[68], Diseases, accidents, hunters, automobiles, and starvation are the other leading causes of death. Animals such as the bobcat are particularly sensitive to fragmentation because of their large home ranges. [82] A study in coastal Southern California has shown bobcat populations are affected by urbanization, creation of roads, and other developments. This page is about where bobcats live in the desert near Tucson, Arizona, and why they sometimes move into human settlements. [37], The bobcat is an adaptable animal. [75] In early March 2010, a bobcat was sighted (and later captured by animal control authorities) in a parking garage in downtown Houston. [33] The female has an estrous cycle of 44 days, with the estrus lasting five to ten days. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. 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. [80], The bobcat has long been valued both for fur and sport; it has been hunted and trapped by humans, but has maintained a high population, even in the southern United States, where it is extensively hunted. Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have been reportedly observed preying on bobcats. IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, Kristin Nowell, Peter Jackson. It prefers woodlands—deciduous, coniferous, or mixed—but unlike the other Lynx species, it does not depend exclusively on the deep forest. [25] Furthermore, a June 20, 2012 report of a New Hampshire roadkill specimen listed the animal's weight at 27 kg (60 lb). [51] During courtship, the otherwise silent bobcat may let out loud screams, hisses, or other sounds. Two subspecies are recognised, one east of the Great Plains, and the other west of the Great Plains. Sperm production begins each year by September or October, and the male is fertile into the summer. [81] Regulated hunting still continues, with half of mortality of some populations being attributed to this cause. Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer. [31][41][42][43][44] Bobcats are considered the major predatory threat to the endangered whooping crane. Yet, sadly, the old misguided fears exist. [47], 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. [28] The animal may appear in back yards in "urban edge" environments, where human development intersects with natural habitats. [11] A few melanistic bobcats have been sighted and captured in Florida, USA and New Brunswick, Canada. The ears are black-tipped and pointed, with short, black tufts. It makes its home near agricultural areas, if rocky ledges, swamps, or forested tracts are present; its spotted coat serves as camouflage. The young open their eyes by the ninth or tenth day. [27] The bobcat is muscular, and its hind legs are longer than its front legs, giving it a somewhat irregular gait. Shelter is also a very important element to a bobcat's living environment. They start exploring their surroundings at four weeks and are weaned at about two months. [12] They appear black, but may still exhibit a spot pattern. Although bobcats can manage in many types of environments, if they can, they generally gravitate more toward places with ample rugged outcrops, bluffs and cliffs. The bobcat can make great strides when running, often from 4 to 8 ft (1.2 to 2.4 m). 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. I have worked with wildlife for over 20 years, and run the largest bobcat rescue in the country. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Educating local residents about the animals is critical, as well, for conservation in urban areas. [45] Bobcats are also occasional hunters of livestock and poultry. [1], Its population in Canada is limited due to both snow depth and the presence of the Canadian lynx. [46] 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. [76] By 2010, bobcats appear to have recolonized many states, occurring in every state in the continuous 48 except Delaware. Some typical shelter types in bobcats include hollow logs, caves, thickets, tree stumps, ledges of stone and heaps of undergrowth. Juveniles show high mortality shortly after leaving their mothers, while still perfecting their hunting techniques. Bobcat tracks can be generally distinguished from feral or house cat tracks by their larger size: about 2.0 in2 (13 cm²) versus 1.5 in2 (10 cm²). [31], The bobcat prey base overlaps with that of other midsized predators of a similar ecological niche. [32] Dispersal from the natal range is most pronounced with males. [13], The face appears wide due to ruffs of extended hair beneath the ears. However seldomly, it may be killed in interspecific conflict by several larger predators or fall prey to them. They are rarely seen because of their ability to blend into their surroundings and move silently. [52] They hunt by themselves by fall of their first year, and usually disperse shortly thereafter. The populations may not be declining as much as predicted, but instead the connectivity of different populations is affected. [31] 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. The range of a bobcat includes the entire continental U.S., from southern Canada to northern Mexico. [50] 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. [3][4] The genus Lynx is now accepted, and the bobcat is listed as Lynx rufus in modern taxonomic sources. They have long legs, large paws, and tufted ears similar to those of their larger relative, the Canada lynx. 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. [73][74] In addition, bobcat sightings have been confirmed in northern Indiana, and one was recently killed near Albion, Michigan. ", Species portrait Bobcat; IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobcat&oldid=991289439, Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 November 2020, at 08:19. When it comes to adjusting to new and different environments with ease and swiftness, these family Felidae members are highly versatile. What Kind of Shelter Does a Cheetah Have? For the wrestler, see, Game animals and shooting in North America, Allen, Maximilian L., Cody F. Wallace, and Christopher C. Wilmers. Bobcats require shelter both for resting and for fleeing potentially dangerous situations. When it comes to habitat, bobcats are all over the place. They were probably separated during interglacial periods in the Pleistocene by the aridification of the Great Plains. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. [11][22] Adult males can range in weight from 6.4 to 18.3 kg (14 to 40 lb), with an average of 9.6 kg (21 lb); females at 4 to 15.3 kg (8.8 to 33.7 lb), with an average of 6.8 kg (15 lb). The home range is marked with feces, urine scent, and by clawing prominent trees in the area. A few decades ago, a bobcat sighting in most parts of North America was a rarity. The female generally gives birth in an enclosed space, usually a small cave or hollow log. [58][59][60] At least one confirmed observation of a bobcat and an American black bear (Ursus americanus) fighting over a carcass is confirmed. Estimates from the US Fish and Wildlife Serviceplaced bobcat numbers between 700,000 and 1,500,000 in the US in 1988, with increase… Bobcats are very adaptable and can live in a wide variety of habitats, including boreal coniferous and mixed forests in the north, bottomland hardwood forest and coastal swamp in the southeast, and desert and scrubland in the southwest. Animals that live in these fragmented areas often have reduced movement between the habitat patches, which can lead to reduced gene flow and pathogen transmission between patches. Lynx rufus oaxacensis) remains under review:[2][10], The bobcat resembles other species of the midsize genus Lynx, but is on average the smallest of the four. Individual bobcats often establish numerous dens for themselves, with smaller ones in areas they frequent less often. Transient bobcats were found to have both larger (roughly 22 sq mi (57 km2)) and less well-defined home ranges.