Bobcats

The bobcat is a medium-sized wild cat found throughout much of central North America. The word bobcat comes from the bobbed appearance of the cat’s short, stubby tail.

There are twelve recognized subspecies of bobcat, and it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges, and swampland environments. Unlike many wild cat species, the bobcat persists in much of its original range and populations are at healthy levels.

The bobcat’s life expectancy is between 10 and 15 years in the wild, and it will often live to more than 20 years in captivity.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The bobcat resembles the Lynx, but it is, on average, smaller in build. The average adult male bobcat ranges from 20 to 30 pounds, while females average between 13 and 21 pounds.

The bobcat’s coat is variable, though generally tan to grayish brown, with black streaks on the body and dark bars on the forelegs and tail. Its spotted patterning acts as camouflage, and its ears are black-tipped and pointed, with short black tufts. Like most cats, its underbody is lighter than the rest of its coat.

HABITAT

The bobcat is an adaptable animal. It prefers to inhabit woodland areas, but, unlike the Lynx, it does not depend exclusively on the deep forest. The population of bobcats depends primarily on the population of its prey. Its range does not seem to be limited by human populations, as long as it can find a suitable habitat.

BEHAVIOR

The bobcat is crepuscular, meaning that it is most often active during twilight hours (near dawn and dusk). It will sometimes become more active during the day in colder times. This is a response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in colder months.

The bobcat hunts animals of different sizes, and it will adjust its hunting techniques accordingly. When small animals are in abundance, it will lie, crouch, or stand and wait for its victims to wander close. It will then pounce, grabbing its prey with sharp, retractable claws. With larger animals, it will typically stalk from cover and wait for the prey to approach before rushing in to attack.

Like other cats, bobcats will often mew, hiss, growl, yowl, chatter, and purr.