Bobcat

Bobcats are medium sized but smaller than a lynx. Their fur is also shorter and markings more prominent.

Bobcats have proportionately smaller feet than lynx and the tail tip is only black on top. They have black ears, each with a grey spot. Unlike a lynx, bobcats don't have prominant ear tufts, some don't have any tufts at all. Bobcat can be grey, almost like a tabby cat, but with black spots instead of stripes. Some cats are closer to a reddish-brown. Their dark dorsal line is less distinct than that of a lynx. Bobcats' chest and belly are more white, still with black spots. The bobcats in our territory are more often a reddish-brown than grey.

Bobcats normally give birth to between one and four kittens, mating in March and giving birth 50 days later in April or May, however they can have kittens at any time of year. Bobcats make use of caves, windfalls and rock slides to protect their young from predators.

Bobcats inhabit much of Mexico, the US and southern Canada, meaning they are adapted to a range of habitats, living at elevations of anything from valley bottoms to treeline. Generally, bobcats prefer lower elevations and, as with lynx, good cover, such as forest habitats, is essential for hunting and safety from threats.

A bobcat's preferred foods are hares, ground squirrels and birds. In our guide territory, grouse and rabbits are particular favourites. There are also accounts of bobcats hunting ungulates such as deer.