Hobbies And Interests
Habitat Characteristics
Bobcats live in a range of habitats and can adapt to different environments easily. The types of habitats that bobcats can be found in include semi-deserts, mountains, forests and swamps. These animals usually prefer remote habitats with some cover to shelter them from the weather. They also tend to inhabit areas that have suitable den sites and a range of vegetation and landforms that allow them to hide while stalking their prey.
Denning
Bobcat den sites include hollow trees and spaces in natural rock formations, particularly caves. These dens are used for shelter and raising young. An individual bobcat can have several dens within its home range. Although a female bobcat begins by raising her litter in the main den, she may move the young to a number of other den sites as they begin to travel with their mother, learning the skills necessary for survival. Bobcats finally leave their mother's den and become fully independent between 9 and 12 months of age.
Predatory Behavior and Availability of Prey
Ideal bobcat habitats have an abundance of prey available to these carnivorous animals. The bobcat diet mainly consists of rabbits but they also consume birds, rodents and even animals that are much larger than themselves. Bobcats are mostly nocturnal, moving around their habitat in search of prey under the cover of night. These cats are very agile and are able run and climb quickly over a variety of terrains when they are chasing prey or avoiding a predator.
Territorial Behavior
All bobcats are strongly independent and territorial over their home ranges which can cover an area as large as 30 square miles. Female home ranges are smaller than those of their male counterparts and do not tend to extend beyond 5 square miles. These territories are scent marked, mostly with urine and feces. Female bobcats are more territorial than males. While the home ranges of male bobcats often overlap each other, females are unwilling to share their territories with each other. Male and female bobcats are not monogamous and do not mate for life. The male and female bobcats part after mating.
Habitat Loss
Bobcats are the most abundant of all wild cats in North America, with the population estimated at 1 million or more. However, in some states they are losing their natural habitat to urbanization and agriculture. As more land around bobcat habitats is used for farming, the animals are at risk from hunting because farmers fear for the safety of their livestock.