The bobcat is like a small lynx with a powerful body. It has a tail of about six inches, which is black, tipped with white. Bobcats have a fairly large head with long pointed ears. The bobcat has a ruff around its neck. Their fur color is from light tan to reddish or yellowish brown, and markings vary from tabby stripes to spotting. Their color and weight will differ depending on where the bobcats live and what they eat. Bobcats also have good eye sight and smell for hunting. They have large retractable claws. They also have spots on their coats for camouflage. They are about 2 1/2 to 3 feet in length and weigh about 25 pounds.

The bobcats' natural habitat is in the northeastern, central and southern USA, British Columbia and Mexico. Bobcats live in areas from 1/4 square mile to as much as 25 square miles depending on the habitat and sex of the animal. Females have less range then males. They roam freely at night and are frequently abroad during the day, except in summer. The bobcat is similar to a house cat. Two months after mating, two to six kittens are born helpless and blind. Litters are usually born around April or May. They may be born in any other month except for December & January. Kittens will stay with their mother for 10 to 12 months. They learn how to kill their own food when the mother brings live food to the den to catch and eat. The kittens have a daily weight gain of about 25 grams per day. Their life span is from 12 to 13 in the wild and 20 years in captivity.

In the wild, bobcats will eat small animals, birds, fish, snakes, and sometimes if food is scarce, they will hunt deer. In captivity they eat a feline diet and horse meat.

Bobcat Information and Hazing