The life of a BOBCAT
Bobcats are often confused with the other three “lynx” species, the Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx, and Eurasian lynx. There are slight differences between these four species but you would need to be an expert to notice them all. Bobcats are slightly smaller and live in warmer, temperate habitats; they’re excellent climbers and fast sprinters.
Physical Description
Bobcats are typically brown with some black spots on their fur. They also have lighter colored fur on their stomachs. Bobcats have facial ruffs, ear tufts, and white spots near the tips of their ears that help them blend in their environment when they’re not hunting.
Bobcats are often confused with the other three “lynx” species, the Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx, and Eurasian lynx. Each lynx has characteristic facial ruffs and ear tufts and a shorter tail than other cats. Bobcats are slightly smaller than other wolves.
It’s a typical year here in the U.S., but there are times when we experience cold weather that make us think it’s winter all year-long. Imagine what animals of the north face each day! They must endure frigid temperatures, deep snows, and subzero depths! Those snow-dazed red eyes must also fight against the intense cold for hours on end.
Grizzly bears, polar bears, and other arctic animals rely on their thick fur coats to protect them from the cold. While most animals keep themselves warm by keeping their bodies in a constant state of motion, these animals are still able to maintain a cozy temperature. Instead of using their mouths like dogs or cats to release heat by panting, these animals rely on their thick and sparse coat to keep them warm.
They also have shorter tails & longer legs so they can travel through deep snow. Bobcats don’t fare well in deep snow, whereas foxes thrive there.
Bobcats of all types have extremely high levels of adaptability, having evolved to hunt in different environments. One species occasionally called the desert bobcat is particularly adept at stalking prey through swamps and bogs.
Other lynx species have simple, brown-gray coats that camouflage in the mossy coniferous forest and swamps where they stalk their primary prey: the snowshoe hare. The dense cover of snow where these lynx live may make them sound more important than sight when hunting. Their ear tufts are thought to improve hearing and are longer than those of the bobcat, a different type of lynx.
Kittens use their mother as a guide when moving around at night because bobcats’ backs are marked with two white spots for them to find their way back to the den. Another useful adaptation that Bobcats have is the white underside of their bobbed tail. If your kitten falls too far behind you, stop and gently call out to them while raising your tail to reveal the white patch below.
Size
Bobcats are found along with all ranges of North America but vary in size with their geographical location. The larger male animals are found in the North, while smaller animals can be found in the South. Those average-sized bobcats are around 46 centimeters at their shoulders and 11 – 32 kilograms. The average size of a female is half the male. In 2007, the bobcat was classified as a threatened species by the Canadian government due to extensive hunting and habitat loss.
Native Habitat
About half of the world’s bobcats are found on the North American continent, with a concentration in Mexico and surrounding areas. Bobcats are very adaptable and can live in a wide variety of habitats including boreal coniferous, mixed forests, bottomland hardwood forests, coastal swamps, and desert scrublands.
Communication
Bobcats communicate through scent, visual signals, and vocalizations. They will deposit their mark around the area they want to warn other animals about danger by urinating near paths, defecating in latrine sites, and scraping up urine & feces to make a trail. These marks can indicate a female cat’s mating location or indicate that she’s part of a territorial marking. It can also help people identify ranges of cats or food in the wild and eliminate hunting cats.
Bobcats have unmistakable body language. They will be posturing with their tails and ears, chortle when threatened, and make a variety of noises when courting a mate. Bobcats primarily use scent marking and visual signals to mark their territory. They also rarely use sound to deter other bobcats and instead rely on urine, feces, and anal gland secretions, as well as marking scrapes in the ground.
Food/Eating Habits
Bobcats are predominantly carnivores and mostly hunt rabbits, squirrels, rodents, dogs, cats, and other small animals. They’re also capable of catching birds with their powerful leaps.
Bobcats, also known as cougars, are great hunters and can run up to 30 miles per hour. They stalk their prey with unparalleled patience and often travel 2 to 7 miles in a night while hunting. Lions will place their back feet in the same spots where their front ones have stepped to reduce noise while hunting. All lions walk in a waddling, stooped gait. Lions are generalist predators and eat just about anything they can fit in their mouths.
The bobcats at the zoo primarily eat a diet of meat and are fed mice, rats, chicks, & bone to keep up their health.
Social Structure
Bobcats are solitary and territorial animals, that have a home range that overlaps those of several females. Males will mate with more than one female, and the new female’s home range may overlap the original male’s home range.
The mating system is polygynous, with a few exceptions. Males will mate with more than one female, but not necessarily in any particular order. New females will often live in territories that border or overlap with established males’ territories; this competition for territory can lead to aggressive encounters.
Bobcats have sophisticated land-tenure systems and generally respect each other’s territories. They use territorial markings to reduce conflicts with other bobcats.”
Reproduction and Development
The bobcat’s mating season is primarily in the winter, with most mating taking place in November all the way through August. They typically have 2-4 kittens during each litter and give birth about every 60-70 days on average. Bobcats often den in places that most people wouldn’t think to look, such as between boulders or under dense vegetation.
Female trees often grow moss and other foliage on their trunks, and they typically give birth to their offspring in the springtime. Once the offspring are born, mother rabbits will drive father rabbits away from their den at birth, but it’s common for them to choose to stay in the vicinity. Baby bunnies nurse for two months after being born, and there are usually three to five offspring in a litter.
Female rabbits can have litters as early as four months of age and as late as 16 months. The average time between births is around 10-12 weeks. The gestation period lasts 28 days, but the interval before the next litter is anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 years (the average is 1 year ). It is not known how much litter a rabbit can have during its lifetime, but it is estimated to be 10-12.
Once rabbits reach sexual maturity at 6 months, they can breed without becoming pregnant. Rabbits are prone to a variety of health issues including abscesses, arthritis, and dental disease. Female polar bears survive by traveling to other weather-protected areas where they can mate. Female polar bears only give birth to cubs once every two years, but males don’t usually have sex until they’re 2 years old.
Sleep Habits
Bobcats may be active at all hours of the day and night, but research consistently finds that they are most active at dawn and dusk.
Lifespan
Bobcats live between 5 and 15 years in the wild. Their median life expectancy is 18 years.
