Bobcat
Lynx rufus
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Carnivora
FAMILY: Felidae
SIZE:
Length 28 - 49 inches; weight about 17 lbs.
RANGE:
Entire United States (except corn belt of Midwest)
HABITAT:
Rocky terrain; dense underbrush; wooded areas
DIET:
Wild - Smalls mammals such as porcupines, rodents, rabbits, deer, sheep and birds
Zoo - Prepared zoo diet for felines (raw horsemeat)
ADAPTATIONS:
Keen binocular vision to judge distance
Retractable claws and furred feet. All native cats have tendency to place hind feet in tracks of front feet for a silent approach
Nocturnal; will range up to 20 miles to hunt at night
Hunts by crouching and pouncing
Tufts on ears act as and antenna to aid hearing
Short tail with white underneath, when raised it is a "follow me" for young kittens
Solitary -- together only when breeding
FACTS:
Life span of 9 years in the wild and 15 years in zoos
YOUNG:
Usually 3 born in den in ledge, log, or underbrush
STATUS:
CITES App. II; the native bobcat species is not endangered although the Mexican subspecies is.
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