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 The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is equipped with razor-sharp
claws, needle-like teeth, and the strength to make good
use of these weapons. The name, of course, is from the short, stub-like
tail, approximately five inches long, which has a distinctive black tip.
Bobcats vary in coloration, but are generally tawny-brown and spotted.
Their under-sides are yellowish-white, spotted with black. The legs are
spotted on the outside and barred with black on the inside. Bobcats can
measure up to three feet in length, including the tail, and weigh 15 to
30 pounds. Bobcats are excellent climbers.
Widely distributed throughout most of North America, this
cat has adapted well to civilization and is found throughout Florida.
The bobcat is equally at home in deep forest, swamps and hammock land.
Bobcats can range five or six square miles and generally cover their territory
in a slow, careful fashion.
The female bobcat can breed after one year which occurs
in late winter or early spring. One to four young are born after a
gestation
period of 50 to 60 days. Two to four young make a normal litter, and the
newborn "kits" have full coats of spotted fur, but their eyes
do not open until about nine days old. The young are weaned in about two
months, but not before they are taught hunting skills by their parents.
An extremely efficient hunter, the bobcat, like most felines
hunts by sight and usually at night. The bobcat feeds on a varied diet
of birds, small mammals, and (occasionally) young white-tailed deer.
The Florida bobcat's unpredictable disposition does not
make it a popular candidate for a pet. Nor does its strikingly marked
pelt have much market value. Catching even a fleeting glimpse of this
secretive and beautiful creature, however, can make anyone's outdoor experience
more enjoyable.
You can receive technical assistance for bobcat problems by contacting
your nearest FWC regional office.
Wildlife Resources Handbook
information
Information
about Bobcat tracks
Mammals
of Texas Wildlife Fact Sheet
Big
cats online information
Pelotes Island
Nature Preserve, and hear a bobcat
Illinois
information
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