Bobcats: Big or Small? A Look at the Size of These Mysterious Cats

When most people think about the bobcat, their first thought is a cute, cuddly-looking, yet fierce species of Lynx living across North and Central America. For most parts, that’s all we need to know.

How Big Are Bobcats?

However, what if someone asked you how big a bobcat is? Would you know the answer?

Don’t worry if you don’t because not many people do. At least double the size of an everyday domesticated house cat, the bobcat varies in size. This size depends on a number of factors, including age and gender.

Today, we want to tell you everything you need to know about the bobcat and how big they are. The fact you’ve landed here suggests you want to know. If so, you’re in the right place.

In this post, we’ll tell you exactly how big bobcats are.

Let’s not waste any more time, let’s get started!

Types Of Bobcats And Their Sizes

Known scientifically as Lynx rufus, bobcats can be found in many habitats and environments across North America, Mexico, and Canada.

With such a wide geographical range, it’s no surprise that the bobcat has evolved into many different subspecies.

While each of these subspecies falls under Lynx rufus, they all have different names.

Below, we’ve listed the different bobcat subspecies:

  • Gigas
  • Californicus
  • Fasciatus
  • Escuinapae
  • Floridanus
  • Pallescens
  • Oaxacensis
  • Rufus
  • Peninsularis
  • Texensis
  • Superiorensis

While these species of bobcat have different names, there are very few, if any physical differences between them. The biggest difference is their shade of color.

They are also very similar in size. The male bobcat grows larger than the female bobcat.

Males tend to weigh between 18 and 30 lbs. Females don’t normally weigh up to 30 lbs but can weigh anything from 11 to 30 lbs.

In terms of length, bobcats can grow anywhere from 26 to 41 inches without their tail. With their tail, another 2 to 7 inches is added.

Bobcats also stand at approximately 24 inches tall.

These metrics go for every subspecies of the bobcat.

Bobcat Vs Human Size Comparison

Despite being an aggressive, and super-skilled hunter, you probably wouldn’t find a bobcat very intimidating if you came across one in the wild.

One of the main reasons for this is the size difference between us and them.

A bobcat probably wouldn’t be any taller than your knee. If you’re tall, they might not even reach that. Incredibly, this is even the case when the bobcat is at its maximum height.

Things are slightly different if we think about the bobcat’s length, but even then they are only small compared to us.

If you lifted a bobcat onto its hind legs, it would still only be roughly the same size as a two-year-old child.

Bobcats also weigh similar to a two-year-old.

How Big Are Bobcats

Bobcat Size Comparison To A Wolf

Generally speaking, the wolf is a lot bigger than the bobcat. The largest wolf in the world is the Mackenzie Valley wolf. This wolf is 34 inches tall and can weigh up to 175 lbs. This is the equivalent of seven of the heaviest bobcats.

Bobcats are also 10 inches shorter when at their maximum size.

However, the Arabian wolf isn’t much bigger. This petite wolf is only 2 inches taller and 15 lbs heavier than a fully grown bobcat. This species is a much more even match for the bobcat.

Bobcat Size Comparison To A Lynx

The bobcat and lynx are separate species but they both belong to the same genus. This genus is the Lynx genus.

Four different species make up the Lynx genus. All four species are fairly similar in the way they look.

However, they aren’t all the same size. When the bobcat is compared to the Lynx, it is again smaller.

At maximum size, a Lynx can weigh up to 64 lbs, and reach lengths of 51 inches. The smallest Lynx weighs 18 lbs and grows to 31 inches long.

Therefore, even the smallest Lynx are as big as most bobcats.

Bobcat Size Comparison To A Dog

As you already probably know, dogs vary massively in size. With that in mind, we’ll compare the bobcat with the biggest and smallest breed of dogs.

The largest breed of dog is the Great Dane. On average, the Great Dane grows to 34 inches high and weighs up to 200 lbs. Some Great Danes have been known to weigh more.

To this breed of dog, the bobcat will look like a chew toy.

However, when compared to the smallest dogs, the bobcat is much bigger. The Chihuahua only grows to 10 inches tall and weighs roughly 6 lbs.

This makes the bobcat much bigger than the Chihuahua.

Bobcat Size Comparison To A Fox

The most common fox found in America is the red fox. The red fox only reaches 20 inches tall, just reaching the human midcalf.

As a result, the bobcat is actually four inches taller than the red fox. However, both species can weigh up to 30 lbs.

Compared to the smallest species of fox (fennec fox), the bobcat is much bigger in every aspect. In fact, they are 8 times heavier and 4 times taller.

How Quickly Do Bobcats Grow?

Young bobcats grow very quickly for the first 6 months of their life. However, after that, they start to slow down.

Males might not fully grow until 1 ½ years. It takes females until the age of 2 to fully grow. Considering they only have a lifespan of 10 to 12 years, this is pretty slow.

How Big Are Bobcats

How Big Can A Bobcat Get?

Bobcats are medium-sized species of cat that don’t tend to grow to maximum size. They usually grow to lengths of 20 to 50 inches, weigh 11 to 30 lbs, and reach a height of 24 inches.

The largest bobcats will sit at the higher end of this scale. Males are normally larger.

How Big Are Bobcats In Texas?

The average bobcat in Texas will grow to approximately 42 inches long from the head to the end of its tail.

They will normally weigh between 12 and 20 lbs. Occasionally, some males have been known to weigh up to 36 lbs.

As you can imagine, these males were old and fat.

How Big Are Bobcats In California?

In California, the bobcats aren’t too different. Studies have shown that the average bobcat in the state weighs 21 pounds and grows to 31 inches long.

Female bobcats are usually smaller, weighing an average of 17 lbs.

How Big Are Bobcats In Colorado?

Bobcats in Colorado, on average, reach lengths between 32 and 37 inches. Their tails are usually about 6 inches long.

In terms of weight, this varies. Most bobcats in Colorado tend to weigh between 20 and 30 lbs.

How Much Do Bobcats Weigh?

On average, bobcats weigh between 11 and 30 lbs. However, this changes depending on age and gender.

While most bobcats won’t weigh less or more than this when fully grown, there have been some exceptions.

The largest bobcats ever recorded weighed 48.84 lbs and 52 lbs. This is a lot bigger than the average bobcat.

In Conclusion

There you have it, everything you need to know about how big bobcats are.

Bobcats usually weigh between 11 and 30 lbs and reach lengths of 26 to 41 inches without their tail which reaches lengths of 2 to 7 inches. The bobcat also stands at roughly 24 inches tall.

In this post, we’ve not only shown you how big the bobcat is, but we’ve also compared them to other animals.

Now you’ve made your way through this post, you should have a much better understanding of how big the bobcat is.

Joe Edwards

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