Meet a Cross-Border Cat—Bobcat

Lynx rufus is small wildcat that prowls deserts and forests from Central Mexico to Canada. Slightly larger than a house cat, these adaptable felines love to hunt rabbits throughout the borderlands and you just might see one strolling through your suburban neighborhood. Keep a watchful eye out for these nocturnal cats with short tails and darkly spotted legs with large paws.

Bobcat Facts:

  • Can jump 10 feet horizontally when pouncing to catch a meal of rabbit, rodent, lizard, or bird
  • Females have their first litter by 1 or 2 years old and prefer not to share their territory with other females
  • In Arizona, there is roughly 1 bobcat every 1.5 square mile (3.9 km2)
  • Bobcats weigh 15-30 pounds
  • Live 13-15 years in the wild
  • Their short tails are 2-8 inches long
  • Listen to their call here DesertMuseum.org

 




See other mammals that roam the Sky Islands here. Come join us to celebrate wildlife at the border on October 5, 2019 at our Celebration of Crossborder Cats at Coronado Memorial from 10am to 4pm.

Bobcat Fact Sources:

  1. Treehugger
  2. Fritts and Sealander 1978
  3. NatureServe
  4. Delibes et al. 1997
  5. Lawhead 1984
  6. DesertMuseum.org