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Description | |
| Description
Reproduction
Author: Bryan Gullion |
The average bobcat weighs only about 22 pounds and stands 23 inches tall at the shoulders. This standard frame is about double the size of an average house cat. Some large males can reach weights of up to 35 pounds. The length of a bobcat is about 35 inches including a 6-inch tail. Seasonal and range variation in its coat range from gray to brown to reddish-brown with a white underside and irregular spots throughout (Blum, 1996). Bobcats fur is dense, short, and very soft. They have two annual molts, the summer coat is shorter and more brown than the longer gray winter coat (Culver, 1999). The face of the bobcat is unique with ruffs and ear tufts (Blum, 1996). The bobcat can be told apart from his cousin the lynx by its feet, ear tufts, and a spotted dark coat. The bobcat also has a black-spotted tail with a white tip, whereas the lynx has a black-tipped tail (Blum, 1999). |