What a cute kitty!" you might say. But this is no housecat! Bobcats are also known as wildcats, a veryappropriate name. A cornered bobcat has beenknown to slash through a heavy leather work bootwith one swipe! Bobcats are found throughout the United States andinto southern Canada in a variety of habitats fromforests to deserts, swamps to mountains. About thesize of a large housecat bobcats weigh an average of15-20 pounds (7-9 kg), but the record is 39 pounds.The total length from head to the tip of its bob tail isup to 30 inches (75 cm). The scientific name means "red cat". Most bobcats are a reddish or tawny color with black streaks and spots. Thebelly is cream with dark spots. They have a short tail with a white tip and small, tufted ears like their northern cousinthe lynx. Bobcats, like most cats, are solitary animals, and much of their hunting is done at night. Their home range depends onthe abundance of food available. A male may roam over an area as much as 10 square miles, a female as little as 5miles. The bulk of their diet consists of rabbits and rodents. Other menu items include ground birds, snakes, lizardsopossums, and grasshoppers--whatever they can catch. They have even been known to take an adult deer by stalkingthe animal, throwing themselves on its back, biting at the base of its skull, and tearing with its claws until the preydrops. Trails of bobcats can be seen not only by footprints, but also by scratches on tree trunks where they have stretchedand sharpened their claws like a domestic cat using a scratching post. They climb trees quite well, and they are alsogood swimmers. And, like domestic cats, they can purr.Bobcats reach sexual maturity early, and females usually breed in their first year. The kits may be born during anymonth, but usually in March or April. Gestation takes 50-60 days, and the kits are blind for their first week. Bobcatsusually have 2-3 kits in a littler, but can have up to six. The den is usually a log or thick underbrush, especiallypalmetto thickets in Florida. The mother fiercely defends her kits and den against predators. Bobcats have been hunted by people for their soft fur and for sport which has greatly decreased their numbers.Human development has also destroyed a great deal of their habitat, so it is difficult to see one in the wild today. Tosee this shy cat in the wild is a memorable experience. If you see one, stand still and observe the bobcat quietly. Theyare easily frightened by noise and sudden movements.
