Caracal vs Bobcat: Guide to Differentiate These Two Wild Felines

Bobcat and caracal are medium-sized wild cats which are living in altogether different regions of the world. These cats have a lot of resemblance with each other in terms of their body size, shape, and general appearance. Some people also intermix them but there are some noticeable differences between these cats. However, there are a lot of people who want to know about their fighting capabilities. What would happen if a caracal vs bobcat fighting match occur? In this article, we are going to compare Bobcat with Caracal in detail and will let you know who could be the ultimate winner if the fight happens between them.

Bobcat vs caracal

Bobcat or Lynx Rufus is a medium-sized wild cat from Felidae which mainly reside in the North American continent. Bobcat first appeared on earth around 2 million years ago in the Irvingtonian age. There are twelve fully recognized subspecies of bobcats you can find throughout the continent. On the other hand, the caracal is also a medium-sized cat that is very fierce and aggressive by nature. You can find these cats in different regions of the world. Let’s compare these cats on the basis of their different features and physical capabilities.

Size: Caracal vs bobcat

Bobcats are not very big but also not very small cats. On average, an adult bobcat is 18 to 49 inches long from head to tail. These cats have bobbed but short tails. The name bobcat also originated from this tail. When it comes to height, bobcats are 12 to 24 inches tall from shoulders to feet.

However, there are a lot of variations in their weight. On average, an adult male bobcat weighs around 15 to 40 pounds while female bobcats weigh around 9 to 34 pounds. The largest bobcat has been reported the weigh around 49 pounds. Some unofficial and unverified reports have also suggested the weight of one bobcat is around 60 pounds.

When it comes to size, the caracal is also not very much different from the bobcat. Caracal is a medium-sized muscular cat having long legs but a short tail. These cats are almost 25 to 35 inches long along with 12 inches long tails When it comes to weight, an adult male caracal weighs around 30 to 40 pounds while the female caracal weighs around 20 to 25 pounds.

These cats show a lot of resemblance with Eurasian lynxes and some people have also enlisted these cats as the close relative of Eurasian lynxes. However, there are some differences in terms of their legs, fur, and general appearance.

Tail: bobcat vs caracal

Both of these cats might show a lot of similarities in terms of their overall shape and size but there are some noticeable differences in terms of their tail. Bobcat has a very short tail which is also known as bob tail. On average, the length of this tail is around 6 inches. On the other hand, a caracal has a relatively long tail. On average, the length of the caracal tail is around 12 inches.

Geographical range

You can find a bobcat in only the North American continent. The geographical range of the bobcat started in southern Canada and goes all the way and ends in Northern Mexico. The highest concentration of bobcats occurs in the central states of the USA.

On the other hand, the caracal is mainly found in the Asian and African continents. In the Asian continent, these cats mainly reside in the western and south Asian sides. Asian countries like Pakistan and India are very well-known for their caracal cats. As far as the African region is concerned, you can find these cats anywhere in African countries. You can also witness the presence of these cats in the middle-east region.  

Habitat:  Caracal vs bobcat

Bobcats like to live in forests, woodlands, hollow logs, swamps, deserts, etc. These cats could also spend many days on trees. Nowadays, bobcats are also making settlements near semi-urban areas where they are facing scarcity of food.

On the other hand, caracals like to reside in semi-deserts and steppes. Many of the caracals were also found in the savannah, woodlands, and scrub forests. Generally, they prefer to live in open fields. In these areas, they just need cover in the form of some bushes or rocks.

Both of these cats like to ambush their prey after stalking for some time.

Caracal vs Bobcat: who would be the ultimate winner?

When it comes to the fight between these cats, you cannot clearly declare anyone a winner as both of these cats have some fighting capabilities. First of all, there is a very rare chance that a fight between cats would happen as these cats are in altogether different territories of the world. If we assume the fight happens between these cats, then anyone could be the winner as both have some creative attacking skills.

Bobcats have an edge in the form of very strong bite force and very powerful jaws. Bobcats also look more muscular as compared to Caracal. Caracal also has some edge over the bobcat. It has larger and more powerful claws. Caracals can also jump higher than bobcats. Caracal is also a little bit heavier than bobcats. Overall, both of these cats are capable of killing some large animals.

Once the Caracal was seen eating a very large male ostrich which must weigh around 100 kg. By closely looking at the body, it was found out the caracal must have attacked this ostrich with the help of its canines as small holes were seen on the ostrich’s head. But it was not clear whether the ostrich was sleeping, sick, or fully healthy when it was attacked.

Similarly, bobcats are also known for taking down very large size deer. The largest deer which was hunted down by the bobcat was almost 68 kilograms in weight. It has also been reported that once the bobcat has killed at least thirty-four deer at a time in Maine State.

Thus, both cats are equally capable of taking down the other animal with their extraordinary fighting skills. That’s why we declare this a tie match between these cats. No one could be declared an ultimate winner in this critical fight.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, we can say that it is extremely difficult to compare these animals on the basis of their fighting capabilities as it is very rare or impossible for these animals to come against each other. These animals live in altogether different regions and territories. Although these cats have some edge over each other in some physical capabilities. Thus, we declare this a tie match. No one could be declared an ultimate winner in this match.