Bobcat#Taxonomy and evolution

File:Ernest Ingersoll - lynx rufus & lynx canadensis.png has distinct tufts atop its ears and longer "mutton chop" style fur on its lower face]]

Felis rufa was the scientific name proposed by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1777.{{cite book |author=Schreber, J. C. D. |year=1778 |chapter=Der Rotluchs |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/SaYugthiereAbbiIIISchr#page/412/mode/1up |pages=442–443 |title=Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen |location=Erlangen |publisher=Wolfgang Walther}} In the 19th and 20th centuries, the following zoological specimens were described:{{MSW3 Wozencraft |id=14000163 |heading=Species Lynx rufus |page=542}}

• Lynx floridanus proposed by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1817 was a greyish lynx with yellowish brown spots from Florida.{{cite journal |author=Rafinesque, C. S. |year=1817 |title=Descriptions of seven new genera of North American quadrupeds |journal=The American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review |volume=2 |pages=44–46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F1HOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA46}}
• Lynx fasciatus also proposed by Rafinesque in 1817 was a reddish brown lynx with a thick fur from the northwest coast.
• Lynx baileyi proposed by Clinton Hart Merriam in 1890 was a female lynx that was shot in the San Francisco Mountains.{{cite journal |author=Merriam C. H. |year=1890 |title=Results of a biological survey of the San Francisco Mountain region and desert of the Little Colorado in Arizona |journal=North American Fauna |volume=3 |pages=78–86 |bibcode=1890usgs.rept....3M |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700953/m1/89/ |access-date=2021-03-11 |archive-date=2022-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227100551/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700953/m1/89/ |url-status=live }}
• Lynx texensis proposed by Joel Asaph Allen in 1895 to replace the earlier name Lynx rufus var. maculatus.{{cite journal |author=Allen, J. A. |year=1895 |title=On the names of mammals given by Kerr in his 'Animal Kingdom', published in 1792 |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=179–192 |url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/1034//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B007a05.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=2021-03-12 |archive-date=2021-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024021202/https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/1034/v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B007a05.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}
• Lynx gigas proposed by Outram Bangs in 1897 was a skin of an adult male lynx shot near Bear River, Nova Scotia.{{cite journal |author=Bangs O. |year=1897 |title=Notes on the lynxes of eastern North America, with descriptions of two new species |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=11 |issue= |pages=47–51 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofbio11biol/page/50/mode/2up}}
• Lynx rufus eremicus and Lynx rufus californicus proposed by Edgar Alexander Mearns in 1898 were skins and skulls of two adult lynxes killed in San Diego County, California.{{cite journal |author=Mearns E. A. |year=1898 |title=Preliminary diagnoses of new mammals of the genera Lynx, Urocyon, Spilogale and Mephitis from the Mexican Boundary Line |journal=Proceedings of the United States National Museum |volume=20 |issue=1126 |pages=457–461 |doi=10.5479/si.00963801.1126.457 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofuni201898unit/page/n541/mode/2up}}
• Lynx rufus peninsularis proposed by Oldfield Thomas in 1898 was a skull and a pale rufous skin of a male lynx from Baja California Peninsula.{{cite journal |author=Thomas, O. |year=1898 |title=On new mammals from western Mexico and Lower California |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History |series=7 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=40–46 |doi=10.1080/00222939808677921 |url=https://archive.org/details/s7annalsmagazine01londuoft/page/42/mode/2up}}
• Lynx fasciatus pallescens proposed by Merriam in 1899, was a skin of a gray lynx that was killed near Trout Lake, Washington.{{cite journal |author=Merriam, C. H. |year=1899 |title=Mammals of Shasta |journal=North American Fauna |volume=16 |pages=87–107 |doi=10.3996/nafa.16.0001 |doi-access=free}}
• Lynx ruffus escuinapae proposed by Allen in 1903 was a skull and a pale rufous skin of an adult female from Escuinapa Municipality in Mexico.{{cite journal |author=Allen J. A. |year=1903 |title=A new deer and a new lynx from the State of Sinaloa, Mexico |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=19 |issue=25 |pages=613–615 |url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/700//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B019a25.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=2021-03-12 |archive-date=2021-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215214151/https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/700//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B019a25.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}

• Lynx rufus superiorensis by Randolph Lee Peterson and Stuart C. Downing in 1952 was a skeleton and skin of a male lynx killed near Port Arthur, Ontario.{{cite journal |author1=Peterson, R. L. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Downing, S. C. |year=1952 |title=Notes on the bobcats (Lynx rufus) of eastern North America with the description of a new race |journal=Contributions of the Royal Ontario Museum Division of Zoology and Palaeontolgy |issue=33 |pages=1–23 |url=https://archive.org/details/notesonbobcatsly00pete/page/n9/mode/2up}}
• Lynx rufus oaxacensis proposed by George Goodwin in 1963 was based on three skulls and six skins of lynxes killed in the Mexican Tehuantepec District.{{cite journal |author=Goodwin, G. G. |year=1963 |title=A new subspecies of bobcat (Lynx rufus) from Oaxaca, Mexico |journal=American Museum Novitates |issue=2139 |pages=1–7 |url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/3383/N2139.pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=2021-03-13 |archive-date=2021-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215214124/https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/3383/N2139.pdf?sequence=1 |url-status=live }}

The validity of these subspecies was challenged in 1981 because of the minor differences between specimens from the various geographic regions in North America.{{cite thesis |author=Read, J. A. |year=1981 |title=Geographic variation in the bobcat (Felis rufus) in the southcentral United States |type=Master's thesis |publisher=Texas A&M University |location=College Station, Texas |url=https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1981-THESIS-R283 |access-date=2021-03-13 |archive-date=2020-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127050616/https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1981-THESIS-R283 |url-status=live }}

Since the revision of cat taxonomy in 2017, only two subspecies are recognized as valid taxa:{{cite journal |author1=Kitchener, A. C. |author2=Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. |author3=Eizirik, E. |author4=Gentry, A. |author5=Werdelin, L. |author6=Wilting, A. |author7=Yamaguchi, N. |author8=Abramov, A. V. |author9=Christiansen, P. |author10=Driscoll, C. |author11=Duckworth, J. W. |author12=Johnson, W. |author13=Luo, S.-J. |author14=Meijaard, E. |author15=O'Donoghue, P. |author16=Sanderson, J. |author17=Seymour, K. |author18=Bruford, M. |author19=Groves, C. |author20=Hoffmann, M. |author21=Nowell, K. |author22=Timmons, Z. |author23=Tobe, S. |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |pages=38–40 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=2018-07-14 |archive-date=2020-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117172708/https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}

• L. r. rufus – east of the Great Plains
• L. r. fasciatus – west of the Great Plains

The genus Lynx shares a clade with the genera Puma, Prionailurus and Felis dated to {{mya|7.15}}; Lynx diverged approximately {{mya|3.24}}.{{cite journal | author = Johnson, W.E. | author2 = Eizirik, E. | author3 = Pecon-Slattery, J. | author4 = Murphy, W.J. | author5 = Antunes, A. | author6 = Teeling, E. | author7 = O'Brien, S.J. | name-list-style = amp | year = 2006 | doi = 10.1126/science.1122277 | title = The Late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment | journal = Science | volume = 311 | pages = 73–77 | pmid = 16400146 | issue = 5757 | bibcode = 2006Sci...311...73J | s2cid = 41672825 | url = https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 | access-date = 2019-06-28 | archive-date = 2020-10-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201004075725/https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 | url-status = live }}

The bobcat is thought to have evolved from the Eurasian lynx (L. lynx), which crossed into North America by way of the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene, with progenitors arriving as early as 2.6 million years ago.{{cite web |author1=Meaney, C. |author2=Beauvais, G. P. |name-list-style=amp |title=Species Assessment for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in Wyoming |url=https://www.wlci.gov/view-document/4f4e4b32e4b07f02db6b4a5c |access-date=June 25, 2007 |date=2004 |publisher=United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management |archive-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227104011/https://www.wlci.gov/view-document/4f4e4b32e4b07f02db6b4a5c |url-status=dead }} It first appeared during the Irvingtonian stage around {{mya|1.8}}. The first bobcat wave moved into the southern portion of North America, which was soon cut off from the north by glaciers; the population evolved into the modern bobcat around 20,000 years ago. A second population arrived from Asia and settled in the north, developing into the modern Canada lynx (L. canadensis).{{cite book |author1=Zielinski, W. J. |author2=Kuceradate, T. E. |name-list-style=amp |year=1998 |title=American Marten, Fisher, Lynx, and Wolverine: Survey Methods for Their Detection |publisher=DIANE Publishing |isbn=978-0-7881-3628-3 |pages=77–78}} Hybridization between the bobcat and the Canada lynx may sometimes occur.{{cite book |author=Mills, L. S. |date=2006 |title=Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics, and Management |url-access=limited |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |isbn=978-1-4051-2146-0 |page=48 |url= https://archive.org/details/conservationwild00mill/page/n64}}

The populations east and west of the Great Plains were probably separated during Pleistocene interglacial periods due to the aridification of the region.{{cite thesis |author=Reding D. M. |year=2011 |title=Patterns and processes of spatial genetic structure in a mobile and continuously distributed species, the bobcat (Lynx rufus) |type=PhD Thesis |location=Ames, Iowa |publisher=Iowa State University |pages=}}

File:Bobbie 2010 2.jpg

The bobcat resembles other species of the midsize genus Lynx, but is on average the smallest of the four. Its coat is variable, though generally tan to grayish-brown, with black streaks on the body and dark bars on the forelegs and tail. Its spotted patterning acts as camouflage. The ears are black-tipped and pointed, with short, black tufts. Generally, an off-white color is seen on the lips, chin, and underparts. Bobcats in the desert regions of the southwest have the lightest-colored coats, while those in the northern, forested regions are darkest. Kittens are born well-furred and already have their spots.{{cite book |author=Cahalane, V. H. |date=2005 | title=Meeting the Mammals |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |isbn=978-1-4179-9522-6 | page=64}} A few melanistic bobcats have been sighted and captured in Florida, USA and New Brunswick, Canada.{{cite news |last=Fowler |first=S. |date=2016 |title=Appearance of black bobcats in New Brunswick puzzles biologist |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/melanistic-black-bobcat-new-brunswick-1.3916091 |work=CBC |location=Fredericton, NB, Canada |access-date=2020-09-19 |archive-date=2021-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211013185215/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/melanistic-black-bobcat-new-brunswick-1.3916091 |url-status=live }} They appear black, but may still exhibit a spot pattern.{{cite journal |author=Ulmer Jr., F. A. |year=1941 |title=Melanism in the Felidae, with Special Reference to the Genus Lynx |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=285–288 |doi=10.2307/1374954 |jstor=1374954}}

The face appears wide due to ruffs of extended hair beneath the ears. Bobcat eyes are yellow with round, black pupils. The nose of the bobcat is pinkish-red, and it has a base color of gray or yellowish- or brownish-red on its face, sides, and back.{{cite book |author=Sparano, V. T. |date=1998 |title=Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia |publisher = St. Martin's Press | isbn = 978-0-312-19190-0 |page=228 |url=https://archive.org/details/completeoutdoors00spar/page/228}} The pupils widen during nocturnal activity to maximize light reception.{{cite book |author=McDowell, R. L. |date=2003 |title=Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of New Jersey |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-3209-7 |pages=23–24, 27}} The bobcat has sharp hearing and vision, and a good sense of smell. It is an excellent climber and swims when it needs to, but normally avoids water.

The adult bobcat is {{cvt|47.5|-|125|cm}} long from the head to the base of its distinctive stubby tail, averaging {{cvt|82.7|cm}}; the tail is {{cvt|9|to|20|cm}} long.

Its "bobbed" appearance gives the species its name.{{cite web |url=http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/Facts/bobcatfacts.cfm |title=Great Cats: Bobcats – National Zoo| FONZ |publisher=National Zoo |access-date=October 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401110239/http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/Facts/bobcatfacts.cfm |archive-date=April 1, 2012}}{{cite web |title=Bobcats, Bobcat Pictures, Bobcat Facts – National Geographic |date=10 September 2010 |publisher=Animals.nationalgeographic.com |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat/ |access-date=October 17, 2011 |archive-date=25 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925034359/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=MA0017 |title=Field Guides: Species Detail |publisher=eNature |access-date=October 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319221937/http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=MA0017 |archive-date=March 19, 2012}}{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/70769/bobcat |title=bobcat (mammal) |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica Online |access-date=October 17, 2011 |archive-date=November 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107231501/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/70769/bobcat |url-status=live }}

An adult stands about {{cvt|30|to|60|cm}} at the shoulders.

Adult males can range in weight from {{cvt|6.4|-|18.3|kg}}, with an average of {{cvt|9.6|kg}}; females at {{cvt|4|-|15.3|kg}}, with an average of {{cvt|6.8|kg}}.Burnie, D. and Wilson, D.E. (Eds.), Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife. DK Adult (2005), {{ISBN|0-7894-7764-5}} The largest bobcat accurately measured on record weighed {{cvt|22.2|kg}}, although unverified reports have them reaching {{cvt|27|kg}}.{{cite web |title= Bobcat Lynx rufus |author1=Chiamulera, J. |author2=Krueger, E. |author3=Yarbrough, C. |name-list-style=amp |url=http://www.uwsp.edu/wildlife/carnivore/Bobcat%20Natural%20History_files/Bobcat%20Natural%20History.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608214022/http://www.uwsp.edu/wildlife/carnivore/Bobcat%20Natural%20History_files/Bobcat%20Natural%20History.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 8, 2011 |publisher=Uwsp.edu|access-date=February 21, 2011}} Furthermore, a June 20, 2012, report of a New Hampshire roadkill specimen listed the animal's weight at {{cvt|27|kg}}.Schreiber, J. (2012). [http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120621/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/706219906 60-pound bobcat turns up as roadkill] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625163340/http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120621/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/706219906 |date=June 25, 2012 }} . Union Leader The largest-bodied bobcats were recorded in eastern Canada and northern New England, and the smallest in the southern Appalachian Mountains.{{cite web |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-563-01-0001.pdf |title=Bobcat Profile |work=The American Society of Mammalogists |access-date=September 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511214304/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-563-01-0001.pdf }}

Consistent with Bergmann's rule, the bobcat is larger in its northern range and in open habitats.{{cite book |author1=Nowell, K. |author2=Jackson, P. |name-list-style=amp |year=1996 |title=Wild Cats. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |url=http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |place=Gland, Switzerland |access-date=2007-05-25 |archive-date=2019-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205062959/http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf |url-status=live }} A morphological size comparison study in the eastern United States found a divergence in the location of the largest male and female specimens, suggesting differing selection constraints for the sexes.{{cite journal |first=R. S. |last=Sikes |author2=Kennedy, M. L. |name-list-style=amp |year=1992 |title=Morphologic Variation of the Bobcat (Felis rufus) in the Eastern United States and Its Association with Selected Environmental Variables |journal=American Midland Naturalist |volume=128 |issue=2 |pages=313–324 |doi=10.2307/2426465 |jstor=2426465}}

Skeletal muscles make up 58.5 % of the bobcat's body weight.{{Cite journal |author1=Muchlinski, M.N. |author2=Snodgrass, J.J. |last3=Terranova, C.J. |date=2012 |title=Muscle mass scaling in primates: An energetic and ecological perspective |name-list-style=amp |url=http://www.pinniped.net/muchlinski2012.pdf |journal=American Journal of Primatology |volume=74 |issue=5 |pages=395–407 |doi=10.1002/ajp.21990 |pmid=22318851 |s2cid=16897938 |access-date=2022-01-10 |archive-date=2022-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110195149/https://www.pinniped.net/muchlinski2012.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |author=Pitts, G.C. |author2=Bullard, R.T. |chapter=Some Interspecific Aspects of Body Composition in Mammals |pages=45–70 |chapter-url=https://www.nap.edu/read/20255/chapter/3 |title=Body Composition in Animals and Man |publisher=Proceedings of a symposium held May 4, 5, and 6, 1967, at the University of Missouri, Columbia |year=1968 |location=Columbia |doi=10.17226/20255 |isbn=978-0-309-33993-3 |access-date=2022-01-10 |archive-date=2022-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110194452/https://www.nap.edu/read/20255/chapter/3 |url-status=live }} At birth, it weighs {{cvt|9+1/2|-|12|oz|g|order=flip}} and is about {{cvt|10|in|cm|0|order=flip}} in length. At the age of one year, it weighs about {{cvt|10|lb|kg|order=flip}}.{{cite book |author=Fergus, C. |date=2003 |title=Wildlife of Virginia and Maryland Washington D.C. |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=978-0-8117-2821-8 |page=119}}

File:Bobcat tracks in mud.jpg

Bobcat tracks show four toes without claw marks, due to their retractile claws. The tracks range in size from {{cvt|1|-|3|in|mm|round=5|order=flip}}; the average is about {{cvt|1+3/4|in|mm|round=5|order=flip}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/bobcat.htm |title=Bobcat |access-date=June 25, 2007 |work=bcadventure.com |publisher=Interactive Broadcasting Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712161625/http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/bobcat.htm |archive-date=July 12, 2007}} When walking or trotting, the tracks are spaced roughly {{cvt|8|to|18|in|cm|round=5|order=flip}} apart. The bobcat can make great strides when running, often from {{cvt|4|-|8|ft|m|order=flip}}.{{cite book |author1=Peterson, R. T. |author2=Murie, O. J. |name-list-style=amp |date=1998 |title=A Field Guide to Animal Tracks |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Field Guides |isbn=978-0-395-91094-8 |page=115 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780395910948/page/115}}

Like all cats, the bobcat 'directly registers', meaning its hind prints usually fall exactly on top of its fore prints. Bobcat tracks can be generally distinguished from feral or house cat tracks by their larger size: about {{cvt|2|sqin|cm2|round=5|order=flip}} versus {{cvt|1+1/2|sqin|cm2|round=5|order=flip}}.{{cite book |last=Brown |first=T. |author-link=Tom Brown (naturalist) |title=Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking |year=1986 |publisher=Berkley Trade |isbn= 978-0-425-09966-7}}

File:Bobcatonwires.jpg. The species' range does not seem to be limited by human populations, as long as it can still find a suitable habitat.]]

The bobcat is an adaptable species. It prefers woodlands—deciduous, coniferous, or mixed—but does not depend exclusively on the deep forest. It ranges from the humid swamps of Florida to desert lands of Texas or rugged mountain areas. It makes its home near agricultural areas, if rocky ledges, swamps, or forested tracts are present; its spotted coat serves as camouflage. The population of the bobcat depends primarily on the population of its prey; other principal factors in the selection of habitat type include protection from severe weather, availability of resting and den sites, dense cover for hunting and escape, and freedom from disturbance.{{cite web |url=http://www.cites.org/common/cop/13/raw_props/US-Lynx%20rufus.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102215719/http://www.cites.org/common/cop/13/raw_props/US-Lynx%20rufus.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |title=Deletion of Bobcat (Lynx rufus) from Appendix II |access-date=May 31, 2007 |date=October 2004 |work=Thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Proposal 5 |publisher=Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora}}

The bobcat's range does not seem to be limited by human populations, but by availability of suitable habitat; only large, intensively cultivated tracts are unsuitable for the species. The animal may appear in back yards in "urban edge" environments, where human development intersects with natural habitats.{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/nature/bobcats.htm |title=Bobcats: Living on the Urban Edge |access-date=June 18, 2007 |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013114432/http://www.nps.gov/samo/naturescience/bobcats.htm |url-status=live }} If chased by a dog, it usually climbs up a tree.

The historical range of the bobcat was from southern Canada, throughout the United States, and as far south as the Mexican state of Oaxaca, and it still persists across much of this area. In the 20th century, it was thought to have lost territory in the US Midwest and parts of the Northeast, including southern Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, and much of Missouri, mostly due to habitat changes from modern agricultural practices. While thought to no longer exist in western New York and Pennsylvania, multiple confirmed sightings of bobcats (including dead specimens) have been recently reported in New York's Southern Tier and in central New York, and a bobcat was captured in 2018 on a tourist boat in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.{{cite news | url = https://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/2007/03-31/ | title = Elusive Bobcat Creeps into Region | author = Tobin, Dave | date = May 31, 2007 | work = Syracuse Post-Standard | access-date = June 26, 2007 | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304133216/http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/2007/03-31/ | url-status = live }}{{cite news | url = http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/03/18/bobcat-found-at-gateway-clipper/ | title = Bobcat Found On Gateway Clipper Boat Removed By Animal Control | author = Allen, Bob | date = March 18, 2018 | work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | access-date = March 19, 2018 | archive-date = March 19, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180319214712/http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/03/18/bobcat-found-at-gateway-clipper/ | url-status = live }} In addition, bobcat sightings have been confirmed in northern Indiana, and one was killed near Albion, Michigan, in 2008.{{cite news |agency=Jackson Citizen Patriot |url=http://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1224929140178170.xml&coll=3 |title=Bobcat killed near Albion |publisher=MLive.com |date=October 25, 2008 |access-date=February 15, 2009 |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210074957/http://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1224929140178170.xml&coll=3 |url-status=live }} In early March 2010, a bobcat was sighted (and later captured by animal control authorities) in a parking garage in downtown Houston.{{cite web |work=Houston Chronicle |url=http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/heights-news/article/Bobcat-caught-in-downtown-Houston-garage-1718822.php |title=Bobcat captured in Houston parking garage |publisher=chron.com |date=March 2, 2010 |access-date=March 3, 2010 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107114310/http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/heights-news/article/Bobcat-caught-in-downtown-Houston-garage-1718822.php |url-status=live }} By 2010, bobcats appear to have recolonized many states, occurring in every state in the contiguous 48 except Delaware.

The bobcat population in Canada is limited due to both snow depth and the presence of the Canada lynx. The bobcat does not tolerate deep snow, and waits out heavy storms in sheltered areas;{{cite web | author = National Park Service. Yellowstone National Park | title = Bobcat | url = http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/animals/Bobcat/Bobcat.html | access-date = August 24, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060523234925/http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/animals/Bobcat/Bobcat.html |archive-date = May 23, 2006}} it lacks the large, padded feet of the Canada lynx and cannot support its weight on snow as efficiently. The bobcat is not entirely at a disadvantage where its range meets that of the larger felid: displacement of the Canada lynx by the aggressive bobcat has been observed where they interact in Nova Scotia, while the clearing of coniferous forests for agriculture has led to a northward retreat of the Canada lynx's range to the advantage of the bobcat. In northern and central Mexico, the cat is found in dry scrubland and forests of pine and oak; its range ends at the tropical southern portion of the country.

The bobcat is crepuscular, and is active mostly during twilight. It keeps on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Each night, it moves from {{cvt|2|to|7|mi|km|order=flip|0}} along its habitual route. This behavior may vary seasonally, as bobcats become more diurnal during fall and winter in response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in colder weather.

File:Calero Creek Trail Bobcat.jpg, California]]

Bobcat activities are confined to well-defined territories, which vary in size depending on the sex and the distribution of prey. The home range is marked with feces, urine scent, and by clawing prominent trees in the area.{{cite journal |author1=Allen, M. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Wallace, C. F. |author3=Wilmers, C. C. |year=2015 |title=Patterns in bobcat (Lynx rufus) scent marking and communication behaviors |journal=Journal of Ethology |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=9–14 |doi=10.1007/s10164-014-0418-0 |s2cid=17453824 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267332222}} In its territory, the bobcat has numerous places of shelter, usually a main den, and several auxiliary shelters on the outer extent of its range, such as hollow logs, brush piles, thickets, or under rock ledges. Its den smells strongly of the bobcat.{{cite book |author1=Whitaker, J. O. |author2=Hamilton, W. J. |year=1998 |title=Mammals of the Eastern United States |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-0-8014-3475-4 |pages=493–496 |chapter=Bobcat, Lynx rufus |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofeastern00whit/page/493}}

The sizes of bobcats' home ranges vary significantly from {{cvt|0.23|-|126|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3|order=flip}}.

One study in Kansas found resident males to have ranges of roughly {{cvt|8|sqmi|km2|order=flip}}, and females less than half that area. Transient bobcats were found to have home ranges of {{cvt|22|sqmi|km2|order=flip|0}} and less well-defined home ranges. Kittens had the smallest range at about {{cvt|3|sqmi|km2|0|order=flip}}.{{cite journal |last1=Kamler |first1=J. F. |last2=Gipson |first2=P. S. |name-list-style=amp |date=2000 |title=Home range, habitat selection, and survival of bobcats, Lynx rufus, in a prairie ecosystem in Kansas |journal=Canadian Field-Naturalist |volume=114 |issue=3 |pages=388–394|doi=10.5962/p.363990 |doi-access=free }} Dispersal from the natal range is most pronounced with males.

Reports on seasonal variation in range size have been equivocal. One study found a large variation in male range sizes, from {{cvt|16|sqmi|km2|order=flip|0}} in summer up to {{cvt|40|sqmi|km2|order=flip|0}} in winter. Another found that female bobcats, especially those which were reproductively active, expanded their home range in winter, but that males merely shifted their range without expanding it, which was consistent with numerous earlier studies.{{cite journal |last = Lovallo |first = M. J. |author2=Anderson, E. M. |date=1996 |title= Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Home Range Size and Habitat Use in Northwest Wisconsin |journal=American Midland Naturalist |volume = 135 |issue = 2 |pages = 247–28 |doi= 10.2307/2426706 |jstor=2426706}} Other research in various American states has shown little or no seasonal variation.{{cite journal |last=Nielsen |first=Clayton K. |author2=Alan Woolf |date=2001 |title=Spatial Organization of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in Southern Illinois |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=146 |issue=1 |pages=43–52 |doi=10.1674/0003-0031(2001)146[0043:SOOBLR]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85594095 |url=https://bioone.org/journals/the-american-midland-naturalist/volume-146/issue-1/0003-0031(2001)146[0043:SOOBLR]2.0.CO;2/Spatial-Organization-of-Bobcats-Lynx-rufus-in-Southern-Illinois/10.1674/0003-0031(2001)146[0043:SOOBLR]2.0.CO;2.short |access-date=2021-04-22 |archive-date=2021-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422212528/https://bioone.org/journals/the-american-midland-naturalist/volume-146/issue-1/0003-0031(2001)146%5B0043:SOOBLR%5D2.0.CO;2/Spatial-Organization-of-Bobcats-Lynx-rufus-in-Southern-Illinois/10.1674/0003-0031(2001)146%5B0043:SOOBLR%5D2.0.CO;2.short |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}{{cite journal |last=Chamberlain |first=Michael I. |author2=Bruce D. Leopold|author3=L. Mike Conner |year=2003 |title=Space use, movements and habitat selection of adult Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in Central Mississippi |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=149 |issue=2 |pages=395–405 |doi=10.1674/0003-0031(2003)149[0395:SUMAHS]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=84214895 }}

Like most felines, the bobcat is largely solitary, but ranges often overlap. Unusual for cats, males are more tolerant of overlap, while females rarely wander into others' ranges. Given their smaller range sizes, two or more females may reside within a male's home range. When multiple territories overlap, a dominance hierarchy is often established, resulting in the exclusion of some transients from favored areas.

In line with widely differing estimates of home range size, population density figures diverge from one to 38 bobcats per {{cvt|10|sqmi|km2|order=flip}} in one survey. The average is estimated at one bobcat per {{cvt|5|sqmi|km2|order=flip|sigfig=2}}. A link has been observed between population density and sex ratio. An unhunted population in California had a sex ratio of 2.1 males per female. When the density decreased, the sex ratio skewed to 0.86 males per female. Another study observed a similar ratio, and suggested the males may be better able to cope with the increased competition, and this helped limit reproduction until various factors lowered the density.

File:Bobcat having caught a rabbit.jpg

The bobcat is able to survive for long periods without food, but eats heavily when prey is abundant. During lean periods, it often preys on larger animals, which it can kill and return to feed on later. The bobcat hunts by stalking its prey and then ambushing with a short chase or pounce. Its preference is for mammals weighing about {{cvt|1+1/2|-|12+1/2|lb|kg|sigfig=1|order=flip}}. Its main prey varies by region: in the eastern United States, it is the eastern cottontail and New England cottontail, and in the north, it is the snowshoe hare.

When these prey species exist together, as in New England, they are the primary food sources of the bobcat. In the far south, the rabbits and hares are sometimes replaced by cotton rats as the primary food source. Birds up to the size of an adult trumpeter swan are also taken in ambushes while nesting, along with their fledglings and eggs.Smith, J. W. (1988). Status of Missouri's experimental Trumpeter Swan restoration program. In Proc. and Papers of the 10th Trumpeter Swan Society Conf., edited by D. Compton, 100–103. Maple Plain, MN: The Trumpeter Swan Society. The bobcat is an opportunistic predator that, unlike the more specialized Canada lynx, readily varies its prey selection. Diet diversification positively correlates to a decline in numbers of the bobcat's principal prey; the abundance of its main prey species is the main determinant of overall diet.{{cite journal |last=Baker |first=L. A. |author2=Warren, R. J.|author3=Diefenbach, D. R.|author4=James, W. E.|author5=Conroy, M. J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2001|title=Prey Selection by Reintroduced Bobcats (Lynx rufus) on Cumberland Island, Georgia |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=145 |issue=1 |pages=80–93 |doi=10.1674/0003-0031(2001)145[0080:PSBRBL]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=85890281 }}

The bobcat hunts animals of different sizes, and adjusts its hunting techniques accordingly. It hunts in areas abundant in prey and waits lying or crouching for victims to wander close. It then pounces and grabs the prey with its sharp, retractable claws. For slightly larger animals, such as geese, ducks, rabbits and hares, it stalks from cover and waits until prey comes within {{cvt|20|to|35|ft|m|order=flip|0}} before rushing in to attack. Less commonly, it feeds on larger animals, such as young ungulates, and other carnivores, such as primarily female fishers, gray foxes, American minks, American martens, skunks, raccoons, small dogs and domestic cats. It also hunts rodents such as squirrels, moles, muskrats, mice, but also birds, small sharks,{{Cite news |title=Bobcat drags shark out of Florida surf |first=B. C. |last=Howard|website=National Geographic |date=2015 |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150408-bobcat-shark-photo-florida-beach-animals-science/ |access-date=2023-05-24 |archive-date=2015-04-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411164936/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150408-bobcat-shark-photo-florida-beach-animals-science/|url-status=dead}} and insects.{{cite journal |author1=Donadio, E. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Buskirk, S. W. |year=2006 |title=Diet, morphology, and interspecific killing in Carnivora |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=167 |issue=4 |pages=524–536 |doi= 10.1086/501033|pmid=16670995 |bibcode=2006ANat..167..524D |s2cid=24479345 |url=}}{{cite journal |author1=Farias, V. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Fuller, T. K. |author3=Wayne, R. K. |author4=Sauvajot, R. M. |year=2005 |title=Survival and cause-specific mortality of gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in southern California |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=266 |issue=3 |pages=249–254 |doi=10.1017/S0952836905006850}} Bobcats occasional hunt livestock and poultry. While larger species, such as cattle and horses, are not known to be attacked, bobcats do present a threat to smaller ruminants such as pigs, sheep and goats. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, bobcats killed 11,100 sheep in 2004, comprising 4.9% of all sheep predator deaths.{{Cite book |author= |date=2005 |title=Sheep and Goats Death Loss |publisher=National Agricultural Statistics Service |url=http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1628 |access-date =December 27, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-date =October 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006163731/https://usda.library.cornell.edu//}} However, some amount of bobcat predation may be misidentified, as bobcats have been known to scavenge on the remains of livestock kills by other animals.{{cite journal |last1=Neale |first1=J. C. C. |last2=Sacks |first2=B. N. |last3=Jaeger |first3=M. M. |last4=McCullough |first4=D. R. |s2cid=31260042 |date=1998 |title=A Comparison of Bobcat and Coyote Predation on Lambs in North-Coastal California |journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=62 |issue=2 |jstor=3802346 |pages=700–706 |doi=10.2307/3802346}}

It has been known to kill deer or pronghorn, and sometimes to hunt elk in western North America, especially in winter when smaller prey is scarce, or when deer populations become more abundant. One study in the Everglades showed a large majority of kills (33 of 39) were fawns. In Yellowstone a large number of kills (15 of 20) were elk calves, but prey up to eight times the bobcat's weight could be successfully taken.{{cite journal |last=Labisky |first=R. F. |author2=Boulay, M. C. |date=1998 |title= Behaviors of Bobcats Preying on White-tailed Deer in the Everglades |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=139|issue=2 |pages=275–281 |doi=10.1674/0003-0031(1998)139[0275:BOBPOW]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85199402}} It stalks the deer, often when the deer is lying down, then rushes in and grabs it by the neck before biting the throat, base of the skull, or chest. On the rare occasions a bobcat kills a deer, it eats its fill and then buries the carcass under snow or leaves, often returning to it several times to feed.

The bobcat prey base overlaps with that of other midsized predators of a similar ecological niche. Research in Maine has shown little evidence of competitive relationships between the bobcat and coyote or red fox; separation distances and territory overlap appeared random among simultaneously monitored animals.{{cite journal |last=Major |first=J. T. |author2=Sherburne, J. A. | year=1987 |title=Interspecific relationships of Coyotes, Bobcats, and Red Foxes in western Maine |journal=Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=51|issue=3 |pages=606–616|doi=10.2307/3801278 |jstor=3801278}} However, other studies have found bobcat populations may decrease in areas with high coyote populations, with the more social inclination of the canid giving them a possible competitive advantage.{{cite journal|author1=Litvaitis, J. A. |author2=Harrison, D. J. |name-list-style=amp |year=1989 |title=Bobcat-coyote niche relationships during a period of coyote population increase |doi=10.1139/z89-170|journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology |volume=67 |issue=5 |pages=1180–1188|bibcode=1989CaJZ...67.1180L }} With the Canada lynx, however, the interspecific relationship affects distribution patterns; competitive exclusion by the bobcat is likely to have prevented any further southward expansion of the range of its felid relative.

File:Bobcat-Texas-9110.jpg

File:Bobcat with offspring on rock - DPLA - 56a48f19c80a1c574e53f79ea35e21b4.jpg

The average lifespan of the bobcat is seven years but rarely exceeds 10 years. The oldest wild bobcat on record was 16 years old, and the oldest captive bobcat lived to be 32.

Bobcats generally begin breeding by their second summer, though females may start as early as their first year. Sperm production begins each year by September or October, and the male is fertile into the summer. A dominant male travels with a female and mates with her several times, generally from winter until early spring; this varies by location, but most mating takes place during February and March. The pair may undertake a number of different behaviors, including bumping, chasing, and ambushing.

Other males may be in attendance, but remain uninvolved. Once the male recognizes the female is receptive, he grasps her in the typical felid neck grip and mates with her. The female may later go on to mate with other males, and males generally mate with several females.{{cite book |author1=Fischer, W.C. |author2=Miller, M. |author3=Johnston, C.M. |author4=Smith, J.K. |year=1996 |title=Fire Effects Information System |publisher=Diane Publishing |isbn=978-0-7881-4568-1 |page=83}} During courtship, the bobcat's vocalizations include screaming and hissing.{{cite book |author=Nowak, R.M. |date=1999 |title=Walker's Mammals of the World |volume=1 |edition=Sixth |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore |isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8 |chapter=Felis rufus (bobcat) |pages=808–810 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T37sFCl43E8C&pg=PA809}} Research in Texas revealed that establishing a home range is necessary for breeding; studied animals without a home range had no identified offspring.{{cite journal |last=Janečka |first=J.E. |author2=Blankenship, T.L. |author3=Hirth, D.H. |author4=Tewes, M.E. |author5=Kilpatrick, C.W. |author6=Grassman, L.I. Jr. |date=2006 |title=Kinship and social structure of Bobcats (Lynx rufus) inferred from microsatellite and radio-telemetry data |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=269 |issue=4 |pages=494–501 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00099.x}} The female has an estrous cycle of 44 days, with the estrus lasting five to ten days. Bobcats remain reproductively active throughout their lives.

The female raises the young alone. One to six, but usually two to four, kittens are born in April or May, after roughly 60 to 70 days of gestation. Sometimes, a second litter is born as late as September. The female generally gives birth in an enclosed space, usually a small cave or hollow log. The young open their eyes by the ninth or tenth day. They start exploring their surroundings at four weeks and are weaned at about two months. Within three to five months, they begin to travel with their mother. They hunt by themselves by fall of their first year, and usually disperse shortly thereafter. In Michigan, however, they have been observed staying with their mother as late as the next spring.

File:Bobcat skull Pengo.jpg

The adult bobcat has relatively few predators. Rarely, however, it may be killed in interspecific conflict by several larger predators or fall prey to them. Cougars and gray wolves can kill adult bobcats, a behavior repeatedly observed in Yellowstone National Park.{{cite web |author1=Akenson, H. |author2=Akenson, J. |author3=Quigley, H. |title=Winter Predation and Interactions of Wolves and Cougars on Panther Creek in Central Idaho |work=Wildlife: Wolves |publisher=Yellowstone National Park |url=http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/wolves.htm |access-date=June 24, 2007 |archive-date=April 20, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070420174741/http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/wolves.htm |url-status=live}}{{cite journal |author1=Palomares, F. |author2=Caro, T. M. |name-list-style=amp |date=1999 |title=Interspecific killing among mammalian carnivores |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=153 |issue=5 |pages=492–508|doi=10.1086/303189 |pmid=29578790 |bibcode=1999ANat..153..492P |s2cid=4343007 |hdl=10261/51387 |hdl-access=free}} Coyotes have killed adult bobcats and kittens.{{cite journal |author1=Fedriani, J. M. |author2=Fuller, T. K. |author3=Sauvajot R. M. |author4=York, E. C. |name-list-style=amp |year=2000 |title=Competition and intraguild predation among three sympatric carnivores |doi=10.1007/s004420000448 |journal=Oecologia |volume=125 |pages=258–270 |issue=2|pmid=24595837|bibcode=2000Oecol.125..258F |hdl=10261/54628|s2cid=24289407 |url=https://scholarworks.umass.edu/context/nrc_faculty_pubs/article/1109/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf |hdl-access=free}}{{cite journal |author1=Gipson, P. S. |author2=Kamler, J. F. |name-list-style=amp |year=2002 |title=Bobcat killed by coyote |journal=Southwestern Naturalist |volume=47 |pages=511–514 |doi=10.2307/3672519 |issue=3 |jstor=3672519 |url=https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7jXe61ZN_z_Y2VmOGZmM2UtMDUyMy00NmZlLWFhZDctNjc3YzVjMWYxMmNh/edit?hl=en&pli=1 |access-date=2013-02-25 |archive-date=2013-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029090035/https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7jXe61ZN_z_Y2VmOGZmM2UtMDUyMy00NmZlLWFhZDctNjc3YzVjMWYxMmNh/edit?hl=en&pli=1 |url-status=live|url-access=subscription }}{{cite journal |author=Knick, S. T. |year=1990 |title=Ecology of bobcats relative to exploitation and a prey decline in southeastern Idaho|jstor=3830671 |journal=Wildlife Monographs |volume=108 |issue=108 |pages=1–42}} At least one confirmed observation of a bobcat and an American black bear (Ursus americanus) fighting over a carcass is confirmed.{{cite web|title=Bobcat vs Bear: Competition over deer carcass|url=http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=13788.0|publisher=Hunting Washington Forum|access-date=November 1, 2008|archive-date=October 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020061702/http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=13788.0|url-status=live}} Like other Lynx species, bobcats probably avoid encounters with bears, in part because they are likely to lose kills to them or may rarely be attacked by them.{{cite journal |author1=Krofel, M. |author2=Kos, I. |author3=Jerina, K. |year=2012 |title=The noble cats and the big bad scavengers: effects of dominant scavengers on solitary predators |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |volume=66 |issue=9 |pages=1297–1304|doi=10.1007/s00265-012-1384-6 |bibcode=2012BEcoS..66.1297K }} Bobcat remains have occasionally been found in the resting sites of male fishers.Aubry, Keith and Rale, Catherine (July 2006) [http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/olympia/wet/team-research/for-carnivor/aubryandraley-fisher-report-july2006.pdf Ecological Characteristics of Fishers (Martes pennanti) in the Southern Oregon Cascade Range] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924074836/http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/olympia/wet/team-research/for-carnivor/aubryandraley-fisher-report-july2006.pdf |date=2015-09-24}}. USDA Forest Service – Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Olympia, WA, U.S. American alligators (Alligator mississippensis) have been filmed opportunistically preying on adult bobcats in the southeast United States.{{cite web|title=Gator eats bobcat |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/feltonphoto/8164136944/|publisher=Flickr|access-date=November 7, 2012|date=November 7, 2012 |archive-date=August 2, 2013|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802045318/http://www.flickr.com/photos/feltonphoto/8164136944}}{{cite web|title=Sneaky alligator nearly eats bobcat |url=http://www.kens5.com/video/featured-videos/Sneaky-alligator-nearly-eats-bobcat--156459515.html |publisher=Kens5 |access-date=June 1, 2012 |archive-date=January 11, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111043956/http://www.kens5.com/video/featured-videos/Sneaky-alligator-nearly-eats-bobcat--156459515.html}} Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have been reportedly observed preying on bobcats.{{cite web|title=Golden Eagle, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |url=http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/golden_eagle/lifehistory|access-date=2013-07-08|archive-date=2019-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428183720/https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden_Eagle/lifehistory|url-status=live}}

File:Lynx rufus vs. Canis latrans.jpgs]]

Kittens may be taken by several predators, including great horned owls, eagles, foxes, and bears, and other adult male bobcats.{{cite web |title=Bobcats |url=https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/00608/wdfw00608.pdf |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=Living with Wildlife |publisher=Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519164555/https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/00608/wdfw00608.pdf |url-status=live}} When prey populations are not abundant, fewer kittens are likely to reach adulthood.

Diseases, accidents, hunters, automobiles, and starvation are the other leading causes of death. Juveniles show high mortality shortly after leaving their mothers, while still perfecting their hunting techniques. One study of 15 bobcats showed yearly survival rates for both sexes averaged 0.62, in line with other research suggesting rates of 0.56 to 0.67.{{cite journal |last=Fuller |first=Todd K. |author2=Stephen L. Berendzen|author3=Thomas A. Decker|author4=James E. Cardoza |date=October 1995 |title=Survival and Cause-Specific Mortality Rates of Adult Bobcats (Lynx rufus) |journal=American Midland Naturalist |volume=134 |issue=2 |doi=10.2307/2426311 |jstor=2426311 |pages=404–408}} Cannibalism has been reported; kittens may be taken when prey levels are low, but this is very rare and does not much influence the population.

The bobcat may have external parasites, mostly ticks and fleas, and often carries the parasites of its prey, especially those of rabbits and squirrels. Internal parasites (endoparasites) are especially common in bobcats.{{Cite journal |last1=Hiestand |first1=S.J. |last2=Nielsen |first2=C.K. |last3=Jiménez |first3=F.A. |title=Epizootic and zoonotic helminths of the bobcat (Lynx rufus) in Illinois and a comparison of its helminth component communities across the American Midwest |journal=Parasite |volume=21 |page=4 |year=2014 |doi=10.1051/parasite/2014005 |pmid=24521984 |pmc=3923260 |doi-access=free}} One study found an average infection rate of 52% from Toxoplasma gondii, but with great regional variation.{{cite journal | author = Kikuchi, Y. |author2=Chomel, B. B. |author3=Kasten, R. W. |author4=Martenson, J. S. |author5=Swift, P. K. |author6=O'Brien, S. J. |year=2004 |title=Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in American free-ranging or captive pumas (Felis concolor) and Bobcats (Lynx rufus) |journal=Veterinary Parasitology |volume=120 |issue=1–2 |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.01.002 |pmid=15019138}} One mite in particular, Lynxacarus morlani, has to date been found only on the bobcat. Parasites' and diseases' role in the mortality of the bobcat is still unclear, but they may account for greater mortality than starvation, accidents, and predation.{{cite book |author1=Feldhamer, G. A. |author2=Thompson, B. C. |author3=Chapman, J. A. |date=2004 |title=Wild Mammals of North America |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=978-0-8018-7416-1 |pages=769–770}}

File:Rotluchs2.jpg

It is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),{{cite web |url=http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml |title=Appendices I, II and III |access-date=May 24, 2007 |publisher=Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519090502/http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml |archive-date=May 19, 2007}} which means it is not considered threatened with extinction, but that international trade must be closely monitored. The animal is regulated in all three of its range countries, and is found in a number of protected areas of the United States, its principal territory. Estimates from the US Fish and Wildlife Service placed bobcat numbers between 700,000 and 1,500,000 in the US in 1988, with increased range and population density suggesting even greater numbers in subsequent years; for these reasons, the U.S. has petitioned CITES to remove the cat from Appendix II. Populations in Canada and Mexico remain stable and healthy. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List, noting it is relatively widespread and abundant, but information from southern Mexico is poor.

The species is considered endangered in Ohio, Indiana, and New Jersey. It was removed from the threatened list of Illinois in 1999 and of Iowa in 2003. In Pennsylvania, limited hunting and trapping are once again allowed, after having been banned from 1970 to 1999. The bobcat also suffered population decline in New Jersey at the turn of the 19th century, mainly because of commercial and agricultural developments causing habitat fragmentation; by 1972, the bobcat was given full legal protection, and was listed as endangered in the state in 1991. The Mexican bobcat L. r. escuinipae was for a time considered endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, but was delisted in 2005.{{cite web | url = http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2005/May/Day-19/i10002.htm | title = Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Petition Finding and Proposed Rule To Delist the Mexican Bobcat (Lynx rufus escuinapae) | access-date = June 27, 2007 | date = May 2005 | publisher = Fish and Wildlife Service | archive-date = May 25, 2012 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120525115855/http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2005/May/Day-19/i10002.htm | url-status = live }} Between 2003 and 2011, a reduction in bobcat sightings in the Everglades by 87.5% has been attributed to predation by the invasive Burmese python.{{cite web |last1=Dell'Amore |first1=Christine |title=Pythons Eating Through Everglades Mammals at "Astonishing" Rate? |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/1/120130-florida-burmese-pythons-mammals-everglades-science-nation/ |website=National Geographic News |publisher=National Geographic Society |access-date=17 November 2020 |language=en |date=30 January 2012 |archive-date=18 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118192205/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/1/120130-florida-burmese-pythons-mammals-everglades-science-nation/ |url-status=dead }}

The bobcat has long been valued both for fur and sport; it has been hunted and trapped by humans, but has maintained a high population, even in the southern United States, where it is extensively hunted. In the 1970s and 1980s, an unprecedented rise in price for bobcat fur caused further interest in hunting, but by the early 1990s, prices had dropped significantly.{{cite report | first = William E. Jr. | last = Grenfell | name-list-style = amp | title = Bobcat Harvest Assessment 1995–96 | publisher = California Department of Fish and Game | date = November 1996 | url = https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentVersionID=4676 | access-date = 2013-02-26 | archive-date = 2013-04-19 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130419025231/https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentVersionID=4676 | url-status = live }} Regulated hunting still continues, with half of mortality of some populations being attributed to this cause. As a result, the rate of bobcat deaths is skewed in winter, when hunting season is generally open.

Urbanization can result in the fragmentation of contiguous natural landscapes into patchy habitat within an urban area. Animals that live in these fragmented areas often have reduced movement between the habitat patches, which can lead to reduced gene flow and pathogen transmission between patches. Animals such as the bobcat are particularly sensitive to fragmentation because of their large home ranges.{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=J. S. |last2=Ruell |first2=E. W. |name-list-style=amp |last3=Boydston |first3=E. E. |last4 = Lyren | first4 = L. M. |last5 = Alonso | first5 = R. S. |last6=Troyer |first6=J. L. |last7=Crooks |first7=K. R. |last8=Vandewoude |first8=S. U. E. |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05493.x |title=Gene flow and pathogen transmission among bobcats (Lynx rufus) in a fragmented urban landscape |journal=Molecular Ecology |volume=21 |issue=7 |pages=1617–1631 |year=2012 |pmid=22335296 |bibcode=2012MolEc..21.1617L |s2cid=14206892}} A study in coastal Southern California has shown bobcat populations are affected by urbanization, creation of roads, and other developments. The populations may not be declining as much as predicted, but instead the connectivity of different populations is affected. This leads to a decrease in natural genetic diversity among bobcat populations.{{cite journal |doi=10.1674/0003-0031-168.2.265 |title=Urban Habitat Fragmentation and Genetic Population Structure of Bobcats in Coastal Southern California |year=2012 |last1=Ruell |first1=E.W. |last2=Riley |first2=S.P.D. |last3=Douglas |first3=M.R. |last4=Antolin |first4=M.F. |last5=Pollinger |first5=J.R. |last6=Tracey |first6=J.A. |last7=Lyren |first7=L.M. |last8=Boydston |first8=E.E. |last9=Fisher |first9=R.N. |last10=Crooks |first10=K.R. |name-list-style=amp |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=168 |issue=2 |pages=265–280 |bibcode=2012AMNat.168..265R |s2cid=86455286 }} For bobcats, preserving open space in sufficient quantities and quality is necessary for population viability. Educating local residents about the animals is critical, as well, for conservation in urban areas.{{cite journal |doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.01458.x |title=Effects of Urbanization and Habitat Fragmentation on Bobcats and Coyotes in Southern California |year=2003 |last1=Riley |first1=Seth P. D. |last2=Sauvajot |first2=R. M. |last3=Fuller |first3=T. K. |last4=York |first4=E. C. |last5=Kamradt |first5=D. A. |last6=Bromley |first6=C. |last7=Wayne |first7=R. K. |name-list-style=amp |s2cid=85375755 |journal=Conservation Biology |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=566–576|bibcode=2003ConBi..17..566R }}

In bobcats using urban habitats in California, the use of rodenticides has been linked to both secondary poisoning by consuming poisoned rats and mice, and to increased rates of severe mite infestation (known as notoedric mange), as an animal with a poison-weakened immune system is less capable of fighting off mange. Liver autopsies in California bobcats that have succumbed to notoedric mange have revealed chronic rodenticide exposure.{{cite web|website=Urban Carnivores|year=2011|title=Notoedric Mange: A Sentinel for a Big Problem in our Local Ecosystems?|url=http://www.urbancarnivores.com/notoedric-mange-a-disease-of/|access-date=2016-07-29|archive-date=2020-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818120226/http://www.urbancarnivores.com/notoedric-mange-a-disease-of/|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal |last1=Riley |first1=S.P.D. |last2=Bromley |first2=C.|last3=Poppenga |first3=R.H. |last4=Whited |first4=L.|last5=Sauvajot|first5=R.M.|year=2007|title=Anticoagulant exposure and notoedric mange in bobcats and mountain lions in urban Southern California|journal=Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=71 |issue=6 |pages=1874–1884|doi=10.2193/2005-615|s2cid=86058493|doi-access=free|bibcode=2007JWMan..71.1874R }} Alternative rodent control measures such as vegetation control and use of traps have been suggested to alleviate this issue.{{cite web|website=Urban Wildlife Research Project|access-date=August 5, 2016|url=https://urbanwildliferesearchproject.com/rodenticide-impacts-and-alternatives/|title=Rodenticide: Impacts and Alternatives|date=2015|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820152127/https://urbanwildliferesearchproject.com/rodenticide-impacts-and-alternatives/|url-status=live}}

Stories featuring the bobcat, in many variations, are found in some Indigenous cultures of North America, with parallels in South America. A story from the Nez Perce, for instance, depicts the bobcat and coyote as opposed, antithetical beings.{{cite journal | author = Pollock, D. |date=1993 | title = Histoire de Lynx, Review | journal = American Anthropologist | volume = 95 | issue = 1 | pages = 223–224 | doi = 10.1525/aa.1993.95.1.02a00800}} However, another version represents them with equality and identicality. Claude Lévi-Strauss argues that the former concept, that of twins representing opposites, is an inherent theme in New World mythologies, but that they are not equally balanced figures, representing an open-ended dualism rather than the symmetric duality of Old World cultures. The latter notion then, Lévi-Strauss suggests, is the result of regular contact between Europeans and native cultures. Additionally, the version found in the Nez Perce story is of much greater complexity, while the version of equality seems to have lost the tale's original meaning.{{cite journal | author = Yalman, Nur | year = 1996 | title = Lévi-Strauss in Wonderland: Playing Chess with Unusual Cats: The Story of Lynx | journal = American Ethnologist | volume = 23 | issue = 4| pages = 902| doi = 10.1525/ae.1996.23.4.02a00120 }}

File:Bobcat-image-MariadB.png.]]

In a Shawnee tale, the bobcat is outwitted by a rabbit, which gives rise to its spots. After trapping the rabbit in a tree, the bobcat is persuaded to build a fire, only to have the embers scattered on its fur, leaving it singed with dark brown spots.{{cite web | url = http://www.jaxzoo.org/things/biofacts/FloridaBobcat.asp | title = Florida Bobcat Bio Facts | access-date = June 27, 2007 | year = 2005 | publisher = Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060225003145/http://www.jaxzoo.org/things/biofacts/FloridaBobcat.asp| archive-date = February 25, 2006}} The Mohave people believed dreaming habitually of beings or objects would afford them their characteristics as supernatural powers. Dreaming of two deities, cougar and lynx, they thought, would grant them the superior hunting skills of other tribes.{{cite journal | author = Kroeber, A. L. |date=1908 | title = Preliminary Sketch of the Mohave Indians | journal = American Anthropologist | volume = 4 | issue = 2 | doi = 10.1525/aa.1902.4.2.02a00060 | pages = 276–285 |doi-access = free}} European-descended inhabitants of the Americas also admired the cat, both for its ferocity and its grace, and in the United States, it "rests prominently in the anthology of ... national folklore".{{cite web |url=http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/tempsp96.html |title=Wood Ghost |access-date=June 25, 2007 |last=Temple |first=Kerry |date=1996 |work=Notre Dame Magazine| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061219092933/http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/tempsp96.html| archive-date = December 19, 2006}}

Grave artifacts from dirt domes excavated in the 1980s along the Illinois River revealed a complete skeleton of a young bobcat along with a collar made of bone pendants and shell beads that had been buried by the Hopewell culture. The type and place of burial indicate a tamed and cherished pet or possible spiritual significance. The Hopewell normally buried their dogs, so the bones were initially identified as remains of a puppy, but dogs were usually buried close to the village and not in the mounds themselves. This is the only wild cat decorated burial on the archaeological record.{{cite journal |doi=10.1179/2327427115Y.0000000007 |title=A Bobcat Burial and Other Reported Intentional Animal Burials from Illinois Hopewell Mounds|journal=Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology |volume=40 |issue=3|pages=282|year=2015|last1=Perri|first1=A. R.|last2=Martin|first2=T. J.|last3=Farnsworth|first3=K. B. |s2cid=132342406}}{{cite journal|doi=10.1126/science.aac8794|title=Ancient bobcat buried like a human being|journal=Science|year=2015|last1=Grimm|first1=D.}}

An inhabitant of Appalachia, Lynx rufus is immortalized (along with university founder Rufus Putnam) at Ohio University through its popular college mascot, Rufus the Bobcat.{{cite web | url = http://www.ohiobobcats.com/genrel/091206aaa.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060912010101/http://www.ohiobobcats.com/genrel/091206aaa.html| title = Bobcat Naming Contest Winner to be Honored at Football Game | access-date = 2006-09-06 | year = 2006 | publisher = Ohio University| url-status = dead | archive-date = September 12, 2006}}

{{Portal|Mammals|Cats|North America}}

• Blynx
• Bougar
• Canada lynx
• Eurasian lynx
• Iberian lynx

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin|40em}}

• {{Cite book |last =Burton |first =M. |author2=Burton, R. |year =1970 |title =The international wildlife encyclopedia |volume=1 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=cb7N0CV0JbAC&pg=PA253|pages=253–257 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish Corp |isbn= 978-0-7614-7266-7}}
• {{Cite book |last =Hansen |first = K. |year = 2006|title =Bobcat: master of survival |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=HW0llAsJgWUC&pg=PP1|publisher= Oxford University Press |place=Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-518303-0}}
• {{Cite book |last=Sunquist |first=M. E. |author2=Sunquist, F. |year =2002 |title=Wild Cats of the World |chapter=Bobcat Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA185 |pages=185–197 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |place=Chicago |isbn=978-0-226-77999-7}}
• {{Cite book|last =Van Wormer|first=J. |year=1963|title =The World of the Bobcat|publisher =J. B. Lippincott |oclc=684572}}

{{refend}}

{{Spoken Wikipedia|Bobcat.ogg|date=2009-01-29}}

{{Wikispecies|Lynx rufus}}

{{Commons}}

{{Wiktionary}}

• {{cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=96 |title=Bobcat |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group}}
• {{cite web |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612144559/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 12, 2007 |title=Bobcats |publisher=National Geographic}}
• {{Cite web |title=What are the secrets of Connecticut's Bobcats? |date=2019 |author=Skahill, P. |url=https://www.ctpublic.org/environment/2019-01-22/what-are-the-secrets-of-connecticuts-bobcats |publisher=Connecticut Public Radio / WNPR}}

{{Carnivora|Fe.}}

{{North American Game}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q131907}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands

Category:Fauna of the Rocky Mountains

Category:Fauna of the Sierra Nevada (United States)

Category:Fauna of the Southeastern United States

Category:Fauna of the Western United States

Category:Fauna of the Eastern United States

Category:Felids of North America

Category:Least concern biota of North America

Category:Least concern biota of the United States

Category:Lynx

Category:Mammals described in 1777

Category:Mammals of Canada

Category:Mammals of Mexico

Category:Mammals of the United States

Category:Pleistocene carnivorans

Category:Taxa named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber