There are various claims of bobcat subspecies, but only two are generally considered accuarte: Individuals from the north are generally larger than those from the south, with males being able to reach about 40 lbs (18.3 kg) in weight. You can find brown, yellowish, beige, reddish, gray and even albino individuals.Their size also varies considerably. The bobcat's fur is varied in color, depending on the region where they live. However, the bobcat has shorter ear tufts, shorter legs and smaller feet. It is often confused with the Canada lynx as they partially share territory. This bobbed tail is where their name comes from. They can eat rodents, birds, possums and some types of small ungulates.Īll types of lynx have a shorter tail which is referred to as ‘ bobbed’, but the bobtail's has a white-bottomed tail with black lines. Although they have a varied diet, their main prey are hares. It is likely this diversity of terrain which makes them such opportunistic predators. Their habitat consists of various ecosystems, including forests, scrub land and even deserts. They are distributed in North America, encompassing Southern Canada, the USA and large parts of Mexico. The bobcat is also sometimes known as the red lynx. Now we know a little about the characteristics all lynxes have in common, we look at the different species to see how they are differentiated. Both sexes can live between 10 and 24 years, with the largest species living the longest. This is reflected in their sexual dimorphism, with males being larger than females by about 30%. the male may guard the territory of several females. They are also known to exhibit polygyny, i.e. Unlike other cat species, lynxes are usually monogamous. Not only are they nocturnal animals, but they are solitary and very territorial. They usually hunt at twilight or at night. Their favorite prey are other mammal species such as rabbits. Together with their tabby type cat patterns, they help to make them very stealthy hunters. They help them to pick up sounds over very long distances and help to camouflage in their environment. The tufts of hair in the lynx's ears are not simply decoration. It can also be seen in some domestic cat breeds with tufted ears such as the Norwegian Forest Cat or Maine Coon. It is very characteristic of the lynx species and can be seen in a few other feline species such as the caracal ( Caracal caracal). Also, their ears are particularly long and pointed.Ī black ‘plume’ of hair emanates from the lynx's ears. All lynx types are medium-sized felines and ar characterized by their short tail which is between 10 and 20 cm in length.
Living with Wildlife in Illinois also contains a wildlife directory with an entry on the Bobcat.Before we look at the individual lynx species, we want to take a look at the general characteristics which all lynx species share, i.e. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the University of Illinois Extension service have developed a website to help the public coexist with wildlife and solve common wildlife problems. Much of this collection has been acquired from donors or from institutions that have closed. The Illinois State Museum's Illinois Legacy Collection contains an extensive collection of taxidermy in its Zoology range. Illinois instituted the first hunting and trapping season for Bobcats in 2016-2017. A pair will produce one litter of two to three kittens per year. Bobcats get their name from their short, four to six-inch-long tail. They can be up to three-and-half feet long (including tail) and weigh up to 40 pounds (but averaging 22 pounds), making adult Bobcats larger than even the biggest house cat. They are secretive, mostly nocturnal hunters that prefer forest environments for cover. Today, Bobcats have been documented in every county but are most numerous in the southern half of the state. The Bobcat was nearly eliminated from Illinois by the mid 20th century, landing it on the state list of threatened and endangered species from 1977-1999.
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