---
title: "What the sources say about the Bobcat | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "39 claims from the Bobcat profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/bobcat/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Bobcat (*Lynx rufus*)

> 39 claims from the Bobcat profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Bobcat](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/bobcat/)

## Kelly, Morin & Lopez-Gonzalez (2016). Lynx rufus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T12521A50655874.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-1.rlts.t12521a50655874.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: GBIF copy of Red List; stats.conservationStatus: Least Concern) |

## Bobcat. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/bobcat

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A spotted, short-tailed stalker that steps its back feet into its front-foot prints to cut the noise of the hunt. | They will place their back feet in the same spots where their front feet have stepped to reduce noise when hunting. (note: tagline) |
| A spotted, short-tailed stalker | The bobcat's black-spotted, brown coat blends in well with the rocks, brush and other dense vegetation (note: tagline: spotted) |
| Forests, swamps, deserts and scrub from southern Canada to Mexico | they range from Mexico to southern Canada (note: stats.habitat) |
| Forests, swamps, deserts and scrub | boreal coniferous and mixed forests in the north, bottomland hardwood forests and coastal swamps in the southeast, and desert and scrublands in the southwest (note: stats.habitat) |
| Mostly rabbits and hares, plus rodents, birds and small deer | Bobcats mostly eat rabbits and hares. They may also eat rodents, such as squirrels and mice, or hunt small deer (note: stats.diet) |
| birds | They can even leap high enough to catch low-flying birds. (note: stats.diet) |
| Steps its back feet into its front-foot prints to cut the noise of its stalk | They will place their back feet in the same spots where their front feet have stepped to reduce noise when hunting. (note: stats.superpower) |
| To cut the noise it makes while hunting, a bobcat sets each back foot down in a spot where a front foot has already stepped. | They will place their back feet in the same spots where their front feet have stepped to reduce noise when hunting. |
| it can run at up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) | can run up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) |
| It is generally 46 to 64 cm tall at the shoulder and weighs between 4 and 15 kg. | They are generally 1.5-2 feet (46-64 centimeters) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 9 and 33 pounds (4 and 15 kilograms). |
| Bobcats are bigger in the north of their range and smaller in the south. | Bobcats vary in size along their continental range, with larger animals found in the north and smaller animals in the south. |
| The United States holds the majority of the world's bobcats, and the species ranges from Mexico up to southern Canada. | The majority of the world's bobcats are found in the United States, but they range from Mexico to southern Canada. |
| northern conifer forests, southeastern swamps, and southwestern deserts and scrub | boreal coniferous and mixed forests in the north, bottomland hardwood forests and coastal swamps in the southeast, and desert and scrublands in the southwest |
| People often mistake a bobcat for one of its three lynx relatives, the Canada, Iberian and Eurasian lynx. | Bobcats are often confused with the other three "lynx" species, the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx and Eurasian lynx. |
| Compared with the other lynx, bobcats are slightly smaller and live in warmer climates. | Bobcats are slightly smaller than other lynx and live in warmer climates at lower latitudes. |
| The others live in cold northern places where snow lies deep, and have densely furred footpads; the bobcat's footpads are bare. | The other lynx species occupy cold, northern latitudes where snow lies deep for much of the year and temperatures can reach lows of -70 degrees Fahrenheit (-57 degrees Celsius). Their footpads are well protected with a dense covering of fur, while the bobcat's footpads are bare. |
| Black spots on a brown coat hide it among the rocks and brush where it hunts the cottontail rabbit, its main prey. | The bobcat's black-spotted, brown coat blends in well with the rocks, brush and other dense vegetation where it hunts its main prey: the cottontail rabbit. |
| A mother's kittens probably follow the two white spots on the backs of her ears when the light is dim. | The backs of a bobcat's ears are marked with two white spots, which a female's kittens probably follow in dim light. |
| A kitten that lags behind makes the mother stop, call softly and lift her tail to flash the white patch underneath. | If kittens fall too far behind their mother, the mother stops and softly calls to them while raising her tail to reveal the white patch below. |
| Bobcats mostly eat rabbits and hares. They may also eat rodents such as squirrels and mice, and can leap high enough to catch low-flying birds. | Bobcats mostly eat rabbits and hares. They may also eat rodents, such as squirrels and mice, or hunt small deer, snakes, lizards and domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, sheep, goats and poultry. They can even leap high enough to catch low-flying birds. |
| They are solitary and mostly active around dawn and dusk. | studies have consistently found that they are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk) |
| They are solitary | Bobcats are solitary and territorial animals. |
| Each marks its territory with urine, droppings, anal gland secretions and scrapes in the ground, and rarely uses sound to warn other bobcats off. | They rarely use sound to deter other bobcats and instead rely on urine, feces and anal gland secretions, as well as marking scrapes in the ground. |
| Most bobcats live five to 15 years in the wild. | Most bobcats live between five and 15 years in the wild. |
| In human care the median is about 18 years | The median life expectancy of a bobcat in human care is about 18 years. |
| The Smithsonian's National Zoo says bobcats may be hunted for pelts but face a greater threat from habitat loss. | Bobcats may be hunted for their pelts, but they face a greater threat from habitat loss. |
| At up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo. | can run up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) |
| A bobcat is slightly smaller, lives in warmer climates and has bare footpads. | Bobcats are slightly smaller than other lynx and live in warmer climates at lower latitudes. The other lynx species occupy cold, northern latitudes where snow lies deep for much of the year and temperatures can reach lows of -70 degrees Fahrenheit (-57 degrees Celsius). Their footpads are well protected with a dense covering of fur, while the bobcat's footpads are bare. |
| A Canada lynx lives farther north, where snow lies deep, on fur-covered footpads and longer legs for travelling through it. | Bobcats are slightly smaller than other lynx and live in warmer climates at lower latitudes. The other lynx species occupy cold, northern latitudes where snow lies deep for much of the year and temperatures can reach lows of -70 degrees Fahrenheit (-57 degrees Celsius). Their footpads are well protected with a dense covering of fur, while the bobcat's footpads are bare. They also have shorter tails and longer legs for traveling through deep snow |
| Usually two to four, with a gestation of about 60 to 70 days. | Gestation is about 60-70 days, with an average of 62 days, and there are usually two to four kittens per litter. |
| The mother nurses them for two months. | The female nurses the kittens for two months. |
| To cut the noise of a hunt, a bobcat sets each back foot down where a front foot has already stepped | They will place their back feet in the same spots where their front feet have stepped to reduce noise when hunting. (note: vibe.reason) |

## Lynx rufus (bobcat). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lynx_rufus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Bobcats got their name because of their short tails. | bobcats got their name because of their short tails (note: tagline: short-tailed) |
| It stalks, then pounces, and if the pounce works it kills with a bite to the vertebrae, the bones of the neck. | Stealthy hunters, they stalk their prey, then pounce and (if successful) kill with a bite to the vertebrae of the neck. |
| A bobcat's body runs 65 to 105 cm long, with the tail adding 11 to 19 cm. | Bobcats range in length from 65 to 105 cm, with the tail adding an extra 11 to 19 cm |
| A territory can be one to seven square kilometres. | Range territory size
1 to 7 km^2 |
| dangerLevel: Medium | On rare occasions humans are attacked by bobcats. (note: task #1246; Medium: can injure, but rarely seriously. Weight left unrecorded: Smithsonian 4 to 15 kg straddles the 10 kg class line.) |

## AnAge entry for Lynx rufus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Lynx_rufus

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the AnAge database records one captive bobcat that reached 32.3 years | One specimen lived 32.3 years in captivity (note: years) |