01/08/2014 10:39 AM EST
This shot by Steven Gifford is amazing because bobcats – Lynx rufus – are elusive, nocturnal, mostly solitary – and rarely seen by people. They first appeared about 1.8 million years ago. Today, the beautiful cat – about twice as big as an average housecat – is still found in most of its historic range from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial. Gifford took this photo at Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge, Indiana.