Bay lynx, Red lynx
The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a medium-sized cat native to North America. 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.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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MesopredatorA mesopredator is a medium-sized predator in the middle of a trophic level, which typically preys on smaller animals. When populations of apex pred...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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U.S. States AnimalsThe bobcat is named because of its short, bobbed tail. It is a medium-sized cat, slightly smaller, though similar in appearance to the lynx, its cousin. Its coat color ranges from shades of brown or beige, with spots or lines of markings in black or dark brown. Males are usually larger than females, and size also varies significantly with their geographic location, with bobcats from the north typically being larger than the ones in the south.
The bobcat has a wide range, from British Columbia, eastwards through southern Canada to Nova Scotia, and southwards through most of the US to central Mexico. The bobcat is reported as inhabiting every US state except Delaware. They can be found in a range of habitats, including semi-deserts, forests, mountains, and brushland.
Bobcats are crepuscular and are active mostly during twilight. They keep on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Each night, they move from 3 to 11 km (2 to 7 mi) along their habitual route. Bobcats hunt by stalking their prey and then ambushing with a short chase or pounce. In the daytime, they rest and sleep in a den which could be a hollow tree or a rock crevice, with one individual using a number of dens in its home range. These cats are highly territorial and will mark their range with scent and make distinctive claw markings on trees to let others know of their presence. The males have a large range, which will often overlap several smaller female territories, though cats will not interact with each other until the breeding season in the winter. During the rest of the year, bobcats avoid each other to minimize the risk of being injured during a fight. The bobcat hardly ever vocalizes, although it often yowls and hisses during the mating season.
Bobcats are carnivores and scavengers. Living in the north they mainly eat snowshoe hares, while those living in the south will mainly eat cottontail rabbits. They also eat rodents, birds, and bats. The male bobcats hunt deer and other larger prey when food is scarce. Bobcats may also scavenge on the remains of livestock killed by other animals.
Bobcats have a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system. They associate with each other only for the brief period necessary for courtship and copulation, with both males and females having multiple partners. The breeding season is during February and March. Gestation lasts 60 to 70 days, and a litter of around 3 kittens is produced. The kittens open their eyes at 10 days old, and nurse for two months. Females bring meat to their offspring, and, once weaned, they teach them about hunting. Males do not help in raising the kittens. The young disperse during the winter, at about 8 months of age. Females are sexually mature at one year old, males in their second year
The major threat to bobcats throughout the US is being hunted for their soft fur, in some areas to near extinction. Where bobcats now must share their natural habitat with increasing numbers of people, they are also hunted by farmers to protect their livestock. Despite being very adaptable animals, they are also threatened by habitat loss when populations are pushed into smaller and more dispersed areas of their once huge natural range.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total bobcat population in the US is estimated to be between 2,352,276 to 3,571,681 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable