The Bobcat is an extraordinary feline. A highly adaptable wildcat of North America, the Bobcat has managed to survive in healthy numbers in a variety of habitats, consuming a diverse spectrum of prey, in both wild and inhabited regions. Classified in the Lynx genus, the Bobcat (Lynx Rufus) is considered generally a more successful hunter than the Canadian Lynx, and is perhaps the best mid-sized predator in the continent.
The Bobcat is an extraordinary feline. A highly adaptable wildcat of
North America, the Bobcat has managed to survive in healthy numbers in
a variety of habitats, consuming a diverse spectrum of prey, in both
wild and inhabited regions. Classified in the Lynx genus, the Bobcat
(Lynx Rufus) is considered generally a more successful hunter than the
Canadian Lynx, and is perhaps the best mid-sized predator in the
continent.
Twice as big as a house cat, the Bobcat weighs between
fifteen to thirty pounds and is usually three to four feet long. Males
are generally larger. The size among subspecies is generally subject to
terrain, with Bobcats in open northern regions being bigger than their
southern counterparts. The coat is usually tan colored with a number of
dark stripes on it assisting the cat in its camouflage. The
characteristic feature is its small tail (up to half a foot long) that
gives it the ‘bobbed’ appearance - responsible for the species’ name.
Unlike other lynx cats, the Bobcat tail has a white underside with a
black stubby tip - distinguishing the cat. Despite being a small cat,
Bobcat is quite muscular and its strong, proportionately long, hind
legs enable it to generate tremendous bounds of speed, reaching up to
30mph!
With their keen senses, extreme agility and surprising
strength, Bobcats make great hunters - able to take down animals three
times their size. The prey animals of this opportunistic wily hunter
include insects, rodents, birds, fish, squirrels, rabbits and even
deer! At times it may prey even on foxes, small dogs and house cats.
The usual hunting technique is to stalk the animal and allow it to come
within twenty to thirty feet as the cat lays crouching in wait. The
chase is then initiated and the prey is taken down with its sharp
retractable claws. The cat then bites through neck, skull or chest of
the animal to kill it. In case of large prey animal, Bobcat covers it
with leaves or debris to return to it over the next couple of days and
feed. The hunting time is usually dusk and dawn, with the cat roaming
freely over several miles in its range during the night. Despite its
cute appearance, the Bobcat is a very fierce animal and is capable of
generating frightening growls and snarls - misleading many to believe
its sounds as those of a mountain lion.
Solitary as most cats,
Bobcats come together during mating. The female is the sole parent and
yields three to four kittens after a gestational period of nearly two
months, though not all the kittens make it to adulthood in the wild.
The lifespan is nearly twelve years in the wild and over twenty years
in captivity. Principal threats include parasites, hunting humans and
automobiles.
Despite voracious hunting by humans over last few
decades, Bobcats’ great adaptability has enabled it to survive in the
wild. In fact its success as a specie can be gaged by the fact that
despite the great value that has been placed on its fur in history, it
is still not even concerned vulnerable as a specie by international
wildlife bodies. Its unique survival instincts has even enabled it to
create a niche for itself even around urban areas, becoming a constant
threat, owing to its great stealth and climbing abilities, to farms and
pets . The best idea would be to stay indoors to avoid Bobcats. Other
alternatives include keeping a dog in the locality (Bobcats have been
known to be hunted and chased up trees by dogs) and notifying the local
wildlife officials. Remember it is not interspecies conflict as in big
cats, when Bobcats prey upon domestic felines , its just that house cats
make up part of the menu of these cunning predators in urban settings!
About the author
Tags: bobcat, bobcats, canadian lynx, characteristic feature, dark stripes, extreme agility, four feet, foxes, house cat, keen senses, long hind legs, lynx, lynx cats, lynx rufus, northern regions, prey animals, small dogs, species name, subspecies, wildcat