Bobcat

Photographer Bruce D. Taubert captured this image of a bobcat (Lynx rufus) near Rye, south of Payson. Bobcats are common in the Sonoran Desert and elsewhere — their range runs from central Mexico to southern Canada — and prefer rocky landscapes with plenty of plant cover. They’re also drawn to forests, riparian areas and, sometimes, urban neighborhoods, according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Notable for their bobtails, flat faces and long legs, bobcats are primarily carnivorous, targeting rabbits and other rodents, along with lizards and snakes. These cats are found only in North America.