SCIENTIFIC NAME: Felis rufus

The bobcat, whose name is associated with its short tail, is also known as the wildcat and bay lynx. A bobcat has a long, soft pale brown fur with blackish splotches, short ear tufts and a face similar but larger than a domestic cat. Its coat blends in well with a background of rocks, brush and other dense vegetation, especially at night when it stalks its prey.

The bobcat and the lynx are similar in form but have a few varied characteristics. They both live in North America but in different habitats. A bobcat has shorter ear tufts, shorter legs, bare foot pads and longer tails than the lynx. A bobcat usually has two litters a year, with kittens born blind. A female bobcat will defend her young vigorously from harm and will drive males away from the den. The male returns when the kittens begin eating solid food. The whole family will travel their territory together living in several different dens. After the young reach 9 months, they find territories of their own and the mother will breed again.

The most serious threat to small cats like the bobcat, lynx and puma is the fur trade, which continues to demand large numbers of spotted cat skins. In North America alone, during 1977-78, more than 85,000 bobcat skins and 20,000 lynx skins were harvested, with a net worth of over $16 million.