You’re staring at a grainy trail cam image or a quick snap from your phone during a hike. It’s a cat. It has a short tail. It looks wild. But honestly, most people just guess. They see the tufted ears and shout "Lynx!" or they see the spots and swear it’s a bobcat. It’s a coin flip for most of us.
Getting high-quality photos of lynx and bobcat is a bucket list item for any wildlife photographer, but identifying what’s actually in the frame is harder than you’d think. These two cousins share a genus—Lynx—but they live very different lives. If you’re in the lower 48 states of the US, you’re probably looking at a bobcat. If you’re deep in the snowy spruce forests of Canada or Alaska, you’ve likely found a Canada lynx.
But ranges overlap. Animals wander.
I’ve spent years looking at these images, and the truth is in the "accessories." A bobcat is like a rugged, versatile athlete. The lynx? That’s a specialized winter warrior. If you want to stop guessing, you have to look at the feet, the tail tip, and the way they stand.
The Dead Giveaways in Photos of Lynx and Bobcat
The easiest mistake? Looking at the ear tufts. Both species have them. While lynx tufts are usually longer—sometimes over an inch—a healthy bobcat can sport some pretty impressive spikes too. So, forget the ears for a second. Look at the tail.
A bobcat’s tail is white on the underside and has black bands on the top, but the very tip is usually white. Now, look at a lynx. Its tail looks like it was dipped in a jar of black ink. It’s a solid black "dead end" all the way around. This is often the most reliable way to tell them apart when you're looking at a blurry photo from behind.
The Snowshoe Factor
Check the feet. It’s almost comical how big a lynx’s paws are. Evolution didn't mess around here. Because the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) hunts almost exclusively in deep snow, it needs built-in snowshoes. Their paws are massive, often larger than a human hand, and covered in thick, coarse fur that adds surface area.
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In photos of lynx and bobcat, the bobcat’s feet look proportional. They look like "normal" cat feet. A lynx looks like it’s wearing oversized boots it hasn't grown into yet. This physical adaptation changes their gait. A lynx often looks like it’s "floating" or stepping gingerly, whereas a bobcat has a more muscular, grounded strut.
Why Habitat Matters for Your Camera Settings
Location is everything. If you are in the desert of Arizona or the swamps of Florida, you are looking at a bobcat (Lynx rufus). Period. Canada lynx don't do heat. They are tied to the boreal forest. Their entire existence revolves around the snowshoe hare. If there are no hares, there are no lynx.
Bobcats are generalists. They’ll eat a squirrel, a bird, a fawn, or even a large insect if they're hungry enough. This means you can find them in suburban backyards, coastal scrub, or mountain peaks.
When you’re trying to capture photos of lynx and bobcat in the wild, you have to account for the light. Lynx are often found in "dark" forests with heavy canopy cover. You’re going to need a higher ISO than you think. Bobcats, being more adaptable, might pop out in an open field at dusk.
Honestly, the "blue hour"—that time just after sunset—is when the bobcat shines. Their fur has more reddish and brown tones compared to the silvery-grey of the lynx. That "rufus" in their scientific name literally means reddish. If the cat in your photo looks like a toasted marshmallow, it’s probably a bobcat. If it looks like a ghost in the shadows, lean toward lynx.
The Mystery of the "Leggy" Lynx
There is a weird optical illusion that happens in photography. A lynx has longer back legs than front legs. This gives them a "pitched forward" look, like they are always walking downhill. It’s a specialized anatomy for pouncing in deep drifts.
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Bobcats are more level. They are stouter.
Think of it this way: a bobcat is a wrestler, and a lynx is a high-jumper.
Technical Tips for Wildlife Photographers
If you’re lucky enough to spot one of these cats, your instinct is to "spray and pray"—hold the shutter and hope for the best. Don't. These cats are masters of camouflage. Your camera’s autofocus is going to want to lock onto the branch in front of the cat or the grass behind it.
- Use single-point back-button focus. Lock onto the eye. If the eye isn't sharp, the photo is a throwaway.
- Underexpose slightly. Both species have white patches on their bellies and faces that "blow out" easily in digital sensors. You can bring up the shadows later, but you can't recover a white patch that has zero data.
- Be quiet. Like, unnaturally quiet. A bobcat might tolerate your presence if you're still, but a lynx is notoriously shy. They don't run away; they just vanish. One second they’re there, and the next, you’re looking at a patch of empty forest.
Real Talk About Equipment
You don't need a $10,000 lens, but you do need reach. A 300mm lens is the bare minimum. Ideally, you want 500mm or 600mm. Why? Because if you get close enough to take a clear photo with your phone, you’re likely stressing the animal or putting yourself at risk. These are predators. Small predators, sure, but they have the hardware to do damage.
Stay in your car if you’re in a national park. Use the window as a tripod. It’s a mobile blind that the cats are already used to seeing.
Decoding Behavior in Your Images
People often send me photos of lynx and bobcat asking for ID help, and I always look at what the cat is doing. Is it sitting on a fence? Bobcat. Is it deep in a willow thicket near a frozen creek? Probably a lynx.
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The facial "ruff" is another clue. Both have them, but the lynx’s ruff is much more pronounced. It looks like a Victorian collar. It frames the face and makes the head look much larger than it actually is. It serves a dual purpose: it helps with sound collection (like a satellite dish for their ears) and provides insulation.
Avoiding the "Faux-Pas" of Photo Identification
Check the spotting. This is where it gets tricky. People think "spots = bobcat." Not necessarily. While bobcats usually have more distinct spots, especially on their legs and belly, some Canada lynx can have muted spotting too.
Instead of looking at the presence of spots, look at the contrast. Bobcat spots are sharp. They pop against the tawny fur. Lynx "spots" look more like blurry smudges. It’s the difference between a Sharpie and a watercolor painting.
The "Ghost of the North"
There’s a reason the lynx is called the "ghost." Their fur is hollow-haired and incredibly thick. In a photo, a lynx often looks "puffy." A bobcat looks "sleek." If you can see muscle definition in the shoulders or haunches, you are likely looking at a bobcat. The lynx’s winter coat is so dense that it hides the muscular structure entirely.
Taking Action: What to Do With Your Sightings
If you actually manage to get clear photos of lynx and bobcat, don't just post them to Instagram and forget about them. Your photos are valuable data.
- Upload to iNaturalist: Scientists use these geotagged photos to track range shifts. As the climate changes, bobcats are moving further north, pushing into traditional lynx territory. This "encroachment" is a major area of study for wildlife biologists.
- Check Local Regulations: If you’re in a state like Montana or Maine where both exist, knowing the difference is vital for conservation reporting.
- Study the Scat and Tracks: If you missed the cat but found the signs, take a photo of the track with a coin or key for scale. A lynx track will be nearly 4 inches wide but show very little toe detail because of all the hair. A bobcat track is smaller (about 2 inches) and much cleaner.
The next time you’re scrolling through wildlife forums or out in the woods with your camera, look for the "boots" and the "dipped tail." Those two features will tell you more than the ears ever will.
To improve your chances of a sighting, focus your efforts on "edge" habitats—where the forest meets a clearing or a waterway. These are the hunting highways for small wild cats. Always keep your camera settings pre-staged for low light, because these animals rarely show themselves in the midday sun. If you spot one, stay still, keep your distance, and let the cat move through its world while you document it from ours.