Friday, February 2, 2018

Day 2 of Painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days with Leslie Saeta


5" x 7"
pastel on sanded and underpainted gatorboard

I always thought a Bobcat and a Lynx were the same animal. Come to find out - they are not...same genus but there are similarities and differences.  They have been on earth since the early Pleistocene era.

In a nutshell...both can live in the desert or the jungle - they can adapt and survive in many habitats.  They operate with stealth and quiet.  Their survival relies almost completely on the availability of prey (small hares, moles, ground squirrels and the such). Interestingly coyotes often kill them.




Differences:  Bobcats - shorter black tufts on ears, smaller paws and shorter legs, their coat is short and spotted and their tail is striped with a black tip.



Lynx - longer tufts of black on tips of ears, larger paws and longer legs, longer fur mainly gray, tail has no bands but does have a black tip.

I have seen a few of these, although I forgot to ask them to slow it down, so I could get a good grip on what they looked like and then I think I could determine if they were a LYNX or a BOBCAT.  Until I read about them on a few sites, I didn't know the difference.

What good are they?  Alive, they are an important part of the food chain..or the ecosystem.  They keep a check and balance on smaller critters.  Remarkable animals!!  To see them in the wild is quite a treat - better than a coat on someone's back.  I remember when I was a teacher's aide, our mascot was the Bobcat.  What has your experience been with a Lynx/Bobcat?   If you live in Canada, it was most likely a Lynx - in the U.S. it was probably a Bobcat.  Just remember, they are NOT the same.

6 comments:

laurelle said...

Beautiful capture of these magnificent animals! I'm an ex-Californian living in Spain and they have lynx here. They have actually built special bridges over the roads in protected areas where they can cross over.

Julie said...

Absolutely lovely! Great palette!

Chris Lally said...

Wow, Pattie. What a beautiful painting!
My experience with a bobcat - none, thank goodness!

Pattie Wall said...

Interesting Laurelle - they are amazingly beautiful critters - ones that should be protected and loved (and you are right Chris, from afar). Thank you Laurelle, Julie and Chris - for your nice comments. 30 in 30 keeps me hopping, and I am sure some of you too, it's hard to find a balance in reading and replying - appreciate it!!

Laurie Mueller said...

This is simply stunning, Pattie. Wow.
( I think I saw a bobcat in my yard once- not sure, though, but it sure looked like one)(Michigan)

Pattie Wall said...

Like I wrote, they are so quick and elusive - better look quick, or they are gone!

More NEW art pieces

  Lukki - watercolor 9" x 12" acrylic done from Unsplash ph ref, thanks C Deluvio!