Bobcat

Named because of their short tails, bobcats exist throughout the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico to the state of Oaxaca. Bobcats are members of the lynx lineage and share many characteristics with their larger relative, including the short tail, spotted fur, ear tufts and ruffs (fur around the neck). And they do occasionally breed with the lynx in the northern extent of their range.

Bobcats are widely distributed and are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). Florida is the only state that has seen a decline in this cat owing to the python, an invasive species, particularly in the southern part of the state.

There is some difference of opinion regarding the number of bobcat subspecies in the US.  

Typically, male bobcats weigh about 25 -30 pounds and sometimes more, while females are smaller at around 20 pounds. They’re about 35 inches in length. Bobcats eat mostly small animals, such as rats, squirrels, mice, and rabbits. These cats may also prey on quail, songbirds, porcupines, skunks, and carrion. They are spotted cats with shorttails and long fur at their jowls. Females typically produce a litter of three kittens, and they remain with their mothers about six months. Their range is 25 – 30 square miles for males and five square miles for females.

The US bobcat population is estimated to be between 2.3 to 3.5 million.

One interesting note about this cat is that it is the only Lynx species that can be black, and most of the sightings of black or melanistic bobcats have been recorded in Florida.

These cats are habitat generalists and exhibit wide tolerance of different environments.

Their favored habitats include swamps, deserts, and mountain ranges but particularly prefer rocky canyons or outcrops. They are not fond of deep snow, however. And, as many of us know, they tolerate human proximity well in urban areas.

Bobcats are mostly nocturnal, though this varies a great deal depending upon the season and region. Some populations are known as cathemeral, which simply means they don’t have a particular pattern of activity.

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Though these cats are resilient and widespread throughout the US including Texas, they are subject to various threats. Predation by other predators (mountain lions, coyotes, and domestic dogs) is a natural cause of death. Both Florida bobcats and Florida panthers have recently been afflicted with FLM, feline leukomyelopathy, for which neither a cause nor a treatment has been determined. Bobcats are also a species harvested for the fur trade, which, while in great decline in the US and Europe, is still popular elsewhere. They’re also common targets in wildlife killing contests, which are legal throughout most of the country.

Of our three remaining species of wild cats in Texas, with mountain lions and ocelots being the other two, the bobcat remains an adaptable and hardy feline that will likely continue to thrive in spite of all the obstacles it sometimes faces.

Females typically produce a litter of three kittens, and they remain with their mothers about six months. Their favored habitats include swamps, deserts, and mountain ranges but particularly prefer rocky canyons or outcrops. Females typically produce a litter of three kittens, and they remain with their mothers about six months. Their favored habitats include swamps, deserts, and mountain ranges but particularly prefer rocky canyons or outcrops. Their range is 25 – 30 square miles for males and five square miles for females.

The bobcat is still harvested for its fur, though the fur industry is in decline.

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