bobcat
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- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
- A-Z Animals - Bobcat
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Bobcats
- National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - A Reference Genome Assembly of the Bobcat, Lynx rufus
- Animal Diversity Web - Lynx rufus
- The Nature Conservancy - Bobcat
- International Environment Library Consortium - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library - Bobcat
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute - Bobcat
- San Diego Zoo Animals and Plants - Lynx and Bobcat
- California Department Fish and Wildlife - Bobcat
- Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife - Bobcat
- Also called:
- bay lynx or wildcat
- Related Topics:
- lynx
- On the Web:
- California Department Fish and Wildlife - Bobcat (Mar. 17, 2025)
bobcat, (Lynx rufus), bobtailed North Americancat (familyFelidae), found from southernCanada to southernMexico. The bobcat is a close relative of the somewhat larger Canadalynx (Lynx canadensis).
A long-legged cat with large paws, a rather short body, and tufted ears, the bobcat is 60–100 cm (24–40 inches) long,excluding the 10–20-cm tail, stands 50–60 cm at the shoulder, and weighs 7–15 kg (15–33 pounds). Its fur, stiffer and less valuable than that of the lynx, is pale brown to reddish with black spots. The underparts are white; the tip of the tail is black above, white below.
Sometimes found in suburban areas, the bobcat is a nocturnal, generally solitary cat equally at home in forests and deserts; it is less inclined than the lynx to climb trees or swim. It feeds on rodents, rabbits, hares, and some birds. Breeding takes place in spring (sometimes a second time later in the year); alitter of one to six kittens is born after agestation period of about 50 days. Economically, the bobcat is of some value as a furbearer and is important in keeping the numbers of rodents and rabbits under control.
