Bobcat or Lynx? Help needed

[Ira Sanders]

Hey all,

If someone out there is knowledgeable about Bobcats and Lynx, tell me what are the chances of a Lynx being in Golden?  We had one or the other this afternoon near our house which is just north of Heritage Square.  I did some research but I am still just as confused.

I have noticed that there are fewer rabbits around lately.

Thanks

Ira

[Adam Johnson]

Without seeing a picture my first instinct is to say that it was a bobcat. While all of our cats are skittish, lynx tend to avoid people like the plague.

Generally speaking, if the cat had any amount of spotting then it was a bobcat. Lynx are a more solid to mottled gray color. Lynx will also have longer ear tufts than bobcats. If you compare the tails of the two, the tip of a bobcat tail will be black on the top and white on the bottom while the tip of a lynx's tail will be black all the way around.

Adam

[JohnT]

Bobcats are normally found from 5,000 up to 10,000 feet.  Lynxs are higher altitude cats, at or above 9,000 feet and are dependent on snowshoe hare and spruce forest habitat.  It's not out to the realm of possibility that a lynx can come down lower, but not likely.  -   John T

[Deborah Carstensen]

My understanding is that the tail markings mentioned before is the best field mark. Otherwise they can share many if the same markings. Deb Carstensen, Littleton

Sent from my iPhone

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