The Seven Levels Of Classification

The Bobcat's Description

The bobcat has long legs and big paws. Large bobcats can weigh up to 30 pounds, but the average bobcat weighs 15-20 pounds. It  has a very short tail: 6-7 inches, to be exact. The end of its tail is always black, with a white tip. In summer it's light brown, and in winter it's dark brown.

The Bobcat's Habitat

Bobcats are mostly found in mountains and can live in deserts, but must be around water. Wetlands are another critical habitat resource. They support a variety of small prey such as rodents, and birds. A male's average home range is 10 square miles, and a female's is 3-5 square miles. 

The Bobcat's Range

The bobcat  lives in many different places. Like Canada, Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Baja California, and some parts of Florida. So the bobcat lives all over the United States.  

The Bobcat's food

 Bobcats are strictly carnivores. The bobcat eats snowshoe hare, cotton- tail rabbits, deer, squirrels, rodents, porcupines, birds, voles, and insects. But the bobcat presently competes for prey with the red fox, coyote, and fisher. 

Life Cycle

The bobcat can live up to 25 years at the most, but most bobcats live for only 15 years. Bobcats mate from March to April with a two month period of gestation.  Male bobcats seek out and breed with more than one female. But before they do that, they try to kill the rest of the male bobcats so that they can have all the females to themselves.  If a female is in heat she can breed with more than one male.  A litter has about 2-3 kittens. 

Survival

In order for the bobcat to stay alive, it needs food, a rocky ledge, wetlands, and a deeryard. If the bobcat does not have this then it  could possibly die, and if the bobcat were to die then that would be bad.

Facts

2.It has a very short gestation period, two months to be exact. 

3.It's yearly take is about 50 hare, three deer, and a numerous amount of rodents. 

4.They have a very large habitat for such a small animal.

5.The bobcat stays with its mom for about 9-12 months.

6.The bobcat is named for its short tail.

  Human Impact

Bobcats try to avoid humans as much as possible. They do that because humans have a tenancy to push the bobcats up to higher elevation. This is bad because when it is winter the bobcat does not like to be in snow more than six inches. When humans push the bobcat into higher elevation it is harder for the bobcat it get its food. Also when humans push the bobcat into higher elevation, it creates less vegetation. Vegetation is what their prey eats, so if the bobcats can't get to their food then they become extinct. 

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For comments or questions contact Bob McGowan at  bmcgowan@sbschools.net