CALIFORNIA BOBCATS

PHOTOS

The California Bobcat is a relatively large cat with gray to reddish fur, spotted with brown or black. It has long legs, a short or "bob" tail that tends to be barred with black, and sharp-pointed ears. They are larger than domestic cats but much smaller than mountain lions. They may weigh up to 25-57 lbs. and have a life span of 10-14 years.

Despite their pussycat appearance, the bobcat is quite fierce and is equipped to take down animals as large as deer. When living near a ranch, they may take lambs, poultry and even young pigs. However, food habit studies have shown that Bobcats survive on a diet of rabbits, ground squirrels, mice, pocket gophers and wood rats. Bobcats have shown not to harm healthy game populations.

Bobcats roam freely at night and are frequently abroad during the day except at the peak of summer. They do not dig their own den. If a crevice or a cave is not available, it will den in a dense thicket of brush or sometimes choose a hollow in a log or a tree.

The California Bobcat occupies areas from 1/4 of a square mile to as much as 25 square miles, depending on the habitat and sex of the bobcat. Female bobcats occupy smaller areas than males and normally do not associate with other female bobcats. Males roam wider than females; while they are not particularly tolerant of other males, the home ranges of males will overlap those of both males and females.

The breeding season for bobcats varies with the conditions and location on the habitat. A pair's meeting lasts only a few days, when they will travel, hunt, and eat together. About two months after breeding, the female delivers two or three kittens. Over a 12-month period, the mother bobcat will wean her kittens, teach them to hunt, and finally drive them away from home to find their own territories. Bobcats can live up to 25 years in captivity and live 10 to 12 years in the wild.