Bobcats hold one of Florida’s broadest ranges among mid-sized carnivores, and the nearly 2,000 records here reflect that spread: St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge leads with 19 named sightings, Big Cypress follows close behind at 18, and Canaveral, Everglades, and Merritt Island fill out a record that runs Panhandle to South Florida with no single dominant stronghold.
Records peak sharply in January, more than double the summer low, a pattern that lines up with the bobcat’s winter breeding season, when animals move and vocalize more and become easier to detect. NatureServe hasn’t assigned Florida a numeric rank for the species (SNR), and this is one of the few large predators in the state whose range hasn’t meaningfully contracted from historical extent.
Full species profile
