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Bobcat

Lynx rufus

Mammal · family Felidae · order Carnivora

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Bobcat
Photo: Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
47 states[3]
Longest recorded life
32.3 years[4]

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a wild cat in the family Felidae[5]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe ranks it Secure worldwide[1][2].

Conservation status

Bobcat is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe gives it a global rank of G5 and a US rank of N5, and both mean Secure[2][6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. Trade across borders is controlled because it is on CITES Appendix II[8]. NatureServe says the overall population trend is probably stable, though some areas are seeing declines and others are seeing increases[9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
CITES (international trade)[8] Appendix II
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[10] 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Where Bobcat lives

NatureServe lists the bobcat as native in 47 US states and territories, including Texas, California, Florida, New York and Washington[3]. It is ranked as extirpated or possibly extirpated, which means gone or possibly gone, in Delaware and the District of Columbia[11]. Records on GBIF are most numerous in Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona and Florida, but that follows where people look and report, not how many animals live there[12].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank S5MEWisconsin: native, state rank S4WIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S4NHWashington: native, state rank S5WAIdaho: native, state rank S4IDMontana: native, state rank S5MTNorth Dakota: native, state rank S5NDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S3ILMichigan: native, state rank S4MINew York: native, state rank S4NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S4MAOregon: native, state rank S4ORNevada: native, state rank S5NVWyoming: native, state rank S5WYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5SDIowa: native, state rank S3IAIndiana: native, state rank S4INOhio: native, state rank S1OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S5PANew Jersey: native, state rank S2NJConnecticut: native, state rank S2CTRhode Island: native, state rank SURICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: native, state rank S5UTColorado: native, state rank S4CONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank S4MOKentucky: native, state rank S4KYWest Virginia: native, state rank S4WVVirginia: native, state rank S4VAMaryland: native, state rank S3MDDelaware: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXDEArizona: native, state rank S5AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S4NMKansas: native, state rank S4KSArkansas: native, state rank S5ARTennessee: native, state rank S5TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S4NCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4SCDistrict of Columbia: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SHDCOklahoma: native, state rank SNROKLouisiana: native, state rank S4LAMississippi: native, state rank S5MSAlabama: native, state rank S4ALGeorgia: native, state rank S5GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S5TXFlorida: native, state rank S5FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[13].
Show state ranks (49 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS4Apparently Secure
ArizonaS5Secure
ArkansasS5Secure
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
ColoradoS4Apparently Secure
ConnecticutS2Imperiled
DelawareSXPresumed Extirpated
District of ColumbiaSHPossibly Extirpated
FloridaS5Secure
GeorgiaS5Secure
IdahoS4Apparently Secure
IllinoisS3Vulnerable
IndianaS4Apparently Secure
IowaS3Vulnerable
KansasS4Apparently Secure
KentuckyS4Apparently Secure
LouisianaS4Apparently Secure
MaineS5Secure
MarylandS3Vulnerable
MassachusettsS4Apparently Secure
MichiganS4Apparently Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MississippiS5Secure
MissouriS4Apparently Secure
MontanaS5Secure
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaS5Secure
New HampshireS4Apparently Secure
New JerseyS2Imperiled
New MexicoS4Apparently Secure
New YorkS4Apparently Secure
North CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
North DakotaS5Secure
OhioS1Critically Imperiled
OklahomaSNRNot Ranked
OregonS4Apparently Secure
PennsylvaniaS5Secure
Rhode IslandSUUnrankable
South CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
South DakotaS5Secure
TennesseeS5Secure
TexasS5Secure
UtahS5Secure
VermontS5Secure
VirginiaS4Apparently Secure
WashingtonS5Secure
West VirginiaS4Apparently Secure
WisconsinS4Apparently Secure
WyomingS5Secure

Habitat

NatureServe records many habitat types for the bobcat, such as hardwood, conifer and mixed forest, woodland, shrubland, old fields, desert, bare rock and scree, forested wetland and riparian areas[14]. It also notes brushlands, swamps and mountains, and places with thick undergrowth[15]. Large tracts of habitat are the most favorable[15]. When resting, a bobcat uses spots such as a rocky cleft, a cave or a hollow log, and it usually changes shelter each day[15]. Kits arrive in a sheltered den site of much the same kind[15].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[14]

Size, diet and lifespan

The bobcat is a carnivore[16]. It prefers small mammals, especially rabbits and hares, and sometimes eats birds, other vertebrates and carrion[17]. NatureServe records a typical length of 125 cm (49 in) and a typical adult weight of 12 kg (26 lb)[18][19]. A litter has 1 to 7 young, usually 2 to 3, after a gestation of 50 to 70 days[20]. Young are weaned at about 2 months and stay with the mother until early fall[20].

Trait Value
Typical length[18] 125 cm (49 in)
Typical adult weight[19] 12 kg (26 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 32.3 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[21] 3
Gestation or incubation[22] 65 days
Female maturity[23] 365 days (about 1.0 years)
Food habits[16] Carnivore
Active[24] nocturnal
Migration[25] non-migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[26]

  • 100% warm-blooded vertebrates

When to look for it

The bobcat is mainly active at night and at dawn and dusk, and NatureServe says it is sometimes active by day in winter[27][28]. NatureServe lists it as a non-migrant, though populations can differ[25]. Breeding runs from mid-winter through spring, and in some areas possibly at any time of year[20]. On GBIF, most United States records fall in January, February and March, which shows when people report bobcats and not how many there are[29].

January: 12,215 recordsJanFebruary: 15,123 recordsFebMarch: 15,550 recordsMarApril: 8,701 recordsAprMay: 7,900 recordsMayJune: 5,328 recordsJunJuly: 4,922 recordsJulAugust: 4,517 recordsAugSeptember: 4,277 recordsSepOctober: 3,982 recordsOctNovember: 5,349 recordsNovDecember: 8,496 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[29].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January12,215
February15,123
March15,550
April8,701
May7,900
June5,328
July4,922
August4,517
September4,277
October3,982
November5,349
December8,496

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Bobcat as present in 147 park units[30]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 123 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida[12]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the bobcat endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5, which means Secure[2].
Where does the bobcat live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 47 US states and territories[3]. It is ranked as extirpated or possibly extirpated in Delaware and the District of Columbia[11].
What does the bobcat eat?
It is a carnivore that prefers small mammals, especially rabbits and hares[16][17]. It sometimes eats birds, other vertebrates and carrion[17].
How big is a bobcat?
NatureServe records a typical length of 125 cm (49 in) and a typical adult weight of 12 kg (26 lb)[18][19].

Facts and sources

  1. Bobcat is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Bobcat: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Bobcat as native in 47 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 32.3 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a mammal in the family Felidae, order Carnivora. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix II (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe notes on trend for Bobcat. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe ranks Bobcat as extirpated or possibly extirpated (SX or SH) in: the District of Columbia, Delaware. NatureServe Explorer
  12. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Bobcat: Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  13. NatureServe state ranks for Bobcat (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  14. Habitat types NatureServe records for Bobcat: Forest - hardwood, Forest - conifer, Forest - mixed, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - conifer, Woodland - mixed, Shrubland/chaparral, Old field, Desert, Bare rock/talus/scree, Forested wetland, Riparian. NatureServe Explorer
  15. NatureServe notes on habitat for Bobcat. NatureServe Explorer
  16. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore. NatureServe Explorer
  17. NatureServe notes on food for Bobcat. NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 125 cm (49 in). NatureServe Explorer
  19. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 12 kg (26 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  20. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Bobcat. NatureServe Explorer
  21. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 3. AnAge
  22. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 65 days. AnAge
  23. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 365 days (about 1.0 years). AnAge
  24. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: nocturnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  25. NatureServe migration category for Bobcat: non-migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  26. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 100% warm-blooded vertebrates. EltonTraits 1.0
  27. NatureServe notes on phenology for Bobcat. NatureServe Explorer
  28. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Nocturnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  29. GBIF observation records of Bobcat in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  30. NPSpecies park lists recording Bobcat as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.