Description: Heavily built with a short tail and short ear tufts. Coat: Barred and spotted with black on reddish brown patterning that is very variable. The underside is white and the tail is tipped with either black or white.
Size: Head and body length 62-106cm, tail length 10-20cm.
Weight: 6-31 kg.
Senses:
Habitat: Rocky scree, rough ground, thickets, forests and swamps.
Range: They live in well-marked territories where they follow paths to water and hunting grounds, occupy burrows, dens and other resting areas. Both sexes care for their den year round and often rest in it. Some individuals migrate when food is hard to find, the majority of migrating cats are young that have not yet claimed a territory.
Distribution: S Canada to S Mexico.
Status:
Daily Rhythm: Active most at twilight.
Voice:
Enemies:
Prey: Rodents, small mammals (hares, cotton-tail rabbits) small ungulates and large ground birds.
Food and Feeding:
Grouping: Mostly solitary, groups of individuals are usually females with their young.
Breeding: Mating usually occurs late in the winter months, and females mate once every 2 years.
Gestation: 60-63 days.
Litter Size: 1-4 per litter.
Young Description:
Nest: The females den, which she tends year round, is also used as the nest site.
Young Care: Females care for their young alone.
Sexual Maturity:
Longevity:

Back to Main Page
Back to Mammals