A motion-activated trail camera caught a glimpse of a bobcat in a swamp at night.
NPS Photo
Lynx rufus
Bobcats get their name from their short “bob” tails. Their fur is usually grey to brown with spots appearing on the legs, tail, and sides. Like many felines, bobcats are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. They are adventurous carnivores and can eat everything from deer to mice. They have also been known to eat pets such as cats or small dogs.
They are solitary animals who maintain territories using scent markings and claw markings on vegetation. Bobcats only come together during mating season, and both males and females may mate with multiple other bobcats. Males are not involved in raising the kittens.
Bobcats don’t usually have many predators, but they can be killed by cougars. Kittens may also be eaten by coyotes, foxes, or predatory birds. Bobcats live throughout the continental United States and are not considered threatened or endangered. They are considered small wildcats but are larger than most housecats.
Did You Know?
Bobcats are athletic predators, and can leap forward 3 meters (about 9 feet) when attacking prey. They can also swim and climb trees!
Bobcats can purr just like house cats. Wild cats are divided into two categories: big cats and small cats. Small cats can all purr! Small cats and house cats purr by vibrating the hyoid bone (a bone which connects the tongue to the roof of the mouth).
Jacques, C. N., & Jenks, J. A. (2008). Visual observation of bobcat predation on an adult female pronghorn in northwestern South Dakota. The American Midland Naturalist, 160(1), 259-261.
