Animal Unique | Bobcat | Bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. It is a flexible predator forested areas, but also semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges and swampland environments occupancy. It remains in many of its original range and populations are healthy. Unlike other types of Lynx, bobcat is not solely dependent on the deep forest. It will make its home near agricultural areas, and rocky ridges, swamps, or forested parts are present, the spotted coat as camouflage. The population of bobcat primarily dependent on the population of its prey, other important factors in the choice of habitat type include protection against extreme weather conditions, availability of rest and den sites, dense cover for hunting and escape, and freedom of disturbance.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Lynx
Species: L. rufus
Bobcat is a moderate size member of the cat family. Bobcats get their name from the short "moving" tail and is recognized by the face collar and short ear tufts. Bobcats' fur is short and dense and yellowish or reddish brown with black spots. Bobcats in the desert regions of the southwest the lightest colored coats, while those in the northern, forested regions are darkest. Kittens are born well furred and already have their spots. They have tufted ears, white whiskers, and a relatively short dashed tail. The face appears wide due to ruffs of extended hair below the ears. Bobcat eyes are yellow with black pupils. The nose of the bobcat is pink-red, and it has a base color of gray or yellow or brownish-red on his face, sides and back. Bobcat is muscular, and the hind legs are longer than the forelegs.
Bobcats are rarely seen because they are active between dusk and dawn, but signs such as tracks are good indicators of their presence. Bobcat is crepuscular. It involves the transition from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Its behavior may vary seasonally, such as bobcats more day in the autumn and winter. This is a response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in the colder months. Bobcat tracks are round in shape, about 2 cm by 2 cm. In general, bobcat tracks to be recognized by the shape of the print, the absence of a claw marks. Bobcat tracks sometimes confused with dog or coyote tracks. Dog tracks are usually longer than they are wide, his diamond, show claw marks, and have a triangular palm pad.
Bobcat activities are confined to well defined areas, which vary in size depending on sex and the distribution of prey. The home range is marked with feces, urine scent, and by scratching trees prominent in the area. In its territory the bobcat has a large number of places of shelter: usually a main den, and a number of additional shelters on the outer extent of the range, such as hollow logs, brush piles, under rocks or bushes ledges. The den smells strongly of the bobcat. Like most cats, the bobcat is largely solitary but ranges will often overlap. Unusually for a cat, males are more tolerant of overlap, while females rarely wander into others achieve. Bobcats are agile and talented climbers. They can dart around rock ledges in the pursuit of prey or may rush into trees to escape dogs.
Bobcat is able to for a long time without food but will eat heavily when prey is abundant. During lean periods is often prey on larger animals that can kill and return later to feed. Bobcat hunts by stalking its prey and then attacked with a short chase or pounce. Bobcat hunts animals of different sizes, and will accordingly be hunting techniques. With small animals such as rodents, squirrels, birds, fish and insects, it will hunt in areas known to be abundant in prey, and will lie, crouch, or stand and wait for the victims wander close. It will then pounce, grabbing the prey with its sharp, retractable claws. Man is the bobcat's worst enemy. Forested areas required by the bobcat to survive have been cleared. Bobcats are needlessly destroyed due to the misconception that they are terrible predators.
Bobcats typically live to six or eight years old, with a few beyond ten. The longest they have been known to live in the wild is 16 years and 32 years in captivity. They generally begin breeding by their second summer, but women can be as early as their first year to start. Females usually produce a litter of one to six young in the spring after a gestation period of 60 to 70 days. If they do not have a spring litter or if it does not survive, can they mate and give birth later in the year in a month. Kittens can be taken by several predators, including owls, eagles, foxes, bobcats and other adult male, when prey populations are not abundant, fewer kittens are likely to reach adulthood. Diseases, accidents, hunters, automobiles, and hunger are the other main causes of death. Bobcat, external parasites, mostly ticks and fleas, and will often carry the parasites of its prey, especially rabbits and squirrels.
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