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{{Speciesbox
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The '''bobcat''' ('''''Lynx rufus'''''), also known as the '''red lynx''', is
It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or "bobbed") tail, from which it derives its name. It reaches a total length (including the tail) of up to {{cvt|125|cm|in|-1}}. It is an adaptable [[predator]] inhabiting wooded areas, semidesert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. It remains in some of its original range, but populations are vulnerable to [[extirpation]] by [[coyote]]s and domestic animals. Though the bobcat prefers [[rabbit]]s and [[hare]]s, it hunts [[insect]]s, [[chicken]]s, [[goose|geese]] and other [[bird]]s, small [[rodent]]s, and [[deer]]. Prey selection depends on location and [[habitat]], season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to [[territorial marking|mark its territorial boundaries]], including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.
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==Taxonomy and evolution==
[[File:Ernest Ingersoll - lynx rufus & lynx canadensis.png|upright|thumb|The [[Canada lynx]] has distinct tufts atop its ears and longer "[[Sideburns|mutton chop]]" style fur on its lower face]]
''Felis rufa'' was the [[scientific name]] proposed by [[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber]] in 1777.<ref>{{cite book |author=Schreber, J. C. D. |year=1778 |chapter=Der Rotluchs |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/SaYugthiereAbbiIIISchr#page/412/mode/1up |pages=442–443 |title=Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen |location=Erlangen |publisher=Wolfgang Walther}}</ref> In the 19th and 20th centuries, the following [[zoological specimens]] were described:<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft |id=14000163 |heading=Species ''Lynx rufus'' |page=542}}</ref>
*''Lynx floridanus'' proposed by [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque]] in 1817 was a greyish lynx with yellowish brown spots from [[Florida]].<ref name=Rafinesque>{{cite journal |author=Rafinesque, C. S. |year=1817 |title=Descriptions of seven new genera of North American quadrupeds |journal=The American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review |volume=2 |pages=44–46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F1HOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA46}}</ref>
*''Lynx fasciatus'' also proposed by Rafinesque in 1817 was a reddish brown lynx with a thick fur from the northwest coast.<ref name=Rafinesque/>
* ''Lynx baileyi'' proposed by [[Clinton Hart Merriam]] in 1890 was a female lynx that was shot in the [[San Francisco Mountain]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Merriam C. H. |year=1890 |title=Results of a biological survey of the San Francisco Mountain region and desert of the Little Colorado in Arizona |journal=North American Fauna |volume=3 |pages=78–86 |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700953/m1/89/ |access-date=2021-03-11 |archive-date=2022-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227100551/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700953/m1/89/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Lynx texensis'' proposed by [[Joel Asaph Allen]] in 1895 to replace the earlier name ''Lynx rufus var. maculatus''.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Allen, J. A. |year=1895 |title=On the names of mammals given by Kerr in his 'Animal Kingdom', published in 1792 |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=179–192 |url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/1034//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B007a05.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=2021-03-12 |archive-date=2021-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024021202/https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/1034/v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B007a05.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Lynx gigas'' proposed by [[Outram Bangs]] in 1897 was a skin of an adult male lynx shot near [[Bear River, Nova Scotia]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bangs O. |year=1897 |title=Notes on the lynxes of eastern North America, with descriptions of two new species |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=11 |issue= |pages=47–51 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofbio11biol/page/50/mode/2up}}</ref>
* ''Lynx rufus eremicus'' and ''Lynx rufus californicus'' proposed by [[Edgar Alexander Mearns]] in 1898 were skins and skulls of two adult lynxes killed in [[San Diego County, California]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Mearns E. A. |year=1898 |title=Preliminary diagnoses of new mammals of the genera ''Lynx'', ''Urocyon'', ''Spilogale'' and ''Mephitis'' from the Mexican Boundary Line |journal=Proceedings of the United States National Museum |volume=20 |issue=1126 |pages=457–461 |doi=10.5479/si.00963801.1126.457 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofuni201898unit/page/n541/mode/2up}}</ref>
* ''Lynx rufus peninsularis'' proposed by [[Oldfield Thomas]] in 1898 was a skull and a pale rufous skin of a male lynx from [[Baja California Peninsula]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Thomas, O. |year=1898 |title=On new mammals from western Mexico and Lower California |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History |series=7 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=40–46 |doi=10.1080/00222939808677921 |url=https://archive.org/details/s7annalsmagazine01londuoft/page/42/mode/2up}}</ref>
* ''Lynx fasciatus pallescens'' proposed by Merriam in 1899, was a skin of a gray lynx that was killed near [[Trout Lake, Washington]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Merriam, C. H. |year=1899 |title=Mammals of Shasta |journal=North American Fauna |volume=16 |pages=87–107 |doi=10.3996/nafa.16.0001 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
* ''Lynx ruffus escuinapae'' proposed by Allen in 1903 was a skull and a pale rufous skin of an adult female from [[Escuinapa Municipality]] in Mexico.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Allen J. A. |year=1903 |title=A new deer and a new lynx from the State of Sinaloa, Mexico |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=19 |issue=25 |pages=613–615 |url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/700//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B019a25.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=2021-03-12 |archive-date=2021-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215214151/https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/700//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/bul/B019a25.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- is this erroneous ? : * ''L. r. mohavensis'' (Anderson) – [[Mojave Desert]] in [[California]] and [[Nevada]] -->
* ''Lynx rufus superiorensis'' by Randolph Lee Peterson and Stuart C. Downing in 1952 was a skeleton and skin of a male lynx killed near [[Port Arthur, Ontario]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Peterson, R. L. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Downing, S. C. |year=1952 |title=Notes on the bobcats (''Lynx rufus'') of eastern North America with the description of a new race |journal=Contributions of the Royal Ontario Museum Division of Zoology and Palaeontolgy |issue=33 |pages=1–23 |url=https://archive.org/details/notesonbobcatsly00pete/page/n9/mode/2up}}</ref>
* ''Lynx rufus oaxacensis'' proposed by George Goodwin in 1963 was based on three skulls and six skins of lynxes killed in the Mexican [[Tehuantepec District]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Goodwin, G. G. |year=1963 |title=A new subspecies of bobcat (''Lynx rufus'') from Oaxaca, Mexico |journal=American Museum Novitates |issue=2139 |pages=1–7 |url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/3383/N2139.pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=2021-03-13 |archive-date=2021-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215214124/https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/3383/N2139.pdf?sequence=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
The [[Valid name (zoology)|validity]] of these subspecies was challenged in 1981 because of the minor differences between specimens from the various geographic regions in North America.<ref>{{cite thesis |author=Read, J. A. |year=1981 |title=Geographic variation in the bobcat (''Felis rufus'') in the southcentral United States |type=Master's thesis |publisher=Texas A&M University |location=College Station, Texas |url=https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1981-THESIS-R283 |access-date=2021-03-13 |archive-date=2020-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127050616/https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1981-THESIS-R283 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Since the revision of cat taxonomy in 2017, only two subspecies are recognized as valid [[taxon|taxa]]:<ref name="Catsg2017">{{cite journal |author1=Kitchener, A. C. |author2=Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. |author3=Eizirik, E. |author4=Gentry, A. |author5=Werdelin, L. |author6=Wilting, A. |author7=Yamaguchi, N. |author8=Abramov, A. V. |author9=Christiansen, P. |author10=Driscoll, C. |author11=Duckworth, J. W. |author12=Johnson, W. |author13=Luo, S.-J. |author14=Meijaard, E. |author15=O'Donoghue, P. |author16=Sanderson, J. |author17=Seymour, K. |author18=Bruford, M. |author19=Groves, C. |author20=Hoffmann, M. |author21=Nowell, K. |author22=Timmons, Z. |author23=Tobe, S. |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |pages=38–40 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=2018-07-14 |archive-date=2020-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117172708/https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''L. r. rufus'' – east of the Great Plains
* ''L. r. fasciatus'' – west of the Great Plains
=== Phylogeny ===
The genus ''[[Lynx]]'' shares a [[clade]] with the [[genera]] ''[[Puma (genus)|Puma]]'', ''[[Prionailurus]]'' and ''[[Felis]]'' dated to {{mya|7.15}}; ''Lynx'' diverged approximately {{mya|3.24}}.<ref name=Johnson2006>{{cite journal | author = Johnson, W.E. | author2 = Eizirik, E. | author3 = Pecon-Slattery, J. | author4 = Murphy, W.J. | author5 = Antunes, A. | author6 = Teeling, E. | author7 = O'Brien, S.J. | name-list-style = amp | year = 2006 | doi =
The bobcat is thought to have evolved from the [[Eurasian lynx]] (''L. lynx''), which crossed into North America by way of the [[Bering Land Bridge]] during the [[Pleistocene]], with progenitors arriving as early as 2.6 million years ago.<ref name=CanLynx>{{cite web |author1=Meaney, C. |author2=Beauvais, G. P. |name-list-style=amp |title=Species Assessment for Canada lynx (''Lynx canadensis'') in Wyoming |
The populations east and west of the [[Great Plains]] were probably separated during Pleistocene [[interglacial period]]s due to the aridification of the region.<ref>{{cite thesis |author=Reding D. M. |year=2011 |title=Patterns and processes of spatial genetic structure in a mobile and continuously distributed species, the bobcat (''Lynx rufus'') |type=PhD Thesis |location=Ames, Iowa |publisher=Iowa State University |pages=}}</ref>
==Description==
[[File:Bobbie 2010 2.jpg|thumb|The small tufts on a bobcat's ears are difficult to spot at even moderate distance]]
The bobcat resembles other species of the midsize genus ''Lynx'', but is on average the smallest of the four. Its coat is variable, though generally tan to grayish-brown, with black streaks on the body and dark bars on the forelegs and tail. Its spotted patterning acts as camouflage. The ears are black-tipped and pointed, with short, black tufts. Generally, an off-white color is seen on the lips, chin, and underparts. Bobcats in the desert regions of the southwest have the lightest-colored coats, while those in the northern, forested regions are darkest. Kittens are born well-furred and already have their spots.<ref name=cah>{{cite book |author=Cahalane, V. H. |date=2005 | title=Meeting the Mammals |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |isbn=978-1-4179-9522-6 | page=64}}</ref> A few [[Melanism|melanistic]] bobcats have been sighted and captured in Florida, USA and New Brunswick, Canada.<ref>{{cite news |last=
The face appears wide due to ruffs of extended hair beneath the ears. Bobcat eyes are yellow with round, black pupils. The nose of the bobcat is pinkish-red, and it has a base color of gray or yellowish- or brownish-red on its face, sides, and back.<ref name=utd>{{cite book |author=Sparano, V. T. |date=1998 |title=Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia |publisher = St. Martin's Press | isbn = 978-0-312-19190-0 |page=228 |url=https://archive.org/details/completeoutdoors00spar/page/228}}</ref> The pupils widen during nocturnal activity to maximize light reception.<ref name=cons>{{cite book |author=McDowell, R. L. |date=2003 |title=Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of New Jersey |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-3209-7 |pages=23–24, 27}}</ref> The bobcat has sharp hearing and vision, and a good sense of smell. It is an excellent climber and swims when it needs to, but normally avoids water.<ref name=wl/>
The adult bobcat is {{cvt|47.5|-|125|cm}} long from the head to the base of its distinctive stubby tail, averaging {{cvt|82.7|cm}}; the tail is {{cvt|9|to|20|cm}} long.<ref name=utd/>
Its "[[wikt:bobbed|bobbed]]" appearance gives the species its name.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/Facts/bobcatfacts.cfm |title=Great Cats: Bobcats – National Zoo| FONZ |publisher=National Zoo |access-date=October 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401110239/http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/Facts/bobcatfacts.cfm |archive-date=April 1, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bobcats, Bobcat Pictures, Bobcat Facts – National Geographic |date=10 September 2010 |publisher=Animals.nationalgeographic.com |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat/ |access-date=October 17, 2011 |archive-date=25 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925034359/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=MA0017 |title=Field Guides: Species Detail |publisher=eNature |access-date=October 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319221937/http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=MA0017 |archive-date=March 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/70769/bobcat |title=bobcat (mammal) |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica Online |access-date=October 17, 2011 |archive-date=November 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107231501/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/70769/bobcat |url-status=live }}</ref>
An adult stands about {{cvt|30|to|60|cm}} at the shoulders.<ref name=cah/>
Adult males can range in weight from {{cvt|6.4|-|18.3|kg}}, with an average of {{cvt|9.6|kg}}; females at {{cvt|4|-|15.3|kg}}, with an average of {{cvt|6.8|kg}}.<ref name="Burnie">Burnie, D. and Wilson, D.E. (Eds.), ''Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife''. DK Adult (2005), {{ISBN|0-7894-7764-5}}</ref> The largest bobcat accurately measured on record weighed {{cvt|22.2|kg}}, although unverified reports have them reaching {{cvt|27|kg}}.<ref name="uwsp.edu">{{cite web |title= Bobcat ''Lynx rufus'' |author1=Chiamulera, J. |author2=Krueger, E. |author3=Yarbrough, C. |name-list-style=amp |url=http://www.uwsp.edu/wildlife/carnivore/Bobcat%20Natural%20History_files/Bobcat%20Natural%20History.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608214022/http://www.uwsp.edu/wildlife/carnivore/Bobcat%20Natural%20History_files/Bobcat%20Natural%20History.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 8, 2011 |publisher=Uwsp.edu|access-date=February 21, 2011}}</ref> Furthermore, a June 20, 2012, report of a New Hampshire roadkill specimen listed the animal's weight at {{cvt|27|kg}}.<ref>Schreiber, J. (2012). [http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120621/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/706219906 60-pound bobcat turns up as roadkill] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625163340/http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120621/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/706219906 |date=June 25, 2012 }} . ''Union Leader''</ref> The largest-bodied bobcats were recorded in eastern Canada and northern New England, and the smallest in the southern [[Appalachian Mountains]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-563-01-0001.pdf |title=Bobcat Profile |work=The American Society of Mammalogists |access-date=September 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511214304/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-563-01-0001.pdf }}</ref>
Consistent with [[Bergmann's rule]], the bobcat is larger in its northern range and in open habitats.<ref name=CAP>{{cite book |author1=Nowell, K. |author2=Jackson, P. |name-list-style=amp |year=1996 |title=Wild Cats. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |url=http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |place=Gland, Switzerland |access-date=2007-05-25 |archive-date=2019-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205062959/http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> A [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] size comparison study in the eastern United States found a divergence in the location of the largest male and female specimens, suggesting differing [[natural selection|selection constraints]] for the sexes.<ref>{{cite journal |first=R. S. |last=Sikes |author2=Kennedy, M. L. |name-list-style=amp |year=1992 |title=Morphologic Variation of the Bobcat (''Felis rufus'') in the Eastern United States and Its Association with Selected Environmental Variables |journal=American Midland Naturalist |volume=128 |issue=2 |pages=313–324 |doi=10.2307/2426465 |jstor=2426465}}</ref>
Skeletal muscles make up 58
===Tracks===
[[File:Bobcat tracks in mud.jpg|thumb|Bobcat tracks in mud showing the hind-paw print (top) partially covering the fore-paw print (center)]]
Bobcat tracks show four toes without [[claw]] marks, due to their retractile claws. The tracks range in size from {{cvt|1|-|3|in|mm|round=5|order=flip}}; the average is about {{cvt|1+3/4|in|mm|round=5|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/bobcat.htm |title=Bobcat |access-date=June 25, 2007 |work=bcadventure.com |publisher=Interactive Broadcasting Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712161625/http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/bobcat.htm |archive-date=July 12, 2007}}</ref> When walking or trotting, the tracks are spaced roughly {{cvt|8|to|18|in|cm|round=5|order=flip}} apart. The bobcat can make great strides when running, often from {{cvt|4|-|8|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Peterson, R. T. |author2=Murie, O. J. |name-list-style=amp |date=1998 |title=A Field Guide to Animal Tracks |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Field Guides |isbn=978-0-395-91094-8 |page=115 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780395910948/page/115}}</ref>
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==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Bobcatonwires.jpg|thumb|right|Bobcat in urban surroundings
The bobcat is an adaptable species. It prefers woodlands—[[deciduous]], [[coniferous]], or mixed—but does not depend exclusively on the deep forest. It ranges from the humid swamps of Florida to desert lands of Texas or rugged mountain areas. It makes its home near agricultural areas, if rocky ledges, swamps, or forested tracts are present; its spotted coat serves as camouflage.<ref name=Whitaker/> The population of the bobcat depends primarily on the population of its prey; other principal factors in the selection of habitat type include protection from severe weather, availability of resting and den sites, dense cover for hunting and escape, and freedom from disturbance.<ref name=Proposal>{{cite web |url=http://www.cites.org/common/cop/13/raw_props/US-Lynx%20rufus.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102215719/http://www.cites.org/common/cop/13/raw_props/US-Lynx%20rufus.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |title=Deletion of Bobcat (''Lynx rufus'') from Appendix II |access-date=May 31, 2007 |date=October 2004 |work=Thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Proposal 5 |publisher=[[Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]]}}</ref>
The bobcat's range does not seem to be limited by human populations, but by availability of suitable habitat; only large, intensively cultivated tracts are unsuitable for the species.<ref name=CAP/> The animal may appear in back yards in "urban edge" environments, where human development intersects with natural habitats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/samo/naturescience/Bobcats.htm |title=Bobcats: Living on the Urban Edge |access-date=June 18, 2007 |publisher=[[National Park Service]], [[U.S. Department of the Interior]] |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013114432/http://www.nps.gov/samo/naturescience/bobcats.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> If chased by a dog, it usually climbs up a tree.<ref name=Whitaker/>
The historical range of the bobcat was from southern Canada, throughout the United States, and as far south as the Mexican state of [[Oaxaca]], and it still persists across much of this area. In the 20th century, it was thought to have lost territory in the US [[Midwest]] and parts of the Northeast, including southern Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, and much of Missouri, mostly due to habitat changes from modern agricultural practices.<ref name="cons" /><ref name="CAP" /><ref name="Whitaker" /> While thought to no longer exist in western New York and Pennsylvania, multiple confirmed sightings of bobcats (including dead specimens) have been recently reported in New York's [[Southern Tier]] and in [[central New York]], and a bobcat was captured in 2018 on a tourist boat in Downtown [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/2007/03-31/ | title = Elusive Bobcat Creeps into Region | author = Tobin, Dave | date = May 31, 2007 | work = Syracuse Post-Standard | access-date = June 26, 2007 | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304133216/http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/2007/03-31/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/03/18/bobcat-found-at-gateway-clipper/ | title = Bobcat Found On Gateway Clipper Boat Removed By Animal Control | author = Allen, Bob | date = March 18, 2018 | work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | access-date = March 19, 2018 | archive-date = March 19, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180319214712/http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/03/18/bobcat-found-at-gateway-clipper/ | url-status = live }}</ref> In addition, bobcat sightings have been confirmed in northern Indiana, and one was killed near Albion, Michigan, in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Jackson Citizen Patriot |url=http://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1224929140178170.xml&coll=3 |title=Bobcat killed near Albion |publisher=MLive.com |date=October 25, 2008 |access-date=February 15, 2009 |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210074957/http://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1224929140178170.xml&coll=3 |url-status=live }}</ref> In early March 2010, a bobcat was sighted (and later captured by animal control authorities) in a parking garage in downtown [[Houston]].<ref>{{cite web |work=Houston Chronicle |url=http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/heights-news/article/Bobcat-caught-in-downtown-Houston-garage-1718822.php |title=Bobcat captured in Houston parking garage |publisher=chron.com |date=March 2, 2010 |access-date=March 3, 2010 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107114310/http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/heights-news/article/Bobcat-caught-in-downtown-Houston-garage-1718822.php |url-status=live }}</ref> By 2010, bobcats appear to have recolonized many states, occurring in every state in the contiguous 48 except Delaware.<ref name=iucn />
The bobcat population in Canada is limited due to both snow depth and the presence of the Canada lynx. The bobcat does not tolerate deep snow, and waits out heavy storms in sheltered areas;<ref name=park>{{cite web | author = National Park Service. Yellowstone National Park | title = Bobcat | url = http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/animals/Bobcat/Bobcat.html | access-date = August 24, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060523234925/http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/animals/Bobcat/Bobcat.html |archive-date = May 23, 2006}}</ref> it lacks the large, padded feet of the Canada lynx and cannot support its weight on snow as efficiently. The bobcat is not entirely at a disadvantage where its range meets that of the larger felid: displacement of the Canada lynx by the aggressive bobcat has been observed where they interact in [[Nova Scotia]], while the clearing of coniferous forests for agriculture has led to a northward retreat of the Canada lynx's range to the advantage of the bobcat.<ref name=CAP/> In northern and central Mexico, the cat is found in dry [[scrubland]] and forests of pine and oak; its range ends at the tropical southern portion of the country.<ref name=CAP/>
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===Social structure and home range===
[[File:Calero Creek Trail Bobcat.jpg|thumb|Bobcat spotted in [[South San Jose]], California]]
Bobcat activities are confined to well-defined territories, which vary in size depending on the sex and the distribution of prey. The home range is [[territorial marking|marked]] with feces, [[Urine spraying#Felidae|urine scent]], and by clawing prominent trees in the area.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Allen, M. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Wallace, C. F. |author3=Wilmers, C. C. |year=2015 |title=Patterns in bobcat (''Lynx rufus'') scent marking and communication behaviors |journal=Journal of Ethology |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=9–14 |doi=10.1007/s10164-014-0418-0 |s2cid=17453824 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267332222}}</ref> In its territory, the bobcat has numerous places of shelter, usually a main den, and several auxiliary shelters on the outer extent of its range, such as hollow logs, brush piles, thickets, or under rock ledges. Its den smells strongly of the bobcat.<ref name=Whitaker>{{cite book |author1=Whitaker, J. O. |author2=Hamilton, W. J. |year=1998 |title=Mammals of the Eastern United States |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-0-8014-3475-4 |pages=493–496 |chapter=Bobcat, ''Lynx rufus'' |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofeastern00whit/page/493}}</ref>
The sizes of bobcats' home ranges vary significantly
Reports on seasonal variation in range size have been equivocal. One study found a large variation in male range sizes, from {{cvt|16|sqmi|km2|order=flip|0}} in summer up to {{cvt|40|sqmi|km2|order=flip|0}} in winter.<ref name=Whitaker/> Another found that female bobcats, especially those which were reproductively active, expanded their home range in winter, but that males merely shifted their range without expanding it, which was consistent with numerous earlier studies.<ref name=range>{{cite journal |last = Lovallo |first = M. J. |author2=Anderson, E. M. |date=1996 |title= Bobcat (''Lynx rufus'') Home Range Size and Habitat Use in Northwest Wisconsin |journal=American Midland Naturalist |volume = 135 |issue = 2 |pages = 247–28 |doi= 10.2307/2426706 |jstor=2426706}}</ref> Other research in various American states has shown little or no seasonal variation.<ref name=Kansas/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Nielsen |first=Clayton K. |author2=Alan Woolf |date=2001 |title=Spatial Organization of Bobcats (''Lynx rufus'') in Southern Illinois |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=146 |issue=1 |pages=43–52 |doi=10.1674/0003-0031(2001)146[0043:SOOBLR]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85594095 |url=https://bioone.org/journals/the-american-midland-naturalist/volume-146/issue-1/0003-0031(2001)146
Like most felines, the bobcat is largely solitary, but ranges often overlap. Unusual for cats, males are more tolerant of overlap, while females rarely wander into others' ranges.<ref name=range/> Given their smaller range sizes, two or more females may reside within a male's home range. When multiple territories overlap, a dominance hierarchy is often established, resulting in the exclusion of some transients from favored areas.<ref name=Whitaker/>
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The bobcat is able to survive for long periods without food, but eats heavily when prey is abundant. During lean periods, it often preys on larger animals, which it can kill and return to feed on later. The bobcat hunts by stalking its prey and then ambushing with a short chase or pounce. Its preference is for mammals weighing about {{cvt|1+1/2|-|12+1/2|lb|kg|sigfig=1|order=flip}}. Its main prey varies by region: in the eastern United States, it is the [[eastern cottontail]] and [[New England cottontail]], and in the north, it is the [[snowshoe hare]]. When these prey species exist together, as in New England, they are the primary food sources of the bobcat. In the far south, the rabbits and hares are sometimes replaced by [[cotton rat]]s as the primary food source. Birds up to the size of an adult [[trumpeter swan]] are also taken in ambushes while nesting, along with their fledglings and eggs.<ref name= Smith>Smith, J. W. (1988). ''Status of Missouri's experimental Trumpeter Swan restoration program''. In Proc. and Papers of the 10th Trumpeter Swan Society Conf., edited by D. Compton, 100–103. Maple Plain, MN: The Trumpeter Swan Society.</ref> The bobcat is an [[generalist and specialist species|opportunistic]] predator that, unlike the more specialized Canada lynx, readily varies its prey selection.<ref name=CAP/> Diet diversification positively correlates to a decline in numbers of the bobcat's principal prey; the abundance of its main prey species is the main determinant of overall diet.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Baker |first=L. A. |author2=Warren, R. J.|author3=Diefenbach, D. R.|author4=James, W. E.|author5=Conroy, M. J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2001|title=Prey Selection by Reintroduced Bobcats (''Lynx rufus'') on Cumberland Island, Georgia |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=145 |issue=1 |pages=80–93 |doi=10.1674/0003-0031(2001)145[0080:PSBRBL]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=85890281 }}</ref>
The bobcat hunts animals of different sizes, and adjusts its hunting techniques accordingly.
It has been known to kill [[deer]] or [[pronghorn]], and sometimes to hunt [[elk]] in western North America, especially in winter when smaller prey is scarce, or when deer populations become more abundant. One study in the [[Everglades]] showed a large majority of kills (33 of 39) were [[fawn]]s.
The bobcat prey base overlaps with that of other midsized predators of a similar [[ecological niche]]. Research in [[Maine]] has shown little evidence of competitive relationships between the bobcat and [[coyote]] or [[red fox]]; separation distances and territory overlap appeared random among simultaneously monitored animals.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Major |first=
===Reproduction and life cycle===
[[File:Bobcat-Texas-9110.jpg|thumb|Bobcat kittens in June, about 2–4 months old]]
[[File:Bobcat with offspring on rock - DPLA - 56a48f19c80a1c574e53f79ea35e21b4.jpg|thumb|Adult bobcat with two kittens]]
The average lifespan of the bobcat is seven years but rarely exceeds 10 years. The oldest wild bobcat on record was 16 years old, and the oldest captive bobcat lived to be 32.<ref name=mort/>
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===Predators===
[[File:Bobcat skull Pengo.jpg|thumb|Skull showing large curved canines]]
The adult bobcat has relatively few predators. However rarely, it may be killed in interspecific conflict by several larger predators or fall prey to them. [[Cougar]]s and [[Gray wolf|gray wolves]] can kill adult bobcats, a behavior repeatedly observed in [[Yellowstone National Park]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=Akenson, H. |author2=Akenson, J. |author3=Quigley, H. |title=Winter Predation and Interactions of Wolves and Cougars on Panther Creek in Central Idaho |work=Wildlife: Wolves |publisher=[[Yellowstone National Park]] |url=http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/wolves.htm |access-date=June 24, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Palomares, F. |author2=Caro, T. M. |name-list-style=amp |date=1999 |title=Interspecific killing among mammalian carnivores |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=153 |issue=5 |pages=492–508|doi=10.1086/303189 |pmid=29578790 |s2cid=4343007 |hdl=10261/51387 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> [[Coyote]]s have killed adult bobcats and kittens.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Fedriani, J. M. |author2=Fuller, T. K. |author3=Sauvajot R. M. |author4=York, E. C. |name-list-style=amp |year=2000 |title=Competition and intraguild predation among three sympatric carnivores |doi=10.1007/s004420000448 |journal=Oecologia |volume=125 |pages=258–270 |issue=2|pmid=24595837|bibcode=2000Oecol.125..258F |hdl=10261/54628|s2cid=24289407 |hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Gipson, P. S. |author2=Kamler, J. F. |name-list-style=amp |year=2002|title= Bobcat killed by coyote |journal=Southwestern Naturalist |volume=47|pages=511–514 |doi=10.2307/3672519 |issue=3|jstor=3672519 |url=https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7jXe61ZN_z_Y2VmOGZmM2UtMDUyMy00NmZlLWFhZDctNjc3YzVjMWYxMmNh/edit?hl=en&pli=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Knick, S. T. |year=1990 |title=Ecology of bobcats relative to exploitation and a prey decline in southeastern Idaho|jstor=3830671 |journal=Wildlife Monographs |volume=108 |issue=108 |pages=1–42}}</ref> At least one confirmed observation of a bobcat and an [[American black bear]] ''(Ursus americanus)'' fighting over a carcass is confirmed.<ref name="Bobcat vs Bear over Deer Carcass">{{cite web|title=Bobcat vs Bear: Competition over deer carcass|url=http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=13788.0|publisher=Hunting Washington Forum|access-date=November 1, 2008}}</ref> Like other ''Lynx'' species, bobcats probably avoid encounters with bears, in part because they are likely to lose kills to them or may rarely be attacked by them.<ref>Krofel, M., Kos, I., & Jerina, K. (2012). ''The noble cats and the big bad scavengers: effects of dominant scavengers on solitary predators''. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 66(9), 1297–1304.</ref><ref>IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, Kristin Nowell, Peter Jackson. (1996). [https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/6998 ''Wild Cats: Status survey and conservation action plan'']. Cambridge, UK: IUCN Publication Services Unit. {{ISBN|2-8317-0045-0}}</ref> Bobcat remains have occasionally been found in the resting sites of male [[fisher (animal)|fisher]]s.<ref>Aubry, Keith and Rale, Catherine (July 2006) [http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/olympia/wet/team-research/for-carnivor/aubryandraley-fisher-report-july2006.pdf Ecological Characteristics of Fishers (''Martes pennanti'') in the Southern Oregon Cascade Range]. USDA Forest Service – Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Olympia, WA, U.S.</ref> [[American alligator]]s (''Alligator mississippensis'') have been filmed opportunistically preying on adult bobcats in the southeast United States.<ref name="Gator eats bobcat">{{cite web|title=Gator eats bobcat|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/feltonphoto/8164136944/|publisher=Flickr|access-date=November 7, 2012|date=November 7, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Alligator nearly eats bobcat">{{cite web|title=Sneaky alligator nearly eats bobcat |url=http://www.kens5.com/video/featured-videos/Sneaky-alligator-nearly-eats-bobcat--156459515.html |publisher=Kens5 |access-date=June 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111043956/http://www.kens5.com/video/featured-videos/Sneaky-alligator-nearly-eats-bobcat--156459515.html |archive-date=January 11, 2014 }}</ref> [[Golden eagle]]s (''Aquila chrysaetos'') have been reportedly observed preying on bobcats.<ref>{{cite web|title=Golden Eagle, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology |url=http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/golden_eagle/lifehistory|publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology}}</ref>▼
[[File:Lynx rufus vs. Canis latrans.jpg|thumb|left|Bobcat defending a kill from a pair of [[coyote]]s]]▼
▲The adult bobcat has relatively few predators. However rarely, it may be killed in interspecific conflict by several larger predators or fall prey to them. [[Cougar]]s and [[Gray wolf|gray wolves]] can kill adult bobcats, a behavior repeatedly observed in [[Yellowstone National Park]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=Akenson, H. |author2=Akenson, J. |author3=Quigley, H. |title=Winter Predation and Interactions of Wolves and Cougars on Panther Creek in Central Idaho |work=Wildlife: Wolves |publisher=[[Yellowstone National Park]] |url=http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/wolves.htm |access-date=June 24, 2007 |archive-date=April 20, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070420174741/http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/wolves.htm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Palomares, F. |author2=Caro, T. M. |name-list-style=amp |date=1999 |title=Interspecific killing among mammalian carnivores |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=153 |issue=5 |pages=492–508|doi=10.1086/303189 |pmid=29578790 |s2cid=4343007 |hdl=10261/51387 |hdl-access=free
Kittens may be taken by several predators, including [[great horned owl]]s, [[eagle]]s, [[fox]]es, and [[bear]]s, and other adult male bobcats.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bobcats |url=https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/00608/wdfw00608.pdf |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=Living with Wildlife |publisher=[[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife]]}}</ref> When prey populations are not abundant, fewer kittens are likely to reach adulthood.<ref name="mort" /> ▼
▲[[File:Lynx rufus vs. Canis latrans.jpg|thumb|left|Bobcat defending a kill from a pair of [[coyote]]s]]
▲Kittens may be taken by several predators, including [[great horned owl]]s, [[eagle]]s, [[fox]]es, and [[bear]]s, and other adult male bobcats.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bobcats |url=https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/00608/wdfw00608.pdf |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=Living with Wildlife |publisher=[[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife]] |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519164555/https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/00608/wdfw00608.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> When prey populations are not abundant, fewer kittens are likely to reach adulthood.<ref name=
Diseases, accidents, hunters, automobiles, and starvation are the other leading causes of death. Juveniles show high mortality shortly after leaving their mothers, while still perfecting their hunting techniques. One study of 15 bobcats showed yearly survival rates for both sexes averaged 0.62, in line with other research suggesting rates of 0.56 to 0.67.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fuller |first=Todd K. |author2=Stephen L. Berendzen|author3=Thomas A. Decker|author4=James E. Cardoza |date=October 1995 |title=Survival and Cause-Specific Mortality Rates of Adult Bobcats (''Lynx rufus'') |journal=American Midland Naturalist |volume=134 |issue=2 |doi=10.2307/2426311 |jstor=2426311 |pages=404–408}}</ref> [[Cannibalism (zoology)|Cannibalism]] has been reported; kittens may be taken when prey levels are low, but this is very rare and does not much influence the population.<ref name=mort/>
The bobcat may have external [[Parasitism|parasites]], mostly ticks and fleas, and often carries the parasites of its prey, especially those of rabbits and squirrels. Internal parasites (endoparasites) are especially common in bobcats.<ref>{{Cite journal
==Conservation==
[[File:Rotluchs2.jpg|thumb|The bobcat population has seen a decline in the American Midwest, but is generally stable and healthy]]
It is listed in Appendix II of the [[Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]] (CITES),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml |title=Appendices I, II and III |access-date=May 24, 2007 |publisher=[[Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519090502/http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml |archive-date=May 19, 2007}}</ref> which means it is not considered threatened with extinction, but that international trade must be closely monitored. The animal is regulated in all three of its range countries, and is found in a number of [[protected areas of the United States]], its principal territory.<ref name=CAP/> Estimates from the [[US Fish and Wildlife Service]] placed bobcat numbers between 700,000 and 1,500,000 in the US in 1988, with increased range and population density suggesting even greater numbers in subsequent years; for these reasons, the U.S. has petitioned CITES to remove the cat from Appendix II.<ref name=Proposal/> Populations in Canada and Mexico remain stable and healthy. It is listed as [[least concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]], noting it is relatively widespread and abundant, but information from southern Mexico is poor.<ref name=iucn />
The species is considered endangered in Ohio, Indiana, and New Jersey. It was removed from the threatened list of Illinois in 1999 and of Iowa in 2003. In Pennsylvania, limited hunting and trapping are once again allowed, after having been banned from 1970 to 1999. The bobcat also suffered population decline in New Jersey at the turn of the 19th century, mainly because of commercial and agricultural developments causing [[habitat fragmentation]]; by 1972, the bobcat was given full legal protection, and was listed as endangered in the state in 1991.<ref name=cons/> The Mexican bobcat ''L. r. escuinipae'' was for a time considered endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, but was delisted in 2005.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2005/May/Day-19/i10002.htm | title = Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Petition Finding and Proposed Rule To Delist the Mexican Bobcat (''Lynx rufus escuinapae'') | access-date = June 27, 2007 | date = May 2005 | publisher = [[Fish and Wildlife Service]] | archive-date = May 25, 2012 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120525115855/http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2005/May/Day-19/i10002.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> Between 2003 and 2011, a reduction in bobcat sightings in the Everglades by 87.5% has been attributed to predation by the invasive [[Burmese python]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dell'Amore |first1=Christine |title=Pythons Eating Through Everglades Mammals at "Astonishing" Rate? |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/1/120130-florida-burmese-pythons-mammals-everglades-science-nation/ |website=National Geographic News |publisher=National Geographic Society |access-date=17 November 2020 |language=en |date=30 January 2012 |archive-date=18 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118192205/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/1/120130-florida-burmese-pythons-mammals-everglades-science-nation/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The bobcat has long been valued both for fur and sport; it has been hunted and trapped by humans, but has maintained a high population, even in the southern United States, where it is extensively hunted. In the 1970s and 1980s, an unprecedented rise in price for bobcat [[fur clothing|fur]] caused further interest in hunting, but by the early 1990s, prices had dropped significantly.<ref>{{cite report | first = William E. Jr. | last = Grenfell | name-list-style = amp | title = Bobcat Harvest Assessment 1995–96 | publisher = California Department of Fish and Game | date = November 1996 | url = https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentVersionID=4676 | access-date = 2013-02-26 | archive-date = 2013-04-19 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130419025231/https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentVersionID=4676 | url-status = live }}</ref> Regulated hunting still continues, with half of mortality of some populations being attributed to this cause. As a result, the rate of bobcat deaths is skewed in winter, when hunting season is generally open.<ref name=mort/>
Urbanization can result in the fragmentation of contiguous natural landscapes into patchy habitat within an urban area. Animals that live in these fragmented areas often have reduced movement between the habitat patches, which can lead to reduced gene flow and pathogen transmission between patches. Animals such as the bobcat are particularly sensitive to fragmentation because of their large home ranges.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=J. S. |last2=Ruell |first2=E. W. |name-list-style=amp |last3=Boydston |first3=E. E. |last4 = Lyren | first4 = L. M. |last5 = Alonso | first5 = R. S. |last6=Troyer |first6=J. L. |last7=Crooks |first7=K. R. |last8=Vandewoude |first8=S. U. E. |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05493.x |title=Gene flow and pathogen transmission among bobcats (''Lynx rufus'') in a fragmented urban landscape |journal=Molecular Ecology |volume=21 |issue=7 |pages=1617–1631 |year=2012 |pmid=22335296 |bibcode=2012MolEc..21.1617L |s2cid=14206892}}</ref> A study in coastal Southern California has shown bobcat populations are affected by urbanization, creation of roads, and other developments. The populations may not be declining as much as predicted, but instead the connectivity of different populations is affected. This leads to a decrease in natural genetic diversity among bobcat populations.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1674/0003-0031-168.2.265 |title=Urban Habitat Fragmentation and Genetic Population Structure of Bobcats in Coastal Southern California |year=2012 |last1=Ruell |first1=E.W. |last2=Riley |first2=S.P.D. |last3=Douglas |first3=M.R. |last4=Antolin |first4=M.F. |last5=Pollinger |first5=J.R. |last6=Tracey |first6=J.A. |last7=Lyren |first7=L.M. |last8=Boydston |first8=E.E. |last9=Fisher |first9=R.N. |last10=Crooks |first10=K.R. |name-list-style=amp |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=168 |issue=2 |pages=265–280 |s2cid=86455286 }}</ref> For bobcats, preserving open space in sufficient quantities and quality is necessary for population viability. Educating local residents about the animals is critical, as well, for conservation in urban areas.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.01458.x |title=Effects of Urbanization and Habitat Fragmentation on Bobcats and Coyotes in Southern California |year=2003 |last1=Riley |first1=Seth P. D. |last2=Sauvajot |first2=R. M. |last3=Fuller |first3=T. K. |last4=York |first4=E. C. |last5=Kamradt |first5=D. A. |last6=Bromley |first6=C. |last7=Wayne |first7=R. K. |name-list-style=amp |s2cid=85375755 |journal=Conservation Biology |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=566–576|bibcode=2003ConBi..17..566R }}</ref>
In bobcats using urban habitats in California, the use of [[rodenticide]]s has been linked to both secondary poisoning by consuming poisoned rats and mice, and to increased rates of severe mite infestation (known as [[notoedric mange]]), as an animal with a poison-weakened immune system is less capable of fighting off mange. Liver autopsies in California bobcats that have succumbed to notoedric mange have revealed chronic rodenticide exposure.<ref>{{cite web|website=Urban Carnivores|year=2011|title=Notoedric Mange: A Sentinel for a Big Problem in our Local Ecosystems?|url=http://www.urbancarnivores.com/notoedric-mange-a-disease-of/|access-date=2016-07-29|archive-date=2020-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818120226/http://www.urbancarnivores.com/notoedric-mange-a-disease-of/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Riley |first1=S.P.D. |last2=Bromley |first2=C.|last3=Poppenga |first3=R.H. |last4=Whited |first4=L.|last5=Sauvajot|first5=R.M.|year=2007|title=Anticoagulant exposure and notoedric mange in bobcats and mountain lions in urban Southern California|journal=Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=71 |issue=6 |pages=1874–1884|doi=10.2193/2005-615|s2cid=86058493|doi-access=free|bibcode=2007JWMan..71.1874R }}</ref> Alternative rodent control measures such as vegetation control and use of traps have been suggested to alleviate this issue.<ref>{{cite web|website=Urban Wildlife Research Project|access-date=August 5, 2016|url=https://urbanwildliferesearchproject.com/rodenticide-impacts-and-alternatives/|title=Rodenticide: Impacts and Alternatives|date=2015|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820152127/https://urbanwildliferesearchproject.com/rodenticide-impacts-and-alternatives/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Importance in human culture==
Stories featuring the bobcat, in many variations, are found in some Indigenous cultures of North America, with parallels in South America. A story from the [[Nez Perce tribe|Nez Perce]], for instance, depicts the bobcat and coyote as opposed, antithetical beings.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Pollock, D. |date=1993 | title = Histoire de Lynx, Review | journal = American Anthropologist | volume = 95 | issue = 1 | pages = 223–224 | doi = 10.1525/aa.1993.95.1.02a00800}}</ref> However, another version represents them with equality and identicality. [[Claude Lévi-Strauss]] argues that the former concept, that of twins representing opposites, is an inherent theme in New World mythologies, but that they are not equally balanced figures, representing an open-ended dualism rather than the symmetric duality of Old World cultures. The latter notion then, Lévi-Strauss suggests, is the result of regular contact between Europeans and native cultures. Additionally, the version found in the Nez Perce story is of much greater complexity, while the version of equality seems to have lost the tale's original meaning.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Yalman, Nur | year = 1996 | title = Lévi-Strauss in Wonderland: Playing Chess with Unusual Cats: The Story of Lynx | journal = American Ethnologist | volume = 23 | issue = 4| pages = 902| doi = 10.1525/ae.1996.23.4.02a00120 }}</ref>
[[File:Bobcat-image-MariadB.png|thumb|250x250px|Female bobcat at the [[Carolina Tiger Rescue]].]]
In a [[Shawnee]] tale, the bobcat is outwitted by a rabbit, which gives rise to its spots. After trapping the rabbit in a tree, the bobcat is persuaded to build a fire, only to have the embers scattered on its fur, leaving it singed with dark brown spots.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.jaxzoo.org/things/biofacts/FloridaBobcat.asp | title = Florida Bobcat Bio Facts | access-date = June 27, 2007 | year = 2005 | publisher = Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens| archive-url
Grave artifacts from dirt domes excavated in the 1980s along the [[Illinois River]] revealed a complete skeleton of a young bobcat along with a collar made of bone pendants and shell beads that had been buried by the [[Hopewell tradition|Hopewell culture]]. The type and place of burial indicate a tamed and cherished pet or possible spiritual significance. The Hopewell normally buried their dogs, so the bones were initially identified as remains of a puppy, but dogs were usually buried close to the village and not in the mounds themselves. This is the only wild cat decorated burial on the archaeological record.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1179/2327427115Y.0000000007 |title=A Bobcat Burial and Other Reported Intentional Animal Burials from Illinois Hopewell Mounds|journal=Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology |volume=40 |issue=3|pages=282|year=2015|last1=Perri|first1=A. R.|last2=Martin|first2=T. J.|last3=Farnsworth|first3=K. B. |s2cid=132342406}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1126/science.aac8794|title=Ancient bobcat buried like a human being|journal=Science|year=2015|last1=Grimm|first1=D.}}</ref>
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==See also==
{{Portal|Mammals|Cats|North America}}
* [[Bougar]]
* [[Canada lynx]]▼
* [[Eurasian lynx]]
* [[Iberian lynx]]
▲* [[Canada lynx]]
==References==
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{{Spoken Wikipedia|Bobcat.ogg|date=2009-01-29}}
{{Wikispecies|Lynx rufus}}
{{Commons
{{Wiktionary}}
* {{cite web |url=http://
* {{cite web |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612144559/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 12, 2007 |title=Bobcats |publisher=National Geographic}}
* {{Cite web |title=What are the secrets of Connecticut's Bobcats? |date=2019 |author=Skahill, P. |url=https://www.ctpublic.org/environment/2019-01-22/what-are-the-secrets-of-connecticuts-bobcats |
{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{North American Game}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q131907}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Mammals of the United States]]
[[Category:Pleistocene carnivorans]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber]]
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