Often spotted only fleetingly, the bobcat (Lynx rufus) remains one of North America’s most widespread yet elusive wildcats. With a population estimated between 2.3 and 3.5 million, these solitary predators inhabit regions from the forests of Canada to the deserts of Mexico and almost every U.S. state except Delaware. But while they’re common, catching a glimpse of one is rare, thanks to their secretive habits and love for dense cover.
1. They’re the Smallest Member of the Lynx Family
Though they share lineage with their larger cousin, the Canada lynx, bobcats are more compact and agile. Weighing between 8 and 33 pounds and measuring up to 42 inches in body length (excluding the short, “bobbed” tail), they are roughly the size of a spaniel. Males tend to be larger than females, and those in northern climates often grow bigger than their southern relatives.
2. Misidentification Is Common
From afar, bobcats can be mistaken for domestic cats or stray kittens and sometimes, even for mountain lions, panthers, or lynx. The confusion even extends to biologists in the field, who struggle to distinguish bobcats from Canada lynx without visible paw prints. Lynx feet are notably furrier and larger natural snowshoes adapted for their northern habitat.
3. They Prefer Small Game
While bobcats are capable of taking down larger prey like deer, their diet usually consists of rabbits, mice, squirrels, and other small animals. They’re more opportunistic than predatory toward pets but unsecured poultry or curious outdoor cats can occasionally fall victim. Bobcats are crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk, and are known to leap up to 10 feet to catch their prey.
4. Bobcats Are Territorial by Nature
Solitude defines their lifestyle. Males may control a territory spanning 25 square miles, while females keep to smaller ranges of about 6 square miles. Scent-marking with urine, feces, and secretions from anal glands helps bobcats keep intruders away especially those of the same sex.
5. They Maintain Multiple Dens
Bobcats don’t stick to just one shelter. While they usually have a primary “natal” den for birthing and raising kittens often in rock crevices, hollow trees, or abandoned burrows they also use temporary dens scattered throughout their territory. These auxiliary shelters provide cover or a place to stash young while hunting.
6. Mothers Train Their Kittens to Hunt
Litters usually consist of one to six kittens, with younger females typically bearing fewer offspring. After a month in the den, the kittens begin receiving food from their mother, who soon starts teaching them to hunt. By 11 months, they are fully independent and often evicted from her territory.
7. Some Bobcat Populations Are Still at Risk
Although the bobcat is classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN, its population isn’t free from threats. The Mexican bobcat remains endangered under U.S. classification, and commercial hunting still poses a risk. Legal bobcat trapping continues across much of North America often to supply the fur trade and habitat loss, invasive predators, and secondary poisoning from rodenticides are growing concerns.
8. They’re Fast on Their Feet
Despite their stocky build, bobcats are agile runners, reaching speeds of up to 30 mph in short bursts. Their movement sometimes mimics that of a rabbit, as they place their back paws where their front paws landed creating a bouncing, bobbing gait that reflects their namesake.
How You Can Help Protect Bobcats
Even though they remain widespread, bobcats face increasing threats in parts of their range. Here are a few simple ways to support their survival:
- Skip the fur: Avoid buying clothing or accessories made from bobcat fur.
- Reconsider rodenticides: These poisons don’t just harm pests they travel up the food chain and endanger predators like bobcats.
- Don’t release exotic pets: Invasive species, like Burmese pythons, are threatening native wildlife in areas like Florida.
- Support conservation: Donate to organizations dedicated to studying and protecting bobcats and their habitats.
With their secretive lives and vital role in local ecosystems, bobcats are more than just mysterious backyard visitors they’re essential wildlife worth understanding and protecting.
