[Marion]

I heard crows going crazy in our back yard so looked out our lanai and there was a very large tawny coloured cat walking slowly across our patio. It was slender with hind quarters taller than front. It had a shortish tail curled up, long ears held straight up. It was a big as boxer dog. The crows were flying overhead making all kinds of racket. We live on the lake on Heathrow Avenue. I have searched the internet and the only cat I can find that looks like what I saw is a Caracal. Don't know how it could possibly be one. I need to warn our neighbour who may have small animals. I think I'll go and get a big glass of wine.

[Christine G]

Maine Coon cat?

[John_W]

Wikipedia indicates a Caracal, aka a Desert Lynx is found in Africa and Asia. Does it look like this photo below? If so, that's a Florida Panther. There's been at least two threads started this year about similar looking animals in TV.

[kittygilchrist]

Land Mammals - Bobcat

That sounds like a bobcat. Call community watch. Also call the Florida wildlife commission.
Tell your neighbors with small pets, as you were planning to do, and have another glass of wine.

[Bonanza]

I don't know which I'd prefer . . . the wine or the cat.

Hmmmmm . . . I can have wine anytime. I'd rather have seen the cat!

It sounds like a puma (Florida Panther) to me. Wish I could have been at your house. Then I could have seen it while drinking a glass of wine!

[asianthree]

Too bad you didn't get a pic

[NoMoSno]

Short tail?
Bobcat.

Keep your house cats in.

[Hancle704]

Bobcats are seen more often around the Villages than Florida Panthers and since you described it having a short tail, you probably saw one.

[kittygilchrist]

PS.. Emma in my profile pic, is an adult boxer. Was the cat about that size?

[Marion]

Originally Posted by kittygilchrist

PS.. Emma in my profile pic, is an adult boxer. Was the cat about that size?

Yes, it was about the size of your boxer.

It wasn't a panther or a cougar or a bobcat as I have seen many of them in the wilds of California. We camphosted in the Sinkyone Wilderness for 12 years. Panthers/cougars/mountain lions have very long tails. Also the hind quarters were noticeable taller than the front quarters (much like a Cheeta). All the bobcats I've seen are spotted, have longish thick coats with a "rough" at the neck. This one was tawny coloured and smooth coated.

Unfortunately he would wait for a picture. The crows were definitely warning of danger and followed the cat flying around and making a racket. By judging from where the crows flew, the cat must have gone between the houses, crossed the street and headed into OB golf course.

I guess this will just be one of those "mystery" animals unless he is seen again sometime by someone with a camera handy. Thanks for all your comments.

[kittygilchrist]

Identify a Bobcat - National Bobcat Rescue and Research Foundation
Well you're not in California anymore.
I appreciate that you've been all over everywhere looking at wildlife, but doubtful that this is any mystery animal. We don't have that many Wildcats and you have eliminated the list relying on your experiences and views in other states.
You could take a look at this bobcat ID website and see if it helps any.

[NoMoSno]

Florida Lynx ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=flor...2F%3B640%3B513

[kittygilchrist]

Choices for this area for a wild cat that is large are that it is a bobcat, or it is a Panther that is so many miles north of its own habitat that it's Utterly astounding and well worth reporting to the fish and wildlife commission.
The photo previously posted was for something called in the photo a Florida lynx, a.k.a. bobcat.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. I have been known to be.
However, I have seen bobcats in this area as have several other posters on talk of the villages. Keep in mind that this area has recently been taken over from wildlife. Not that we're not wild.

Editedto say last time i checked which was this year, there were less than 160 Panthers thought to be in Florida and all well south of here.

[NoMoSno]

Close, but a separate species.

HowStuffWorks "What's the difference between a bobcat and a lynx?"

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by NoMoSno

Close, but a separate species.

HowStuffWorks "What's the difference between a bobcat and a lynx?"

There is no such thing as a Florida lynx, even though the photograph in Google images called it that.
This quote below is from the article you cited. Lynx do not live in Florida. But they are cute little kitties compared to bobcats.




The Lynx genus, with its four species, has the largest range out of all the cats. The Eurasian lynx (the most numerous and widespread of the four species) can be found throughout Western Europe and Northern Asia, while the Spanish lynx (the rarest of the four) is found only in Spain and Portugal. The Canadian lynx lives primarily in Canada and a handful of northern U.S. states including Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming and Washington.