Bobcat

For other uses, see Bobcat (disambiguation).
"Red Lynx" redirects here. For the wrestler, see Candy Okutsu. For the video game developer, see RedLynx.

Bobcat
Bobcat in Columbus Zoo
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Lynx
Species:
L. rufus
Binomial name
Lynx rufus
(Schreber, 1777)
Range in 2016[1]
Synonyms

See text

The bobcat (Lynx rufus), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx,[2][3] or red lynx,[4] is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus Lynx. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2002, due to its wide distribution and large population. Although it has been hunted extensively both for sport and fur, populations have proven stable, though declining in some areas.[1]

It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or "bobbed") tail, from which it derives its name. It reaches a total length (including the tail) of up to 125 cm (50 in). It is an adaptable predator inhabiting wooded areas, semidesert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. It remains in some of its original range, but populations are vulnerable to extirpation by coyotes and domestic animals. Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.

Two subspecies are recognized: one east of the Great Plains, and the other west of the Great Plains. It is featured in some stories of the indigenous peoples of North and Central America, and in the folklore of European-descended inhabitants of the Americas.

  1. ^ a b c d Kelly, M.; Morin, D. & Lopez-Gonzalez, C.A. (2016). "Lynx rufus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T12521A50655874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T12521A50655874.en. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  2. ^ Baraoidan, Samantha; Boughton, Raoul (February 10, 2022). "Wildlife of Florida Factsheet: Bobcat". askIFAS. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  3. ^ "Lynx and Bobcat". San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  4. ^ "Bobcat". Chesapeake Bay Program. Retrieved November 13, 2024.