Lynxes and bobcats are also called wildcats. San Diego County only has bobcats. Bobcat coat colors vary, but most are reddish above and pale underneath with some patterned dark stripes or spots. A distinctive characteristic of both lynxes and bobcats is the tuft of fur on each ear. Bobcats weigh 15 to 35 pounds and have a short bobbed tail with black on the tip.
Bobcats live in varied habitats including rocks, brush, and dense vegetation.
Bobcats are found below 8,000 feet in all of the western states and Canada. Although bobcats prefer rimrocks and gullies in the West, they also roam swamps and woodlands in other areas. They den in rock crevices and hollow logs. Bobcats eat a varied diet, including rats, mice, rabbits, squirrels, carrion, and insects, so they rarely encounter food shortages. Like mountain lions, bobcats use stealth in hunting their prey, often waiting for hours near a game trail for prey to come within their 10-foot springing range.