On the Prowl

Wildlife oil painting of bobcat stalking prey in a summer forest

Ermine chest, ebony-spotted legs and tail give the tawny bobcat in this wildlife oil painting a touch of regal beauty. The name was probably arrived at because of his short bobbed tail. Six inches long, the white tip on the tail distinguishes him from the lynx, and his ear tufts, which act like antennae, are less visible.

The ability of the bobcat to pad noiselessly through undergrowth, as you see occurring in this wildlife oil painting, is in stark contrast to the blood-curdling scream he emits when seizing his prey. The bobcat often captures his prey in one great leap, or waits in trees to pounce on prey: rabbits, squirrels, mice, gophers, rats, chipmunks, lambs or fawns, or domestic poultry, as well as eggs of ground nesting birds.At the shoulder, they may be two feet tall, and live approximately 12 or 13 years. Their range is southern Canada to northern Mexico. The habitat of the bobcat varies from forests, as depicted in the oil painting, to mountainous areas to semi deserts and brush land. Habitat dense with vegetation and lots of wildlife prey is ideal.Solitary in their ways, the females never share their territory of five square miles. Their cubs weigh about one pound, and vary in number from one to seven. The males tend to overlap somewhat with a territory of 25 to 30 square miles.

Few have seen the elusive bobcat in its natural environs, which include southern Ontario.