The Mexican bobcat (Lynx rufus escuinapae syn. Lynx rufus oaxacensis) is a population of the bobcat in Mexico. As of 2017, it is uncertain whether or not this is a valid subspecies.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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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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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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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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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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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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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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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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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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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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starts withThe Mexican bobcat is the smallest of the bobcat subspecies and grows to about twice the size of a house cat. It is similar in appearance to the lynx except for the tail, which is darker in color. The coat color of the Mexican bobcat varies from light gray to reddish brown. The coat is covered in more spots than that of the northern subspecies of bobcat and has shorter, denser hair than its northern cousin. It has distinctive black stripes of fur on the forelegs and a black tip on the tail along with black-tipped ears and a whiskered face. A tuft of fur frames the animal's face.
Mexican bobcats are found throughout Mexico, but primarily in Baja, western Mexico, and southward from the Sonoran desert. They also occur in the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, as well as parts of Sonora, Jalisco, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Hidalgo, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, Veracruz, and Oaxaca. Mexican bobcats live in dry forests, coastal swamps, deserts, and dry grasslands and scrublands.
Mexican bobcats are nocturnal animals and are rarely seen by humans. They are solitary and territorial. The territory of a male may stretch for a few miles and overlap with the territories of several females and other males. The female’s territory rarely overlaps with another female's territory. Bobcats are very adaptable hunters. They hunt by stalking their prey and then ambushing with a short chase or pounce.
Mexican bobcats are carnivores. They typically hunt rodents, jackrabbits, Collared peccaries, birds, deer, and White-nosed coatis.
Little is known about the mating system of Mexican bobcats. Generally, bobcats are polygynandrous (promiscuous) and associate with each other only for the brief period necessary for courtship and mating, with both males and females having multiple partners. The Mexican bobcat breeding season can take place anytime during the year and is not strictly limited to spring. The female gives birth to a litter of 2 to 3 kittens, which she raises on her own.
The main threats to the Mexican bobcats include habitat destruction, illegal trapping and shooting, and militarization of the U.S. - Mexico border.
According to IUCN Red List, the bobcat population sizes and status in Mexico are not well known.
