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The Bobcat (Lynx rufus,
or Felis rufus) is a small wild cat indigenous to North America.
They have reddish-brown or yellowish-brown coats that are streaked
with black or dark brown and have prominent, pointed ears with
a tuft of black hair at the tip. They have white underparts. They
are named for their short or "bobbed" tail. Bobcats
stand approximately 25–30 cm (10–12 inches) high at
the shoulder. The male Bobcat typically weighs from 11–16
kg (24–35 lb) and its habitat is deciduous forests and wooded
areas in most of the western and southeastern United States and
Mexico. The Bobcat can be found in a few parts of southern Canada,
where its range overlaps with the habitat of the related Canada
Lynx. Hybridization between wild Canada lynx and bobcat has been
documented in Maine and Minnesota.
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They breed in
late winter or early spring and have a gestation period of about
two months. A female may have one to six kittens each year. Although
adapted to a variety of habitats across the country, they do not
tolerate the deep snows. Bobcats move about their home ranges
most actively in the hours near dawn and dusk, hunting small mammals.
They seek cover in conifer stands and on rocky ledges. Unlike
the larger Canada Lynx, which they resemble, bobcats are often
highly adaptable to human-caused changes in environmental conditions;
some biologists believe that there are more bobcats in the United
States today than in colonial times. They have vanished from parts
of the midwest where most suitable habitat has been replaced by
cultivated fields.
Images 1 And 2 Come From The US Fish & Wildlife Service
Images 003 Through 006 Are Courtesy of Schmode.net
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