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Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Habitat: Bobcats are most common in the rocky, broken terrain of foothills and canyonlands. Preferred habitats are piņon-juniper woodlands and montane forests, although they occupy all ecosystems in Colorado, including riparian woodlands on the eastern plains.
Diet: Bobcats will feed on practically any prey including mice, chipmunks, tree squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, snowshoe hares, porcupines, small birds, deer, amphibians, and crayfish (J. H. Jones and Smith 1979). They also kill young domestic sheep, goats, and poultry.
Description: Bobcats are medium sized, about twice the size of a domestic cat, with a bobbed tail and long legs. The dorsal color in winter pelage is a grayish buff, whereas summer pelages are more reddish; both are marked with streaks or spots. A facial ruff of fur is most noticeable in winter pelage. The underside, also spotted, is white and the insides of the forelegs are marked with horizontal bands. Measurements are: total length 730-1,000 mm; length of tail 120-160 mm; length of hindfoot 143-200; length of ear 50-85 mm; weight 5-14 kg.
Range in Colorado: Bobcats occur in the western two-thirds and southeastern sections of Colorado.
Status: CDOW Furbearer
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