6 Difference Between Lynx and Bobcat (With Table)

What is the Difference between Lynx and Bobcat?

Lynx and bobcats are medium-sized cats that are able to live in any region all over the world. Bobcat belongs to the Lynx genus. There are four different wild cats that belong to the Lynx genus.

At first glance, it may be difficult to tell the difference between lynx and bobcats although they have differences both physical and behavioral.

The main difference between lynx and bobcats is that lynx is larger and has a tuft of dark hair on the tips of their ears while bobcats are the smallest cats in the species with stubby tails and distinct dark stripes on the forelegs and tails.

Difference Between Lynx and Bobcat

Comparison Table (Lynx vs Bobcat)

Characteristics Lynx Bobcats
Size They are large in body size. They are comparatively smaller in body size.
Habitat They live in cold forests. They live in a variety of climates and terrains.
Legs They have long legs. They have comparatively short legs.
Coats They have yellowish or grey fur. They have spotted brown coats with black spots that serve as camouflage.
Tails Their tails have black tips. Their tails are banded with black stripes.
Ruff They have luxurious ruff on their cheeks. They have much more modest ruff.
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What is Lynx?

Lynx is a genus that includes four different wild cats. They are found in parts of Europe and Asia. The cats are short-tailed.

They have long legs, large paws with tuft ears. Their coat is tawny to cream in color. The tip of the tail and ear tufts are black in color.

During winter the fur is dense and soft and this makes them live well in colder climates as they will not be able to feel much cold because of their dense fur.

In all species of lynx, males are larger than their female counterparts. They either live alone or in small groups. They are nocturnal animals. They hunt at night and sleep during the day.

As they are able to climb, they feed on birds and small mammals. Their population increase with the increase in food and decreases with a decrease in food.

They breed during the late winter season or early spring season. Their gestation period is two months and they give birth between 1 to 6 young ones. Their lifespan is 13 years in the wild.

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What is Bobcat?

Bobcat belongs to the lynx genus. It is one of the four wild cats in the genus Lynx. They are found in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Their coat color ranges from yellow and gray to reddish-brown. The darker pelage occurs frequently during summer.

Their coats have dark streaks and spots and their tails are banded with black stripe. They mostly inhabit the USA and Mexico.

Although they are harvested annually in the USA due to their commercial fur trade, this does not affect their population.

The males are larger than their female counterparts. They are polygamous and they typically mate during the winter season.

Their gestation period is about 62 days and they give birth to between 1 to 6 young ones. The mothers nurse the young ones for two months before leaving them to go on their own.

They feed on a variety of animals including domestic animals and also rattlesnakes. They mostly target the rats.

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Main Differences between Lynx and Bobcat

  1. Lynx are larger while bobcats are comparatively smaller in body size.
  2. Lynx live in cold forests while the bobcats live in a variety of climates.
  3. Lynx have long legs while bobcats have short legs.
  4. Lynx have yellowish or grey fur while bobcats have brown coats with black spots.
  5. Tails of lynx have a black tip while tails of bobcats are banded with a black stripe.

Similarities between Lynx and Bobcat

  1. They both belong to the same family.
  2. They are both carnivores.
  3. They are both nocturnal.
  4. They both have short rounded tails.
  5. Both are solitary by nature.
  6. They are both deadly predators.

In Conclusion

Lynx and bobcats belong to the same family of wild cats. They both feed on other animals and they hunt during the night.

Although they share most of the characteristics, they are different from each other. Lynx is large while bobcats are comparatively smaller in body size.

The main feature that makes lynx and bobcats be different is the size of their bodies.

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