Reports
Tell City Junior High
The Bobcat
The bobcat, or Lynx rufus, is a tawny colored cat with a short, stubby tail. It can weigh anywhere from 14-29 pounds and is the most common wildcat in North America. It is found mostly in the far west in states such as Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. This species is abundant in some parts of the U.S., but it is very rare in Indiana, where it is now on the state's Endangered Animal list. Another species, Felis rufus, is found in California and the southwestern deserts. The bobcat's name comes from its short tail, similar to that of a Manx cat. It mainly feeds on the Snowshoe Hare, but may also eat cottontails, mice, squirrels, woodchucks, opossums, shrews, raccoons, foxes, domestic cats, and birds. It is a solitary animal and only comes together to mate.
Capturing and studying of bobcats in Indiana is commencing in the south central part of the state in Maritin and Lawrence counties, and confirmed sighting reports have been recieved from Perry, Spencer, Warrick, Dubois, and Crawford counties. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources biologists have been in the process of their third season of trapping adult bobcats and fitting them with radio trasmitters. The chance of seeing these animals in the wild is highly unlikely, as they are very elusive and secretive cats, mainly being nocturnal animals. They like heavily wooded areas with rocky outcroppings, making the Ohio River corridor a likely place to find bobcats. The bobcat has become endangered by poaching and overkilling , and are being reestablished in New Jersey as well as documented in many other states in order to keep an eye on the numbers. |
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Written by: Julie |
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Copyright 1997, 2001 - Joan Goble and René de Vries
