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Bobcats Facts & Worksheets

Bobcats are medium-sized wildcats found throughout Northern America from southern Canada to central Mexico.

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Bobcats are medium-sized wildcats found throughout Northern America from southern Canada to central Mexico. It is relatively smaller in size than its relative the lynx. These cats are named as bobcats because of their small, bobbed tail.

See the fact file below for more information on the bobcats or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Bobcat worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Size and Appearance

  • Bobcats are similar to the Canadian lynx but smaller in size.
  • These are medium-sized cats covered with orange, grey, or brown fur. Their coats vary in color. In addition to this, there are line markings in dark brown or black on their coat.
  • Their spotting pattern acts as a camouflage.
  • Their cheeks are covered with long hair. The ears are black-tipped and pointed.
  • An adult bobcat can range from 47.5 cm to 125 cm in length with an extra 9 to 20 cm long tail. Males are larger than the females.
  • The weight of adult males can range from 6.4 to 18.3 kg whereas the weight of an adult females can range from 4 to 15.3 kg.
  • Lynx and bobcats can be differentiated through the appearance of their tails. The tail of lynx is completely dark and the tail of bobcat is black at the top and white on the bottom.

Habitat

  • There are a variety of habitats for bobcats which include forests, semi-deserts, brushland, and mountains.
  • 13 subspecies of bobcats can be found throughout North America (from Canada to Mexico).
  • Bobcats can also settle down near agricultural areas.
  • There are relatively smaller numbers of bobcats in Canada due to the presence of the Canadian lynx and heavy snow.
  • In Mexico, bobcats are found in dry shrubland and forests of oak and pine.
  • Its range ends at the tropical southern portion of the country.

Diet

  • The primary diet of bobcats is rabbits.
  • Bobcats are carnivores.
  • In addition to rabbits and hares, they also like to eat rodents, birds, lizards, snakes, and even deer.
  • Bobcats hunt larger prey during winters.
  • Bobcats hunt their prey by stalking it and then ambushing it with a short chase.
  • Bobcats also feed on livestock and poultry.

Reproduction and Offspring

  • Bobcats can live for 12 – 13 years. The oldest bobcat found was 16 years old.
  • Female bobcats reach sexual maturity at the age of 12 months and it takes 24 months for males.
  • Mating season starts from early spring but the time is variable as it is possible throughout the year.
  • Gestation period is of approximately 50 – 70 days.
  • Female bobcats will give birth to a litter of 1 – 8 kittens in a well-hidden cave.
  • The kittens open their eyes when they are 10 days old. Young wildcats go out on their own when they are around 8 months old.

Social system and communication

  • Bobcats are solitary and territorial animals.
  • Females don’t share their territories with each other while male territories may overlap with each other.
  • Males have territories of around 25 to 30 square miles whereas females can occupy around 5 square miles.
  • They leave scratch marks on trees and use urine, feces, and scents to mark their territories.
  • Males and females only meet each other during mating season.
  • Bobcats live in dens. Each bobcat may have one main den and many auxiliary dens, in its territory.
    • Main den: Main den of bobcats usually comprises of a cave or rock shelter, fallen trees, and hollow logs.
    • Auxiliary dens: Situated in less-visited segments of the home range and are frequently brush heaps or tree stumps. These are additionally called shelter dens.
  • Bobcats communicate through scents, visual signals, and vocalizations.
  • They produce loud snarls and growls.

Behavior

  • Bobcats are marvellous predators. They hunt their prey with extreme patience and concentration. They capture their meal with one great leap.
  • Similar to cats, bobcats have a great sense of sight, smell, and hearing.
  • They are great climbers and swimmers.
  • Bobcats can run at up to 48 km/h (30 mph) and they set their back feet in similar spots where their front feet ventured to lessen clamor when chasing.
  • Bobcats can easily escape from its predator by climbing up a tree.

Threats and conservation

  • Predators of bobcats include cougars and gray wolves.
  • Kittens are hunted down by owls, eagles, foxes, coyotes, and bears.
  • In addition to this, bobcats also have human predators. Humans hunt bobcats mainly because of their beautiful fur.
  • Habitat destruction and growing human populations are also great threats for bobcats.
  • However, the population of bobcats is still large therefore, IUCN lists it as least concerned.
  • Estimates show that there are around 725,000 to 1,020,000 bobcats in the wild.

Bobcat Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about bobcats across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Bobcat worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the bobcats which are medium-sized wildcats found throughout Northern America from southern Canada to central Mexico. It is relatively smaller in size than its relative the lynx. These cats are named as bobcats because of their small, bobbed tail.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Bobcat Facts
  • Bobcats
  • Bobcat Profile
  • Bobcat went on hunting
  • Lynxes of the world
  • Bobcat Trivia
  • Conservation Status
  • Behavior and socialization
  • Bobbed-tail
  • More about lynx
  • What did you learn?

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Link will appear as Bobcats Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 4, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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