Carolina Tiger Rescue, formerly the Carnivore Preservation Trust, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit wildlife sanctuary whose mission is saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild.
Carolina Tiger Rescue is open to the public for guided tours, by reservation only.
Bobcat
Lynx Rufus
Featured Bobcats
Description and Behavior
Bobcats, which are related to the lynx, received their popular name because of their short tails, which are black-tipped and white on the underside. They have long, stout legs with very large padded feet and black bars on their forelegs.
In Deserts, an Audubon Society Nature Guide, James A. MacMahon writes "A bobcat leaves two-inch diameter tracks showing a heel pad, four toes and no claw marks. Its trail is very narrow because its hind feet prints lie directly on top of, or in 'register' with, its forefeet prints. The trail looks as if it could have been produced by a two-legged animal."
Females are about a third smaller than males. Their dense, soft and long hair can be various shades of brown with black spots, though it may be more grayish in winter and more reddish in summer (accounting for the Latin term rufus in their scientific name). Both melanistic (black) and albino cats have been reported. They have a striped ruff of fur on their cheeks. Their ears are large and tipped with tiny tufts. Their hearing is excellent. Their eyes are yellow and their eyesight is excellent; their pinkish-red noses provide a good sense of smell. These mainly solitary cats are mostly silent, except during the mating season when they yowl, meow and hiss. However, they have also been heard to make low growls, high-pitched screams and purring sounds.
Bobcats are basically terrestrial, although they are also good climbers. They can swim but prefer to avoid water. They are primarily crepuscular, becoming more active at dusk and dawn.
Their dens are often hidden under trees, in hollow trees, thickets, or rocky crevices. Bobcats are territorial, with their home ranges reaching up to 3 square miles for females and 10 or more square miles for males. The females' home ranges do not overlap, but males' ranges may cover both other males and several females' ranges. They use urine, feces, anal gland secretions, scratches and scrapes (piles of dirt and debris marked with scent) to delineate their home ranges.
The young first open their eyes when they are 10 days old and leave the den after about one month; they nurse for two to three months. Mothers bring meat to their young and teach them how to hunt after they are weaned. Males do not help raise the young. The young bobcats become independent when they are about 8 months old, although they may stay with their mother for up to a year.
Prey
Bobcats are said to be strict meat-eaters, although grass and vegetation have been found in their fecal matter. They wait for or stalk their prey, pouncing as far as 10 feet to capture an animal; they rarely chase prey. Bobcats kill smaller prey with a bite to the neck; they may kill deer with several bites to the throat. They mostly hunt mice, voles, rats, woodchucks, rabbits, possums, skunks, raccoons, moles, squirrels, beavers, birds, white-tailed deer and sometimes reptiles. They will also sometimes eat small domesticated animals (housecats, small dogs, sheep and goats and poultry); and occasionally they will eat carrion.
Habitat
Bobcats live in varied habitats, including forests, semi-deserts, mountains, savannas, grasslands and coastal swamps. They tend to avoid areas of deep snow.
Range
Bobcats live in North America, ranging from southern Canada to southern Mexico. Their population densities are highest in the southeastern regions of the United States, though populations can also be found in the western regions. Bobcats are becoming more accustomed to living in urban and suburban areas.
Biology
Weight | 9 to 33 lbs. |
Reproductive Season | breed once yearly, mostly mating in early spring (February-March) |
Gestation Period | 50-70 days, with birth weight being about 10 ounces |
Litter Size | 1-6 kittens, average of 3 |
Age at Independence | |
Sexual Maturity | some females breed as early as 1 year but most females and males start breeding at 2 years; females continue having litters through about 8-9 years of age |
Longevity | in the wild, they live up to about 12 years; in captivity, they have become as old as 32 years |
Social Structure | Males and females only come together for breeding and both sexes have multiple partners. |
Principal Threats
Bobcats may die due to diseases such as rabies, panleukopenia, and leptospirosis or conditions caused by parasites. Bobcat kittens are prey to large owls, hawks, coyotes and foxes. Adults are threatened by mountain lions, wolves, motor vehicles, and urbanization (habitat loss). Their main predator is human beings; they are still hunted for their pelts, primarily in winter and often through the use of dogs or traps. They are legally hunted in 38 states in the U.S. (including North Carolina), as well as in Canada and Mexico. In the state of Georgia, trappers kill about 1200-1800 bobcats each year, while other hunters kill about 3-5 times that many. In 2000-2006, pelts were worth $25 to $70. In 2009, one pelt was being sold on e-bay for $655.