Page 30 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

The bobcat (Lynx rufus), also known as the red lynx, is a member of the wild
cat genus Lynx, in the subfamily Felinae, a member of the family: Felidae. It’s one of
four extant species of medium-sized wild cats. It weighs around 15 kg, stands about 60 cm
tall at the shoulders with a body length around 125 cm.

Its name, ‘bobcat’, stems from
its very distinctive stubby black and
white ‘bob-tail’ which is about 5 to 14
cm long. It has a flattish face with
long beard-like hair dropping from
each cheek. Its legs are long with
large paws and its colour is an or-
angey brown to light grey. It has
black spots and bars on its legs, chest,
and loosely scattered across its body.

The bobcat is native to North
America, and inhabits an area
stretching from southern Canada,
right through the United States, to
central Mexico. The areas this very
adaptable wild cat chooses to live in
can be drastically different and range from rugged mountain areas and forests to the humid
swamps of Florida and the desert lands of Texas. Recent sightings have even put it in built-
up suburban areas bordering the countryside.

Bobcats are crepuscular carnivores; meaning they hunt during the twilight hours
and rest during the daylight hours. They prey on rabbits, birds, rodents, and other fairly
small creatures. They can also move very fast and are accom-
plished jumpers, reaching heights of over 3 metres. Using these
skills it’s known to attack and down large deer, by jumping or
dropping from trees, onto the deer's back and attacking its throat.
However, it’s not always possible for the wildcat to consume large
prey all at once. In cases like this it will resort to hiding it by cov-
ering it with dirt, leaves or twigs, even snow; this behaviour is
known as “caching.” its food. It then returns later and eats its fill
once again.

Bobcats have few predators.
However, depending on the area they
inhabit, they could find themselves
preyed on by larger carnivorous predators like coy-
otes, cougars or wolves. To escape such danger, this wild cat is
skilled in climbing trees and can dart up a tree at an incredible
speed. It’s also an accomplished swimmer, and if threatened,
will think nothing of diving into a river or lake. Its main defence
against danger is its lifestyle. It is rarely seen out in the open
during the daylight hours and although it’s hunted for its fur in
places like Mexico, its listed as, least concern.

Up until recent findings, bobcats have never been thought
of as an animal easily domesticated. Although, there are some
instances of them living in domesticity, this is not the norm.
However, archaeologists, working on an ancient burial site have
identified skeletonized remains of pets, buried with many of the
bodies, as Bobcats. This suggests, that maybe in the ancient
past, bobcats were more of a domestic pet than the wild cat we
know today.