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Lynx vs Bobcat

Lynxes are large-pawed and long-legged cats, having broad, short heads, hairy soles, tawny to cream-colored coats, and black-colored tufted ears and tails. Bobcats are named so because of their bobbed tails. They possess brown or red-colored bodies with short, black-colored tipped tails, white-colored underbellies, tufted ears, large paws, and long legs. Although they look similar, both have unique identification and behavioral characters. This blog post provides you with exciting facts and information comparing these animal species to clarify people’s minds.

Difference Between Lynx vs Bobcat

Lynx	Bobcat
All four species of lynx are present in the forests of countries, including North America, Asia, and Europe. They inhabit mature hardwood and evergreen forests with swamps, woody debris littering the ground, bogs, and rocky ledges.	All twelve bobcat species are present in Mexico, Western USA, and Canada. In addition to this, their habitat varies from species to species, including brush land, semi-deserts, mountainous areas, and diverse forests.
Their bodies are almost 32 to 47 inches long without 4 to 8 inches tails and are about 24 inches tall at the shoulders. Although Eurasian lynx are slightly larger, these animal species weigh between 22 and 44 pounds.	Their bodies possess a length of about 12 to 24 inches at the shoulders. The males are 32 to 37 inches tall, weighing between 18 and 35 pounds. In contrast, females are 28 to 32 inches in length and 15 to 30 pounds in weight.
The diet of lynx varies between species depending on its range. These animal species feed predominantly on foxes, rodents, hares, rabbits, birds, roar dear, and a variety of other species.	As bobcats are carnivores, they love all types of meat in their diet. For instance, they prefer to feed on carrion, snakes, rodents, lizards, birds, rabbits, etc. these species have also been known to prey upon deer occasionally.
Lynx mate between February and March, possessing a gestation period between 63 and 72 days. The females give birth to a litter of one to four cubs. Their first litters are smaller, and the number of cubs gets affected due to the availability of food and the mother’s ages.	Although the mating of these cats occurs between November and August, mating occurs primarily in the winter season. In addition to this, their females with a gestation period of approximately 60 to 70 days give birth to almost two to four kittens per litter.
Lynx are more active at night time, meaning that they are nocturnal animal species. They love to sleep in a shelter underneath rock ledges or fallen trees. Furthermore, the Canadian lynx keep them warm using their thick fur coats.	The humans cannot spot these cats as they are nocturnal and elusive. They remain active day and night time, avoiding daylight activity. However, their action gets limited to night hours, dusk, and dawn in developed areas near humans.
Lynxes are considered agile climbers and excellent swimmers. The Canada lynx hunts primarily at night or around twilight when snowshoe hares are active. Although they can hunt on the ground, lynxes can also swim to catch fish.	Bobcats are considered excellent jumpers and climbers that can jump over six feet tall fences. Therefore, it is advised to use hot wire overheads or woven wires to keep these cats from jumping or scaling your fence.
These animal species are kept as pets and can be very good companions; if taken care of from the younger ages. Furthermore, they will love you as other domestic cats but have different natures.	They are excellent pets only for those people who can handle their needs as exotic pets. The exotic pet owners are not a typical caretaker breed; anyhow, these cats are considered good pets for the right owners.
These three-foot-long animal species with retractable claws and big paws can leap almost 25 feet. But an average human has the capability to jump about three feet only. In addition to all this, they can run up to speeds of about 50 miles per hour.	According to Wildcats of the World, these animal species move slowly at a rate of about 10 to 65 yards per hour, covering about one mile to eleven miles a day. They cover longer distances during mating seasons, with the males moving faster than females.
The primary predators of these animal species include coyotes, wolves, and humans. They will escape wolves by either climbing or in the open.	Various animal species love eating bobcats in their diet. Therefore, their primary predators include humans, wolves, owls, foxes, coyotes, and lions.
Like other animal species, lynxes also live for a specific time. For instance, they have an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years.	These animal species live a longer life, between 5 and 15 years, but it can exceed almost 18 years; if they are taken care of properly.

FAQ’s

Sometimes people get confused and ask questions comparing these animal species to clarify their minds. Therefore, the answers to some of those questions are as follows;

Is a lynx larger than a bobcat?

The bobcats are considered the smallest of the four lynx species. Although Canadian lynxes are larger, it would be not easy to compare them from size only, especially keeping in mind the fact that individual members vary so much in size.

Has a bobcat ever killed a human?

According to the Laura Conlee of the State’s Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the interactions between humans and bobcats are infrequent. Therefore the bobcats’ attacks on humans are even more occasional.

Is there a domestic cat that looks like a lynx?

The Highlander cat, also called Highland Shorthair or Highland lynx, was developed in the 2000s using domestic cats and Desert lynx. These large cats look very similar to the lynxes due to their tabby patterns and coloring, bobbed tails, and curled and tufted ears.

Can a bobcat purr?

Cougars and other smaller cats, including house cats, lynxes, ocelots, and bobcats, can purr but not roar. They all can purr due to tightly connected links of delicate bones, running backs of small cats’ tongues up to the bases of the skulls.

Are lynxes related to cats?

According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, lynxes are the cats related to various members of the family Felidae, including jaguars, domestic cats, lions, tigers, and others. Bobcats are also included in the lynx species.

Why do lynxes have ear tufts?

The lynxes appear to have short or bobbed tails and black-colored tufts on the tips of their ears. Although all lynx species possess tufts, their purpose is still not clear. Some researchers think that these hair clusters increase the cats’ hearing, and some think that these tufts are used by lynxes like whiskers to detect something over their heads.

Conclusion

Various animal species are present throughout the world, all possessing unique identification characters. Lynxes and bobcats are also a bit similar but have various physical and behavioral adaptations. There is no need to worry as this blog post has provided amazing facts and information comparing these animal species. It will help if you read this article carefully.