We have a broad range of environments in Kentucky. I’ve noticed more rosette type backs in other areas. I never see one here. I call ours rabbit backs. Are the color and good bellies environment related or genetics? Basically same elevation and temps here statewide. Maybe some cats at 700 feet elevation and some at two or three thousand.

Ours are all rabbit backs too. Wish we had the good ones here, would love to see hundreds of dollars for one cat.

The best fur industry cats come from areas with the highest elevation, nastiest winters, and NO trees.


The best taxi cats always seem to be a southern thing.

What's the best camouflage for a given area?

I believe environment determines which genetics are more successful over thousands , and thousands of years.


I'm not a scientist though.

Catch 4 cats on same property here and no two will look alike. No idea on it but did notice through the years up here around the house in the foothills of the App's they tend to be less spotted and more red backed. Central to southern Alabama you have some spotted up like ocelots. Warmer climate down that way so would think further south you go the worse fur quality would be but isn't what ive seen, even in coons. Coon's 150 miles south of me half will grade semi heavy while all of these up here though larger all are just coat coon.

Never have understood fur quality down here, same property can get you all different grades of fur and gets even more noticeable from county to county. But on cats i think genetics plays a bigger role than anything on how spotted up they are.

I avoided areas with Red Hills and rocks for years, Big mistake ! Ended up getting some real nice Cats in the later years. Probably more of a genetics deal.

… agree with Jtrap here …. From ugly to beautiful in the same area

Most of the cats around here have nice spots on the belly, but the backs are pretty flat in color.
The cat in the winter wheat is an exception to the rule for my area.

My boss still thinks he's gonna kill that good looking cat with his bow and won't let me put any traps out yet.

What a difference!

down here, just like Savell and Jtrap said, it runs the spectrum from butt arse ugly to stunningly beautiful cats. Savell and I trapped a many a mile of land down here and that has always been the case.

Savell, you need to tell these hands about that freaking huge pin oak at the top of that hill with the old 1.5" choker cable grown into it and how every cat that walked that area came by that tree. That is some freaking darn good info for older and new cat trappers.

Ours run the spectrum in different patterns and colors here too.
Jim

Seen lots of cats, and I believe in general spotting is gene related to environment as is the fur in the same related areas !

While I have seen some mighty fine spotted cats here I don't think in my few they even compare to the rosetted and clear spots of southern cats, and their fur is short which makes those spots all the more striking. Long fur wise they won't come close to western and northern cats.

This is due to again a genetic thing from living in the colder environment, one will on occasions see nice southern cats with a pinch longer fur if they are living in a border transfer area of colder to warmer environments.

I have seen southern cats well spotted go for as much as our western long furred well spotted cats just because of the coloring and spots they carry, people should be aware of that and market those cats in western markets for a better dollar instead of just single them out for show at southern auctions, making sure to take good care of the paws and head for taxidermy work !!

Only ones I’ve seen or caught in Illinois I refer to as dirty cats

Some are definately prettier than others, but I can't say I've ever seen an ugly bobcat.

… this spot…big tree amongst young growth pine? … you found a cat magnet right there for sure …. Too bad the dang hippie California timber companies bought up the county

Been thinking about this thread a bit and wanted to put some pics up to show the variety here.

Here are four cats, all from same small farm and all taken within about fifty yards of each other, but over three seasons.

First pic, large male snared on old deer trail on edge of cedar thicket. Large male. Has some gray on its sides and back. This cat had a jillion small black spots on it. This was three years ago.



Same farm, last year, same farm and same old deer trail both cats from same set on edge of cedar thicket. These two cats had very plain brown backs with hardly any spots on sides and backs. Bellies weren’t too wide but belly spots were large black spots. Fairly average cats for this area.



This year, same farm, same old deer trail, and a dirthole set at about same area along edge of cedar thicket. Really colorful and well spotted cat. Wide white and clear belly. Here are two pics of this same cat. Big difference. You never know what you will get for cats around here.




So, maybe not so much about the environment. Interesting gene pools though.

Jim

That last cat is a pretty one. I have never found a rhyme or reason to the colors in an area. One year I picked up 4 well above average toms (in terms of color and spots) in one location. Never caught an exceptionally well colored cat there again in the following years.

I have a friend a hundred miles west of me in south central Ky. His cats are very much overall bigger and better bellied. Another hundred miles west and you see more spots on the back. Very few here have back spotting.
I see pics of cats in Missouri and Kansas that look very nice to me and of course anyone can see the attraction and fluff of those western cats.
It’s sort of like southern beaver, you trap what you got if you trap at home.

Those second two cats in pics look like my cats.