Cougar and Bobcat Similarities

The cougar and the bobcat both belong to the subfamily felinae, making them closely related despite obvious differences. The two species are the largest wild cats native to the U.S., and they share a number of physical and behavioral characteristics. Cougars and bobcats do not get along in the wild, and the larger cougar may even kill a bobcat if given the chance.

  1. Physical Similarities

    • The cougar and bobcat both have feline body shapes but are very different in size and appearance. The animals do share similar paws. Both have four toes on the front paws and four visible toes in tracks on the back paws. The cougar does have a fifth toe on the back paw, but it does not contact the ground. Retractable claws are present in both species. Both cats have long legs compared to their bodies. Dentition for both species is almost identical except for an extra premolar on either side of the upper jaw in the cougar.

    Range and Habitat Similarities

    • The cougar and the bobcat are both adaptable in the habitats where they live. Because of its size, the cougar tends not to live as close to urban areas as the bobcat can, and hunting by humans confines it to the more wild areas of the U.S. The two species share a range from southwestern Canada down through the western U.S. and into northern Mexico. The cougar ranges farther south than the bobcat, which lives toward the east. Both cats can thrive in forest, swamp, desert and open grassland habitats.

    Diet Similarities

    • The two cats are both carnivores and efficient predators. In the range they share, the cats both feed on similar animals such as small mammals, birds, reptiles and potentially farm animals. The cougar, being larger, is capable of taking larger game animals like moose, elk and caribou, as well as potentially bobcats themselves. The bobcat is tenacious as a hunter and can kill animals much larger than itself. Both species employ a stalk and pounce hunting method. The cats approach close to the prey and will then leap at the animal onto its back.

    Life Cycle Similarities

    • With respect to lifestyle, both species are solitary animals only interacting during the mating season. Once breeding has occurred, both the cougar and bobcat females are the sole caregivers for the offspring. Litter sizes are similar in both, ranging between one to six babies, with three being about the average. The mothers care for the kittens, feeding them and teaching them to hunt until they are old enough to survive alone. Both cats are also mainly nocturnal and are territorial.