Bobcat

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Physical Description - The color of the bobcat is tawny (greyer in the winter) with indistinct black spotting. The tail is short and stubby with 2 or 3 black bars with a black tip above and pale or white below. The face has broken black lines which radiate onto the broad cheek ruff. Average weight is 15-70 pounds with the male being larger than the female.

Habitat -Bobcats prefer large forested or wooded areas. Forest lands with immature trees, thick underbrush, occasional clearings, cliffs, and timbered swamps are generally best. Common den sites include fallen trees, hollow logs or trees, thickets, caves, and rock piles. Some bobcats make their dens in abandoned or little-used barns and buildings. Viewed by many as a "wilderness species," the bobcat's shy, secretive habits allow it to live surprisingly close to people.

Habits - Bobcats are most active at night and during the twilight hours of dusk and dawn. Daytime movements are rare except during the breeding season and occasionally during winter when food is scarce.

Bobcats are usually quiet but can make low growls or high-pitched screams. Squalls, howls, meows, and yowls are sometimes heard during the mating season, when they tend to be more vocal than at other times of the year. Captive bobcats have been known to purr. The same is probably true for wild ones.

Tracks - The bobcat track is easily distinquished with a round shape, four toes and no claws evident. It is generally twice the size of a domestic cat's print and loosely resembles that of a coyote or dog but is more rounded. At greater speeds the toes of the front foot spread easier than that of the hind one which has a smaller ball pad. Bobcats are curious animals, zig-zagging to investigate objects that catch their attention. They usually move at a walk or trot. Dirt roads, railways, and game trails are common travel routes between hunting and resting places.

Straddle: 11-12 cm (4.4 - 4.8 in)
Stride: 25 - 35 cm (10 - 14 in)
Track: 4.5 cm (1.8 in) long / 4.5 cm (1.8 in) wide

Diet - Common foods include rabbits, squirrels, birds, and rodents like mice, moles, and rats. Bobcats gorge themselves when food is plentiful and may not feed again for several days. They seldom return to eat from an old kill unless food is scarce.