobcat is an excellent climber who often waits in the trees ready to pounce on prey.
PREDATORS	The Predators of the Bobcat include cougars, coyotes, wolves and humans (who hunt them for their fur.)
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE	The Bobcat ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including much of the continental United States.
HABITAT	The Bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, suburban and swampland environments. A habitat with dense vegetation with rabbits, squirrels and other prey is ideal. The size of the home range for the males are extremely varied – generally 25-30 square miles (with overlapping of other male's range). Females home range is around 5-15 square miles (with no overlapping with other females, but may be within a male's home range.)
DIET	The Bobcat is strictly carnivorous. The preferred diet of the Bobcat is rabbits and hares, but it will hunt anything from insects, birds and small rodents to deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. In areas where the male and female home range overlap, females may prey on smaller animals than the male, thus preventing inter-sexual competition for food and assuring certain prey are not overexploited.


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Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Monroe County, New York


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