Beware, of the Bobcat!

Florida is a haven for them

    This tough little cat is happy and frolicking only when in the wild and open spaces. Taming them is next to impossible and usually results in some nasty scratches or tearing bites inflicted on the person attempting to do the taming. They are a unique little animal possessing about 28 extremely sharp teeth capable of crushing, tearing, or piercing its prey with devastating results. They will eat a variety of food such as rabbits, deer, mice, squirrels, and birds.

Believe it or not!
    As strange as it may seem, the bobcat hunts by its eyes and ears. The black tufts at the tip of its ears collects the sounds emitting from its prey and helps sharpen the bobcat's ability to locate its prey. This Florida resident can usually catch what they hunt if they keep it in sight and it is within 40 feet of the bobcat. Its claws are short but needle sharp which allows it to catch and hang on or flip the hunted creature.

Finger licking good!
    Here's a juicy bit of information about a bobcats tongue. Believe it or not their tongue is covered with hook-like projections which can lick a bone clean of any attached meat. This might make you a little hesitant to allow a bobcat to lick your face or arm. You could end up with a raw spot or two. Its tongue and canine teeth could do a little damage if you upset their temperamental disposition.

Ouch!
    Scientific studies have shown that bobcats will eat porcupines and some of their quills. Studies have also shown that a quill sometimes punctures its intestinal cavity but does not seem to harm the cat. That's hard to believe, or should I say stomach, because quills have lodged in their mouth and paws and did become infected.

I thought it was a pussycat!
    A mistaken identity is to call a bobcat a lynx. A lynx will inhabit remote wooded areas where snow will be deep for months at a time and the lynx will retreat to the more remote areas as civilization encroaches. The lynx has a black tipped tail and the bobcat has bar markings. The tufts of black fur on the tips of the lynx's ears are about one and one half inches long, and the bobcats tufts are one inch or less.

What is the Florida bobcat's worst enemy ? "It's own curiosity." A bobcat will investigate anything that attracts its attention, even you!