bobcat
(Lynx rufus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| 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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Description |
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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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Size |
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Head and body: 25″ to 40″ Tail: 3″ to 7″ |
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Sign |
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Similar Species |
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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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Habitat |
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A wide variety of habitats including boreal coniferous and mixed forests, aspen forests, forested river bottomlands, brushlands, and cedar swamps |
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Ecology |
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Behavior |
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Lifespan |
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10 to 12 years |
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Life Cycle |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 7/27/2023 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Relatively common |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Mammalia (mammals) | ||
| Subclass | Theria | ||
| Infraclass | Eutheria (placental mammals) | ||
| Magnorder | Boreoeutheria | ||
| Superorder | Laurasiatheria (ungulates, carnivorans, and allies) | ||
| Order | Carnivora (carnivorans) | ||
| Suborder | Feliformia (cat-like carnivores) | ||
Family |
Felidae (felids) | ||
Subfamily |
Felinae (small cats) | ||
Genus |
Lynx (lynxes) | ||
Bobcat was formerly classified as Felis rufus. A comprehensive review of the Family Felidae (Wozencraft, 1993) concluded that it should be placed in the genus Lynx due to physical similarities and behavioral traits. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Bailey bobcat (Lynx rufus baileyi) Californian bobcat (Lynx rufus californicus) eastern bobcat (Lynx rufus rufus) 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 |
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Felis rufus |
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Common Names |
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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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Share your photo of this mammal. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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A Bobcat was … on 7-10-23 on a private landowners prairie in rural Norman Co. Mn. it was just wandering along. I was downwind from it and it was quite breezy so it never even knew I was there. Only 2nd time I ever encountered a bobcat while out and about in nature. |
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Luciearl |
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Ramona Abrego |
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Captive animal |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| 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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Share your video of this mammal. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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| 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 |
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| 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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Report a sighting of this mammal. |
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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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| Natasha H. on or around 9/1/2023 |
Location: Marine on St.Croix, across from state park along the river Seen during the middle of the day in an active high traffic area. Walked right past me '15-20ft away' and continued down the driveway and into the woods toward the river. Didn't seem bothered much by my presence. |
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| Dan W. Andree 7/10/2023 |
Location: a private landowners prairie in rural Norman Co. Mn. A Bobcat was … on 7-10-23 on a private landowners prairie in rural Norman Co. Mn. it was just wandering along. I was downwind from it and it was quite breezy so it never even knew I was there. Only 2nd time I ever encountered a bobcat while out and about in nature. |
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| Melissa 4/8/2022 |
Location: Credit River, Minnesota Lots of deer and such pass through our wooded property - this morning we saw a bobcat in the woods outside of our house following on the normal game trail. Confirmed with fresh paw prints in the snow this morning! |
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| Luciearl 4/3/2021 |
Location: Cass County Trail cam |
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| Ramona Abrego 2/14/2015 |
Location: Wildlife Science Center, Forest Lake Captive animal |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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