Bobcat
The bobcat is equipped with razor-sharp claws, needle-like teeth, and
the strength to make good use of these weapons. The name, of course, is from the short,
stub-like tail, approximately five inches long, which has a distinctive black tip. Bobcats
vary in coloration, but are generally tawny-brown and spotted. Their under-sides are
yellowish-white, spotted with black. The legs are spotted on the outside and barred with
black on the inside. Bobcats can measure up to three feet in length, including the tail,
and weigh 15 to 30 pounds. Bobcats are excellent climbers.
Widely distributed throughout most of North America, this cat has adapted well to
civilization and is found throughout Florida. The bobcat is equally at home in deep
forest, swamps and hammock land. Bobcats can range five or six square miles and generally
cover their territory in a slow, careful fashion.
The female bobcat can breed after one year which occurs in late winter or early spring.
One to four young are born after a gestation period of 50 to 60 days. Two to four young
make a normal litter, and the newborn "kits" have full coats of spotted fur, but
their eyes do not open until about nine days old. The young are weaned in about two
months, but not before they are taught hunting skills by their parents.
An extremely efficient hunter, the bobcat, like most felines hunts by sight and usually at
night. The bobcat feeds on a varied diet of birds, small mammals, and (occasionally) young
white-tailed deer.
The Florida bobcat's unpredictable disposition does not make it a popular candidate for a
pet. Nor does its strikingly marked pelt have much market value. Catching even a fleeting
glimpse of this secretive and beautiful creature, however, can make anyone's outdoor
experience more enjoyable.