bobcat
(Lynx rufus)
| Conservation Status | IUCN Red List |
LC - Least Concern |
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NatureServe |
N5 - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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Minnesota |
not listed |
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| Occurrence | Relatively common |
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| Photo by Ramona Abrego | |||||||
| Habitat | A wide variety of habitats including boreal coniferous and mixed forests, aspen forests, forested river bottomlands, brushlands, and cedar swamps |
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| Lifespan | 10 to 12 years |
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| Size | Head and body: 25″ to 40″ Tail: 3″ to 7″ |
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| Identification | The fur (pellage) is reddish-brown above, whitish on the belly, with spots and stripes throughout. The tail is short and black at the tip but only on the top. Ruffs on each side of the face give the appearance of sideburns. The ear tufts are short and inconspicuous. |
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| Similar Species |
Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is larger. The pelage is pale gray mixed with mixed with pale brown above. The belly is not spotted or striped. The tip of the tail is black, both above and below. The ruffs (sideburns) are more pronounced. The feet are large. The ear tufts are long and conspicuous. It is much less common. |
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| Behavior |
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| Distribution |  |
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| Comments |
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| Taxonomy | Order: |
Carnivora (carnivores) |
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Suborder: |
Feliformia |
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Family: |
Felidae (cat) |
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Subfamily: |
Felinae |
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Genus: |
Lynx |
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| Subordinate Taxa | Bailey bobcat (Lynx rufus baileyi) bobcat (Lynx rufus rufus) Californian bobcat (Lynx rufus californicus) Florida bobcat (Lynx rufus floridanus) Giant bobcat (Lynx rufus gigas) Lake Superior bobcat (Lynx rufus superiorensis) Mexican bobcat (Lynx rufus escuinapae) Mojave bobcat (Lynx rufus mohavensis) ? Northern bobcat (Lynx rufus pallescens) Northwestern bobcat (Lynx rufus fasciatus) Oaxacan bobcat (Lynx rufus oaxacensis) Peninsula bobcat (Lynx rufus peninsularis) Texan bobcat (Lynx rufus texensis) |
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| Synonyms | Felis rufus |
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| Common Names |
bay lynx bobcat red lynx |
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Glossary
Pelage
The coat of a mammal, consisting of fur, wool, or hair, and including a soft undercoat and stiff guard hairs.
| Visitor Photos | |||
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| Ramona Abrego | |||
Captive animal |
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
| Slideshows | ||
| Lynx rufus (Bobcat) Allen Chartier |
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| Bobcats Tory Kallman |
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| Bobcat - Lynx rufus Joe |
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| Bobcats william ketterer |
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| bobcats wlb393 |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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| Dan W. Andree | |||
| A BRIEF GLIMPSE OF A BOBCAT Published on Jan 16, 2015 |
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About
I had an encounter with this bobcat in the early fall of 2014. I didn't have much time to try capture it on film. Had seen tracks in winter, but never had contact with one before. It paused for several seconds. I tried readjusting the camera and it turned and trotted off by the time I did. It didn't seem afraid of me at first and I didn't feel threatened by it. It had kind of sad look in it's eyes. |
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| Other Videos | |||
| bobcat at deer carcass Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa |
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About
Published on Oct 14, 2016 |
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| Bobcat Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa |
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About
Published on Nov 16, 2016 |
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| Track Identification: Cougar, Lynx, Bobcat Muskrat Jim |
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About
Published on Jan 3, 2013 Identifying the differences between Cougar, Lynx, Bobcat and House Cat footprints. Video Response to a subscriber's question: http://www.youtube.com/user/VikingOutdoors For more information visit: Still images courtesy of Google Image Search. Musical intro: "Free Ride" by the Edgar Winter Group |
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| Bobcat!!! Video # 3 Meadowlands MN Logan Mattson |
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About
Published on Feb 22, 2016 Near Meadowlands MN. |
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| Bobcat Stalks a Pocket Gopher | North America Discovery |
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About
Published on Jun 10, 2013 Catching a pocket gopher is no easy task for this bobcat. The slightest misstep can spoil the task, but this cat's patience pays off. | For more North America, visit http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/north-america/#mkcpgn=ytdsc1 Watch full episodes of North America! | http://www.youtube.com/show/northamerica Subscribe to Discovery! | http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=discoverynetworks |
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| Visitor Sightings | ||||
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Ramona Abrego 2/14/2015 |
Location: Wildlife Science Center, Forest Lake Captive animal |
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