Bobcats are medium-sized wild cats with notable size variation depending on sex and geographic location.
- Weight: Adult bobcats typically weigh between 15 and 35 pounds, with males generally larger than females. Males can weigh from about 18 to 40 pounds, while females range from roughly 9 to 34 pounds. The largest recorded bobcats have weighed up to 49-60 pounds, mostly from northern populations
- Length: They measure about 28 to 47 inches in total length from head to tail base, with males often reaching lengths up to 37-40 inches and females slightly smaller, around 30-32 inches
- Height: At the shoulder, bobcats stand approximately 19 to 22 inches tall, with some sources noting a range of about 21 to 35 inches depending on sex and age
- Tail: Their distinctive "bobbed" tail is relatively short, usually about 5 to 7 inches long
Bobcats in northern regions tend to be larger than those in southern areas, consistent with Bergmann's rule relating to body size and climate
. Overall, bobcats are roughly twice the size of domestic house cats but much smaller than larger wild cats like cougars or lynxes. In summary, adult bobcats weigh around 15-35 pounds, measure 28-47 inches in length, stand about 19-22 inches tall at the shoulder, and have short tails about 5-7 inches long, with males being larger than females and northern bobcats larger than southern ones.
