Bobcats and lynxes are two awesome wild cats from the order Carnivora, suborder Feliformia, family Felidae, and sub-family Felinae.They are a species of Least Concern that are widespread across their natural distribution range. Bobcats are only found in North America while lynxes can be found in America, Europe, and Asia.Both lynxes and bobcats are similar-looking animals. Both are brown-colored cats with black patches and spots all over the body. Bobcats and lynxes have small tails and fur outgrowth on the tip of their ears which is also known as ear tuft. You will see that lynxes are comparatively bigger than bobcats if you closely look at them. They live in higher altitude places like mountains and shrublands and hunt on land dwellers who live there. Some of their common prey are rabbits and squirrels. They can swim and can catch fish too. A lot of people get confused between lynxes and bobcats. In this article, we shall discuss both the animals and distinguish between them. So keep reading!And if you like reading such fun facts, then you will also like the facts on the difference between frog and toad and the difference between an ox and a bull.What is a bobcat?A lot of people think that lynxes and bobcats are the same species, but that’s actually not correct. Though they are from the same lynx family, still a lynx and a bobcat are separate species. They both are carnivorous wild cats who look magnificent. First, let us know about the bobcat.Bobcats are wild cats mainly found in the continent of North America in Canada, the USA, and Mexico. Bobcats in the wild, belong to the class Mammalia, order Carnivora and suborder Feliformia. They are in the family Felidae and subfamily Felinae and genus lynx. The scientific name of the lynx genus bobcat is Lynx rufus. According to IUCN Red List, these medium-sized cats fall under the conservation category of Least Concern. Even after severe hunting for fur, their population is stable and doing well in their habitat range. Bobcats are some pounds heavy predators who are dangerous looking. They have distinct-looking ears. Their ears are brown in color and have black fur outgrowth on the tip of their ears also known as tufts which seem very beautiful. Their body is brown in color with black stripes and spots. These cat species have bobbed streaks on their forelegs. Species of lynx have a small tail in nature. Bobcats also have a striped short tails. They have a cat-like body but are a bit bulky with awesome fur and black spots. They have shorter legs and smaller paws. Overall they look like a cat but a bit bigger. Out of all species of lynx, bobcats are the smallest ones. Bobcats are top-class hunters who live in North America only. They prey on land animals like rabbits, squirrels, deers, and other smaller land dwellers. They are expert swimmers also. Bobcats can freely swim in lakes and streams which makes them great fish catchers too.What is a lynx?A lynx is a medium-sized wild cat with longer legs, found in the continents of Europe, Asia, and North America. They are inhabitants of mountains and higher altitude places. A lot of people stay confused between lynx and the bobcat, well earlier we knew about bobcats, and now let’s know about lynxes.Lynxes are mainly of four types. They are the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx, and the bobcat. Lynxes belong to the class Mammalia, order Carnivora, and suborder Feliformia. They belong to the family Felidae and subfamily Felinae. They are animal species in the Lynx genus. The scientific type name of these mountain cats is Felis lynx. One of the differences is that Lynx is comparatively bigger than bobcats. They also have a brown fur coat with dark spots and streaks on it. Lynxes have long legs and feet if compared to bobcats. All lynx species have ear tufts like some birds. These ear tufts are black in color and look magnificent. These animal species are expert predators. They live by hunting down land animals for food. Some of their prey are rabbits, hares, squirrels, snowshoe hare, deer, and a lot more. They are expert swimmers also and because of this skill, they are fish eaters in nature. Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and other lynx’s tail is short actually. The Eurasian lynx is the biggest lynx weighing around 40-84 lb (18.1-38.1 kg). Even after a lot of hunting, the lynx population has not become endangered. They are still thriving in their natural habitat range.Difference In AggressionWe know that bobcats and lynxes are similar-looking animals. Well, does that mean they are the same animals? Actually no. Bobcats are wild cats in the genus of lynx species while lynx is a wild cat found in Northern America, Europe, and Asia. Because bobcats are in the lynx family, they surely have similarities but they have differences also that separate their identities. What are they? Let’s discuss!The biggest difference between a bobcat and lynx is their size. Lynx are bigger than bobcats. Both the species are equally aggressive but because the lynx is bigger in size, it gets the upper hand. Other than their size, there are no big differences between them. Another minor difference that can be stated is their geographical location. Bobcat mainly lives in North America while lynx lives in Europe, Asia, and America too. Other than differences, they have similarities too. Both are wild cats with brown fur coats with black spots and streaks. Both bobcats are lynx are not endangered, rather they are the Least Concern species with a good population count. Both are carnivorous cats that prey on animals like rabbits, deer, and squirrels. Rabbits are their most common prey. Lynx and bobcats both have ear tufts like birds which is one of their distinct features. Bobcats and lynx both are adapted to live in all climates. Lynx can be seen in deep snow areas also. There are different types of lynx starting from the Eurasian lynx, Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx, Spanish lynx, and bobcat. Now if we do a lynx vs bobcat, we will find out that lynx are bigger and heavier than other bobcats. Eurasian lynx are the biggest and heaviest in the family.Difference In SizeA bobcat is smaller than a lynx. This sentence needs to be clarified because people often get confused between lynx and bobcat. Well, finding out which one is the lynx and which one is the bobcat is very easy actually. Both of them have similar looks but not the same. So let’s discuss their difference in size!Lynx are bigger in size than bobcats. Having said that earlier, let’s add more to it. There are four kinds of lynx namely the Eurasian lynx, the Canadian lynx, the Iberian lynx, and the bobcat. The biggest lynx which is the Eurasian lynx is 40-84 lb (18.1-38.1 kg) heavy and this lynx’s body length is around 27.6-51.2 in (70-130 cm), while a bobcat’s body length is around 20-50 in (50.8-127 cm) and the weight, is near 14-40 lb (6.4-18.1 kg). This proves a lynx size is greater than a bobcat. But not just size, a lot of features are also smaller in bobcats if compared to lynx, for example, their paws. Bobcats have smaller paws and thinner legs than lynx but they both have a small tails. Both bobcat and lynx are awesome predators. They prey on several land animals such as deer and rabbits. Snowshoe hare are lynx’s favorite food.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the difference between bobcat and lynx then why not take a look at the difference between hare and rabbit, or bobcat facts?
Bobcats and lynxes are two awesome wild cats from the order Carnivora, suborder Feliformia, family Felidae, and sub-family Felinae.
