American Bobcat American
Bobcat © ucumari
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A comparison between current domestic and wild cats opens a window through which we can get an indication as to how much we have changed the wild cat through selective breeding and indeed how much the domestic cat has naturally evolved without our intervention over the past 9,500 years. When I look at this picture of the American Bobcat I can see a domestic cat in there. The difference is one of size mainly but there is a large overlap in the size of domestic cats and medium to small wild cats. There is also the naturally more rugged appearance of the wild cat. The bobcat is slightly more "thick set", meaning heavy set and stocky looking and lacks the cosseted refinement of the pampered domestic cat.  American
Bobcat - Photo:
© ucumari -
At
the back of the right ear you see white marking. This is to frighten
foe when she turns the backs of the ears forward and flattens them in
an aggressive/defensive mode. The Serval
has very distinctive ear markings like these.
Domestic cats look relatively delicate. Some, of course, have been bred to extremely delicate levels (perhaps extreme levels). This breeding-in of elegance (away from coarseness) and delicacy is amply demonstrated in the development of the Modern Siamese cat from the Traditional Siamese. This wild cat weighs about 20 lbs (at the top end of domestic cat weights - a very large Maine Coon might weigh 20 lbs for example - see Largest Domestic Cat Breed). Other than the differences born out of living in the wild, their lives, manners and eating habits are essentially the same as the domestic cat. The American Bobcat feeds on small animals such as the rabbit and squirrel. This is the same as the Scottish Wildcat, for instance. There is thought to be a tenuous connection between the American Bobcat and the rare domestic cat the Pixie Bob, which you can read about here. See a Bobcat catching prey. There are many more pages on this wesbsite that feature directly or indirectly the bobcat, please try searching for them using this custom search form:
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Florida Bobcat
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