Bobcat or Ocelot

[ghenson82]

[QUOTE=predatorsniper;964704]All bobcats are marked differently. Some have almost no spotting while others are heavily spotted or even have circled markings called "rosettes". Also some cats are sandy colored while others have a gray or even reddish color. All are bobcats. South Texas is known for having a good population cats with dark spots and lines but they aren't known for being heavily furred due to the warmer climates.

That's a beautiful bobcat!

X2. We had a pelt almost like that from Kennedy county a few years ago. The rosettes were very distinct and the colors were very pronounced. Unfortunantly it got thrown away with all my other stuff when we lost power from a tornado and Mom cleaned out the freezer!

Bobcats can go from smoke-grey, brown, to almost red, with or without spots, and some have rosettes like it says above. This cat looks like an average bobcat with an exceptional coat.

[Big Spec]

cool pictures

[DNTRanch]

Black Panther with spots!!!!!

[tommy1005]

I say bobcat and beautiful one at that

[donpablo]

Lynx?

Can Lynx have similar markings?

Also, not to hijack the thread or anything, but if Lynx can be hunted in Canada, why do we protect them in Texas? Is it simply a matter of numbers? And if so, do you think we'll ever have a huntable population?

[Brokeleg]

Beautiful bobcat. By the way, what kind of game cam is that? First time I saw moon phase and temp. on one.

[texas hunter]

Beautiful bobcat. By the way, what kind of game cam is that? First time I saw moon phase and temp. on one.

It is a moultrie I40.

[kfd82]

Black Panther with spots!!!!!

Nonmelanistic black panther with spots!

[greenflag]

My 9 year old just walked up as I passed the Ocelot pictures and said "Ocelots are endangered" I showed her the first picture and she said that due to the ears, tufts on the face and the tail she would say it is a bobcat.

It amazes me what this child learns and retains about animals and nature. She even amazes the staff at her school. Her new teachers are told by her previous teachers never to second guess her on the subjects of animals or nature. It's kind of cool for your kid to have that kind of reputation.

Based on what my nine year old says and a bobcat I shot last year with similar markings but a lighter colored coat I'll vote bobcat.

[jd2b]

Very pretty bobcat...tail short, ears long, location

[wilded]

Can Lynx have similar markings?

Also, not to hijack the thread or anything, but if Lynx can be hunted in Canada, why do we protect them in Texas? Is it simply a matter of numbers? And if so, do you think we'll ever have a huntable population?

Because Lynx are native to Canada and there are no Lynx in Texas except captive in zoos.

[Bobcat]

There is somewhere between 8-12 subspecies of bobcat in the United States. That's not just regional variation in color, it always means potential variation in other characteristics as well.

You may have something unusual there. Again, I wouldn't shoot it.

Get that photo to someone that knows their stuff. You might try the refuge guys along the Rio Grande or in south central Texas or Texas A&M Kingsville.

Younger cats will sometimes show more intense spotting and I notice that IS a smaller cat than the second one pictures several posts later, but the size difference could also be to subspecies variation. I would not take the encounter for granted. Beautiful animal there.

[slayer]

Bobcat, very beautiful bobcat!

[luv2hunt]

cross breed

[Flint knapper]

Wilded Said My wildlife Biology professor said he new of one captive pair breeding but the kittens died within hours of being born. Kind of like Bobcats and feral cats. There has never been a documented hybrid cross.

I can't say anything about the ocelot and bobcats crossing, but I can confirm the cross between a domestic cat and a bobcat. I have a first cousin that owned one a few years ago. It had all the markings of a gray and black striped cat, with a short stubby bobcat tail, but was huge and had the body stucture and size of a bobcat. That thing was scarry fast.

You may not have any documentation about a housecat and bobcat, but you can tell your professor that his is definately misinformed about their existance. Although, it probably wouldn't happen in the wild, due to bobcats usually killing the domestic cats.