Wild Cats of North America

By: Ms. Larabee

Table of Contents

Introduction 4
The Lynx
Bobcats 6

Lynx 9

Mountain Lion 11

Ocelot 14

Jaguar 17

Glossary/Index 20

Additional information &

Resources 21

The Ocelot
 There are many types of cats in the world. There are wild ones I wonder what the
and domestic ones. Lots of people have cats in their homes, in the
difference between a
United States there is an estimated 95.6 million cats owned as
pet and a wild cat is?
pets.

One main difference is that

while our pets purr wild cats
such as lions do not purr. Their
throats are formed differently
than our pet’s. One of the main
differences to this fact is
Cougars who can purr.

Something that both wild

and domestic cats do is
sleep. A lot. They spend
between 16 to 20 hours a
day sleeping.
In North America there are
five different kinds of wild
cats.
 Bobcat I have a
very loud
scream. If
you want
What do they look like? to hear me
click on the
icon.
Bobcats fur can range from buff to brown. Their fur usually is
marked with spots or stripes that are brown, black, or both.
They have facial ruffs, ear tufts, white spots near the tips of
their ears and a bobbed tail.
They usually weigh anywhere from 9 to 33 pounds.
Look here for a video about
Bobcats
Where do they live? What do they eat?
Bobcats usually eat rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels, and other small
animals as well as larger animals such as deer.
They are found all throughout the United States but can also be
found ranging from Mexico to Canada.
Fun facts:
They live in a variety of habitats including forests, swamps, deserts,
and scrubland. Bobcats can run up to 30 miles per hour.

Bobcats are crepuscular. This means that they are most active during
the dawn and dusk hours of the day.
How to tell a Lynx and Bobcat apart
Lynx
What do they look like?

They have a short tail with black tufts of hair on the tips of their ears.
They have large padded paws and long whiskers. They range from
medium brown to goldfish to beige-white in color. Sometimes they
have dark brown spots.

Where do they live?

They are found

throughout
southern Canada,
the continental
United States and
northern Mexico.

I have a wailing sound

when I talk
What do they eat?

They eat on a wide range of animals from white-tailed deer, reindeer,

Mountain Lion
rabbits, fish, squirrels and turkeys.

Fun facts:

There are several kinds of Lynx. There is the North

American, European or Siberian Lynx, Canadian, and
Asian Lynx.

The tufts on their ears act as a hearing aid.

Fun fact about me. I am one of the only big cats that
can purr. Listen to me.

Look here to see Mountain Lions in their natural habitats

The mountain lion has many names including the cougar

and the puma.
What do they look like?
They have a tan coat and their cubs are born with camouflaging
spots and rings around their tails that fade as they get older.

Where do they live?

They used to be found all over the United States but now
they are found primarily seen in the Western U.S. They are
found in deserts, forests other woodlands.
Fun facts:

What do they eat? They have excellent eye sight and hearing but a poor sense of smell. This
helps them hunt in the dusk and dawn hours.
They eat deer, coyotes, raccoons, rodents, elk, and pigs.
They do not roar but have a very loud scream.

They weigh anywhere from 60 to 265 pounds.

 What do they eat?
The Ocelot
They eat small mammals such as rabbits, rodents,
opossums, small birds and reptiles.

What do they look like?

Their fur is marked with solid black markings. Their

fur is cream colored or can be tawny, yellowish,
reddish grey or grey.

Where do they live?

They live in South America, Central America, Mexico,

and there is a small population in Texas.
They prefer dense vegetation and forests to live in.
This is what I sound
like. Click on the icon
to hear me
The
Jaguar

Fun facts:

Ocelots have been kept as pets by Salvador Dali who was a

famous painter.

There are thought to be around 40,000 or more in the wild.

But they are endangered in Texas.

They do not avoid the water and can swim very well.
I snarl when I am upset
What do they eat?

They eat a wide range of animals. They eat cattle,

sheep, rodents, deer, birds, fish, armadillos, turtles,
and crocodiles.

What do they look like?

The Jaguar is usually yellowish brown with black

spots. They can weigh up to 300 pounds.
Fun facts:
Jaguars like water. They are very good swimmers. This
Where do they live?
provides them plenty of prey within the water.
They live in Mexico, South America, and Central
They are one of the fiercest animals in the cat family.
America. They prefer wet lowlands, savannas, and
rainforests.
 Glossary/index Where can I go if I want more information?

Where did you get your information?

Camouflage: hide or disguise the presence of an
animal or person.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/bobcat/#/
Crepuscular: being active at the twilight hours. bobcat.JPG

Domesticated: tame and kept as a pet or on a farm. https://www.terracestandard.com/news/researcher-wants-your-bobcat-or-

lynx-photos/

Endangered: a species at risk of going extinct https://defenders.org/bobcat/bobcats

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mountain-lion/#mountain-lion-
Extinct: a species having no living members on-rock.jpg

Range: a variation https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/j/jaguar/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/o/ocelot/
Scrubland: land consisting of scrub vegetation.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/lynx/
Enjoy the wonderful
world of cats!