This photo is of my niece’s son Lincoln up close and personal with a bobcat at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Fortunately, there is a plate of glass between them. I should do a post on glass because it is a miracle product that allows us to see so many things and stay out of danger. I believe I have only seen bobcats in a zoo, even though they are sometimes present in urban settings just like coyotes. I know there have been coyotes in Addison where I live. The city even knew exactly where their den was. Residents were instructed to make loud noises to scare them off. We did also see coyotes at the zoo, but I failed to get a photo of them. Coyotes and bobcats are really small animals to cause unnecessary damage and scare people to death. It is so cool to be able to watch wild animals’ behavior in the zoo in open settings just as if they were in a forest or jungle. Where I used to live in East Texas was a small town named Hallsville and the high school football team was called the Bobcats. I’m sure there are many other schools with teams named after this resourceful and adaptable animal. Let’s learn more about bobcats.
According to Wikipedia, the bobcat or Lynx rufus, also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 2002, due to its wide distribution and large population. Although it has been hunted extensively both for sport and fur, populations have proven stable, though declining, in some areas.
It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby or "bobbed" tail, from which it derives its name. It reaches a body length of up to 49 inches. It is an adaptable predator inhabiting wooded areas, semidesert, urban edge, forest edge and swampland environments. It remains in some of its original range, but populations are vulnerable to local extinction by coyotes and domestic animals. Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents and deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.
Two subspecies are recognized, one east of the Great Plains, and the other west of the Great Plains. It is featured in some stories of the indigenous peoples of North and Central America and in the folklore of European-descended inhabitants of the Americas.
Phylogeny
The genus Lynx diverged approximately 3.24 million years ago.
The bobcat is thought to have evolved from the Eurasian lynx, which crossed into North America by way of the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene, with progenitors arriving as early as 2.6 million years ago. It first appeared during the Irvingtonian stage around 1.8 million years ago. The first bobcat wave moved into the southern portion of North America, which was soon cut off from the north by glaciers; the population evolved into the modern bobcat around 20,000 years ago.
A second population arrived from Asia and settled in the north, developing into the modern Canada lynx. The Canada lynx has distinct tufts atop its ears and longer "mutton chop" style fur on its lower face. Hybridization between the bobcat and the Canada lynx may sometimes occur. The populations east and west of the Great Plains were probably separated during Pleistocene interglacial periods due to the aridification of the region.
Description
The bobcat resembles other species of the midsize genus Lynx but is on average the smallest of the four. Its coat is variable, though generally tan to grayish-brown, with black streaks on the body and dark bars on the forelegs and tail. Its spotted patterning acts as camouflage. The ears are black-tipped and pointed with short, black tufts. Generally, an off-white color is seen on the lips, chin and underparts. Bobcats in the desert regions of the southwest have the lightest-colored coats, while those in the northern, forested regions are darkest. Kittens are born well-furred and already have their spots. A few melanistic bobcats have been sighted and captured in Florida and New Brunswick, Canada. They appear black but may still exhibit a spot pattern.
The face appears wide due to ruffs of extended hair beneath the ears. Bobcat eyes are yellow with round, black pupils. The nose of the bobcat is pinkish-red, and it has a base color of gray or yellowish- or brownish-red on its face, sides and back. The pupils are round, black circles and will widen during nocturnal activity to maximize light reception. The cat has sharp hearing and vision, along with a good sense of smell. It is an excellent climber and swims when it needs to, but normally avoids water.
The adult bobcat is 18.7 to 49.2 inches long from the head to the base of its distinctive stubby tail, averaging 32.6 inches; the tail is 3.5 to 7.9 inches long. Its "bobbed" appearance gives the species its name. An adult stands about 12 to 24 inches at the shoulders.
Adult males can range in weight from 14 to 40 lbs, with an average of 21 lbs; females at 8.8 to 33.7 lbs, with an average of 15 lbs. The largest bobcat accurately measured on record weighed 49 lbs, although unverified reports have them reaching 60 lbs. Furthermore, a June 20, 2012 report of a New Hampshire roadkill specimen listed the animal's weight at 60 lbs. The largest-bodied bobcats were recorded in eastern Canada and northern New England, and the smallest in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Skeletal muscles make up 56% of the bobcat's body weight. At birth, it weighs 0.6 to 0.75 lbs and is about 10 inches in length. At the age of one year, it weighs about 10 lbs.
Consistent with Bergmann's rule, the bobcat is larger in its northern range and in open habitats. A morphological size comparison study in the eastern United States found a divergence in the location of the largest male and female specimens, suggesting differing selection constraints for the sexes.
Tracks
Bobcat tracks show four toes without claw marks, due to their retractile claws. The tracks range in size from 1 to 3 inches; the average is about 1.8 inches. When walking or trotting, the tracks are spaced roughly 8 to 18 inches apart. The bobcat can make great strides when running, often from 4 to 8 feet.
Like all cats, the bobcat “directly registers,” meaning its hind prints usually fall exactly on top of its fore prints. Bobcat tracks can be generally distinguished from feral or house cat tracks by their larger size: about 2 square inches versus 1.5 square inches.
Distribution and habitat
The bobcat is an adaptable species. It prefers woodlands — deciduous, coniferous or mixed — but does not depend exclusively on the deep forest. It ranges from the humid swamps of Florida to desert lands of Texas or rugged mountain areas. It makes its home near agricultural areas, if rocky ledges, swamps or forested tracts are present; its spotted coat serves as camouflage. The population of the bobcat depends primarily on the population of its prey; other principal factors in the selection of habitat type include protection from severe weather, availability of resting and den sites, dense cover for hunting and escape and freedom from disturbance.
The bobcat's range does not seem to be limited by human populations, but by availability of suitable habitat; only large, intensively cultivated tracts are unsuitable for the species. The animal may appear in back yards in "urban edge" environments, where human development intersects with natural habitats. If chased by a dog, it usually climbs up a tree.
The historical range of the bobcat was from southern Canada, throughout the United States, and as far south as the Mexican state of Oaxaca, and it still persists across much of this area. In the 20th century, it was thought to have lost territory in the U.S. Midwest and parts of the Northeast, including southern Minnesota, eastern South Dakota and much of Missouri, mostly due to habitat changes from modern agricultural practices. While thought to no longer exist in western New York and Pennsylvania, multiple confirmed sightings of bobcats — including dead specimens — have been recently reported in New York's Southern Tier and in central New York, and a bobcat was captured in 2018 on a tourist boat in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition, bobcat sightings have been confirmed in northern Indiana, and one was killed near Albion, Michigan, in 2008. In early March 2010, a bobcat was sighted and later captured by animal control authorities in a parking garage in downtown Houston. By 2010, bobcats appear to have recolonized many states, occurring in every state in the continuous 48 except Delaware.
The bobcat population in Canada is limited due to both snow depth and the presence of the Canadian lynx. The bobcat does not tolerate deep snow and waits out heavy storms in sheltered areas; it lacks the large, padded feet of the Canadian lynx and cannot support its weight on snow as efficiently. The bobcat is not entirely at a disadvantage where its range meets that of the larger felid: displacement of the Canadian lynx by the aggressive bobcat has been observed where they interact in Nova Scotia, while the clearing of coniferous forests for agriculture has led to a northward retreat of the Canadian lynx's range to the advantage of the bobcat. In northern and central Mexico, the cat is found in dry scrubland and forests of pine and oak; its range ends at the tropical southern portion of the country.
Behavior and ecology
The bobcat is crepuscular and is active mostly during twilight. It keeps on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Each night, it moves from 2 to 7 miles along its habitual route. This behavior may vary seasonally, as bobcats become more diurnal during fall and winter in response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in colder weather.
According to “The Magic of the Senses” by Vitus B. Droscher, like all cats, a bobcat, using its whiskers like fingertips, can “feel” prey in complete darkness, for instance in a rodent burrow. If a cat's whiskers "touch a mouse, it reacts with the speed and precision of a mousetrap."
Social structure and home range
According to Wikipedia, bobcat activities are confined to well-defined territories, which vary in size depending on the sex and the distribution of prey. The home range is marked with feces, urine scent and by clawing prominent trees in the area. In its territory, the bobcat has numerous places of shelter — usually a main den and several auxiliary shelters on the outer extent of its range, such as hollow logs, brush piles, thickets or under rock ledges. Its den smells strongly of the bobcat. The sizes of bobcats' home ranges vary significantly and ranges from 0.23 to 126 square miles. One study in Kansas found resident males to have ranges of roughly 8 square miles, and females less than half that area. Transient bobcats were found to have home ranges of 22 square miles and less well-defined home ranges. Kittens had the smallest range at about 3 square miles. Dispersal from the natal range is most pronounced with males.
Reports on seasonal variation in range size have been equivocal. One study found a large variation in male range sizes, from 16 square miles in summer up to 40 square miles in winter. Another found that female bobcats — especially those which were reproductively active — expanded their home range in winter, but that males merely shifted their range without expanding it, which was consistent with numerous earlier studies. Other research in various American states has shown little or no seasonal variation.
Like most felines, the bobcat is largely solitary, but ranges often overlap. Unusual for cats, males are more tolerant of overlap, while females rarely wander into others' ranges. Given their smaller range sizes, two or more females may reside within a male's home range. When multiple territories overlap, a dominance hierarchy is often established, resulting in the exclusion of some transients from favored areas.
In line with widely differing estimates of home range size, population density figures diverge from one to 38 bobcats per 10 square miles in one survey. The average is estimated at one bobcat per 5 square miles. A link has been observed between population density and sex ratio. An unhunted population in California had a sex ratio of 2.1 males per female. When the density decreased, the sex ratio skewed to 0.86 males per female. Another study observed a similar ratio and suggested the males may be better able to cope with the increased competition, and this helped limit reproduction until various factors lowered the density.
Hunting and diet
The bobcat is able to survive for long periods without food but eats heavily when prey is abundant. During lean periods, it often preys on larger animals, which it can kill and return to feed on later. The bobcat hunts by stalking its prey and then ambushing with a short chase or pounce. Its preference is for mammals weighing about 1.5 to 12.5 lbs. Its main prey varies by region: in the eastern United States, it is the eastern cottontail and New England cottontail, and in the north, it is the snowshoe hare. When these prey species exist together, as in New England, they are the primary food sources of the bobcat. In the far south, the rabbits and hares are sometimes replaced by cotton rats as the primary food source. Birds up to the size of an adult trumpeter swan are also taken in ambushes while nesting, along with their fledglings and eggs. Unlike the more specialized Canada lynx, the bobcat is an opportunistic predator that readily varies its prey selection. Diet diversification positively correlates to a decline in numbers of the bobcat's principal prey; the abundance of its main prey species is the main determinant of overall diet.
The bobcat hunts animals of different sizes and adjusts its hunting techniques accordingly. With small animals such as rodents — including squirrels, moles, muskrats, mice; birds; fish including small sharks; and insects, it hunts in areas known to be abundant in prey and will lie, crouch or stand, waiting for victims to wander close. It then pounces, grabbing its prey with its sharp, retractable claws. For slightly larger animals, such as geese, ducks, rabbits and hares, it stalks from cover and waits until prey comes within 20 to 35 feet before rushing in to attack. Less commonly, it feeds on larger animals, such as young ungulates, and other carnivores, such as fishers (primarily female), foxes, minks, martens, skunks, raccoons, small dogs and domesticated cats. Bobcats are also occasional hunters of livestock and poultry. While larger species such as cattle and horses are not known to be attacked, bobcats do present a threat to smaller ruminants such as pigs, sheep and goats. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, bobcats killed 11,100 sheep in 2004, comprising 4.9% of all sheep predator deaths. However, some amount of bobcat predation may be misidentified, as bobcats have been known to scavenge on the remains of livestock kills by other animals.
It has been known to kill deer or pronghorn and sometimes to hunt elk in western North America, especially in winter when smaller prey is scarce or when deer populations become more abundant. One study in the Everglades showed a large majority of kills — 33 of 39 — were fawns. Yellowstone National Park showed a large number of kills (15 of 20) were includes elk calves, but prey up to eight times the bobcat's weight could be successfully taken. It stalks the deer, often when the deer is lying down, then rushes in and grabs it by the neck before biting the throat, base of the skull or chest. On the rare occasions a bobcat kills a deer, it eats its fill and then buries the carcass under snow or leaves, often returning to it several times to feed.
The bobcat prey base overlaps with that of other midsized predators of a similar ecological niche. Research in Maine has shown little evidence of competitive relationships between the bobcat and coyote or red fox; separation distances and territory overlap appeared random among simultaneously monitored animals. However, other studies have found bobcat populations may decrease in areas with high coyote populations, with the more social inclination of the canid giving them a possible competitive advantage. With the Canada lynx, however, the interspecific relationship affects distribution patterns; competitive exclusion by the bobcat is likely to have prevented any further southward expansion of the range of its felid relative.
Reproduction and life cycle
The average lifespan of the bobcat is seven years but rarely exceeds 10 years. The oldest wild bobcat on record was 16 years old, and the oldest captive bobcat lived to be 32.
Bobcats generally begin breeding by their second summer, though females may start as early as their first year. Sperm production begins each year by September or October, and the male is fertile into the summer. A dominant male travels with a female and mates with her several times, generally from winter until early spring; this varies by location, but most mating takes place during February and March. The pair may undertake a number of different behaviors, including bumping, chasing and ambushing. Other males may be in attendance but remain uninvolved. Once the male recognizes the female is receptive, he grasps her in the typical felid neck grip and mates with her. The female may later go on to mate with other males, and males generally mate with several females. During courtship, the bobcat's vocalizations include screaming and hissing. Research in Texas revealed that establishing a home range is necessary for breeding; studied animals without a home range had no identified offspring. The female has an estrous cycle of 44 days, with the estrus lasting five to ten days. Bobcats remain reproductively active throughout their lives.
The female raises the young alone. One to six, but usually two to four, kittens are born in April or May, after roughly 60 to 70 days of gestation. Sometimes, a second litter is born as late as September. The female generally gives birth in an enclosed space, usually a small cave or hollow log. The young open their eyes by the ninth or tenth day. They start exploring their surroundings at four weeks and are weaned at about two months. Within three to five months, they begin to travel with their mother. They hunt by themselves by fall of their first year, and usually disperse shortly thereafter. In Michigan, however, they have been observed staying with their mother as late as the next spring.
Predators
The adult bobcat has relatively few predators. However rarely, it may be killed in interspecific conflict by several larger predators or fall prey to them. Cougars and gray wolves can kill adult bobcats, a behavior repeatedly observed in Yellowstone National Park. Coyotes have killed adult bobcats and kittens. At least one confirmed observation of a bobcat and an American black bear fighting over a carcass is confirmed. Like other Lynx species, bobcats probably avoid encounters with bears, in part because they are likely to lose kills to them or may rarely be attacked by them. Bobcat remains have occasionally been found in the resting sites of male fishers, a small, carnivorous mammal native to North America. American alligators have been filmed opportunistically preying on adult bobcats in the southeast United States.
Kittens may be taken by several predators, including great horned owls, eagles, foxes and bears, along with other adult male bobcats. When prey populations are not abundant, fewer kittens are likely to reach adulthood. Golden eagles have been reportedly observed preying on bobcats.
Diseases, accidents, hunters, automobiles and starvation are the other leading causes of death. Juveniles show high mortality shortly after leaving their mothers, while still perfecting their hunting techniques. One study of 15 bobcats showed yearly survival rates for both sexes averaged 0.62. Cannibalism has been reported; kittens may be taken when prey levels are low, but this is very rare and does not much influence the population.
The bobcat may have external parasites, mostly ticks and fleas, and often carries the parasites of its prey, especially those of rabbits and squirrels. Internal parasites are especially common in bobcats. One mite in particular, Lynxacarus morlani, has to date been found only on the bobcat. Parasites' and diseases' role in the mortality of the bobcat is still unclear, but they may account for greater mortality than starvation, accidents and predation.
Importance in human culture
Stories featuring the bobcat, in many variations, are found in some Indigenous cultures of North America, with parallels in South America. A story from the Nez Perce, for instance, depicts the bobcat and coyote as opposed, antithetical beings. However, another version depicts them with equality and identicality.
In a Shawnee tale, the bobcat is outwitted by a rabbit, which gives rise to its spots. After trapping the rabbit in a tree, the bobcat is persuaded to build a fire, only to have the embers scattered on its fur, leaving it singed with dark brown spots. The Mohave believed dreaming habitually of beings or objects would afford them their characteristics as supernatural powers. Dreaming of two deities, cougar and lynx, they thought, would grant them the superior hunting skills of other tribes. European-descended inhabitants of the Americas also admired the cat, both for its ferocity and its grace, and in the United States, it "rests prominently in the anthology of ... national folklore."
Grave artifacts from dirt domes excavated in the 1980s along the Illinois River revealed a complete skeleton of a young bobcat along with a collar made of bone pendants and shell beads that had been buried by the Hopewell culture. The type and place of burial indicate a tamed and cherished pet or possible spiritual significance. The Hopewell normally buried their dogs, so the bones were initially identified as remains of a puppy, but dogs were usually buried close to the village and not in the mounds themselves. This is the only wild cat decorated burial on the archaeological record.
We had a bobcat family in Firewheel. It was not uncommon to see them prowling the alley early in the morning or toward dusk. They were not known to be aggressive, but neither did they pay much attention to you unless you made a bunch of noise. Then they could jump onto / over a 6' fence with ease.