|
|
A
few years ago on a sunny autumn afternoon near Chip Ross Park in Corvallis, I
had a rare wildlife encounter. My
husband and I were taking a break from our hike to share a snack beside a
small stream, and suddenly from out of the thick underbrush, a bobcat leapt onto
the trail 30 feet in front of us. We
were so stunned that we could only manage a quick look at each other, and then
back at the bobcat, our eyes fixed widely on it as it slowly crossed the trail.
We watched the sleek and graceful hunter pad silently by, unaware of our
presence for several seconds until it abruptly turned its head in our direction.
Wide-eyed and frozen mid-stride, it looked as shocked as we had been just
moments before. Movement returned
as we grabbed for our camera and stood up. The
bobcat immediately began to flee, and true to his adventurous spirit, my husband
took off after him (note: this is
not recommended). Two things
resulted from the great chase that followed, (1.) we witnessed how fast a bobcat
can run when pursued by an excited, camera-toting guy in shorts, and (2.) the
only photos we came away with require a magnifying glass and a good imagination
to see anything at all. What
we did come away with that day was a new appreciation of the bobcat, a beautiful
and elusive animal that Oregonians rarely ever get to see.
With their secretive behavior, solitary lifestyle, and excellent
camouflage, they usually remain hidden from view.
Bobcats
frequently roam and hunt during daylight hours, but are most active from dusk to
dawn. They primarily inhabit
scrubby country and forestlands, but can adapt well to rocky and brushy desert
areas, farmlands, and even swamps. Found
only in North America, their range is spottily distributed from coast to coast,
and from southern Canada into Mexico. Bobcats
can be found in all of the western states, but are scarce or absent in most of
the central and lower Midwest. The
bobcat’s scientific name is Felis rufus.
In Latin, felis means cat, and rufus means red or reddish.
The common name of “bobcat” undoubtedly comes from the stubby or
“bobbed” tail, which reaches a maximum length of only 4-7 inches.
The tip of a bobcat’s tail is black above and white below, which
distinguishes it from the tail of a Lynx (a similar species), which is entirely
black at the tip. A bobcat’s
coloration can vary in shade from a reddish-brown to a tawny-gray, with some
individuals having dark spots or bars on the body and black lines on the face,
and others having less distinct markings. A
bobcat’s ears are slightly tufted, tipped in black, and usually have a white
patch on the backside. Bobcats have
strong and compact bodies, muscular legs, and large paws with sharp, retractable
claws. Male bobcats grow larger
than females and generally weigh 16-57 pounds and are 18-50 inches in length,
while females range from 8-33 pounds and are 22-43 inches in length. Male
and female bobcats are not found together except during courtship and mating
periods. Mating generally takes
place in the spring, and females give birth to a litter of 1-7 (usually 2 or 3)
kittens in a den, hollow log, or rocky crevice after a gestation period of
approximately 62 days. All care and
protection of the kittens is provided by the female. The
home range of an individual bobcat can vary from less than one square mile to 25
square miles or more. The smallest
home ranges occur in areas of good habitat and where food is abundant. Bobcats predominantly prey on small mammals (such as rabbits,
squirrels and mice) and birds, but larger animals such as deer are sometimes
hunted. When caught, small prey
items are consumed immediately, and larger kills are cached and revisited.
If prey is scarce, bobcats will occasionally feed on carrion. The
status of the bobcat has changed since Oregon was first settled. Early pioneers viewed the animal as a threat, and beginning
in 1843, bounties were established. By
the 1930’s the bobcat population had dropped significantly, and through the
late 1960’s it continued to decline. In
response, the Oregon legislature repealed the state bounty in 1961.
In 1967, the legislature changed the status of the bobcat to a
“furbearer”, with the population managed by the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife. Today, the bobcat
population in Oregon is considered healthy and relatively stable. Bobcats
are not considered a danger to people, and even though you may live and/or
recreate in prime bobcat territory, it is unlikely that you will ever see one.
However, if you are lucky enough to encounter a bobcat in its natural
habitat, please use good judgment and enjoy the rare and remarkable sight. To view a bobcat photo, please visit our Wildlife Photos page. References: “The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals”, as well as several online sources including the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife site, www.dfw.state.or.us, served as data sources for this feature. |
|