The Bobcat (Lynx rufus), also known as the red lynx or little lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada, most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2002, because it is widely distributed and abundant. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or "bobbed") tail, from which it derives its name. It is smaller on average than the Canada lynx, with which it