Bobcat Facts

Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae

Species: Lynx rufus

The bobcat has the greatest range of all native North American cats.

Physical Description: Bobcats' fur is short and dense and yellowish or reddish brown with black spots. They have tufted ears, white whiskers, and a relatively short banded tail.

Size: About twice the size of a domestic cat. On average, males' head and body length is 869 mm (34 inches) and weigh 12 kg (26.5 pounds); and females are 786 mm (31 inches) long and weigh 9 kg (20 pounds).

Geographic Distribution: Bobcats can be found in much of southern Canada and the United States, except for the Great Lakes region and Ohio and Mississippi valleys, and in parts of Mexico.

Habitat: Bobcats live in temperate forests, mountains, semideserts, deserts, swamps, and scrubland. Protection from severe weather and dense cover for hunting, in addition to abundant prey, are important factors in choosing a home.

Status: Bobcats are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

Natural Diet: Snowshoe hares, cottontail rabbits, mice, and other rodents, as well as white-tailed deer, foxes, birds, and other animals are among bobcats' prey.

Reproduction: Females usually produce a litter of one to six young in the spring after a gestation of 60 to 70 days. If they don't have a spring litter or if it does not survive, they may mate later in the year and give birth in any month.

Life Span: Bobcats in captivity may live up to 32 years, while wild bobcats live about 12 to 13 years.

Behavior: Bobcats are solitary animals. Young leave their mother before the next litter is born. They are mainly nocturnal.

A Few Bobcat Neighbors:

  • coyote (Canus latrans): One of the fastest canids, the highly adaptable coyote is described in many Native American stories as being cunning and clever.
  • snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus): These hares are good swimmers and sometimes enter the water to escape predators. They also freeze in their tracks or flee (at up to 25 miles per hour) to avoid being eaten.
  • Sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus): During the breeding season, male sage grouses court the females with a display of strutting, tail-fanning, inflating their esophageal sac, flapping their drawn wings to make a "brushing" sound, and vocalizing with a bubbling sound.

Please note: We do not have bobcats at the Zoo.

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