Wildlife Wednesday 12/11/2024

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Mrooowwwr. Purr. Hiss. Growl. These are the sounds one could hear from Ohio’s resident wildcat, the bobcat. These small native cats are part of the “purring cat” family (which also includes lynxes, ocelots, and house cats) and cannot roar.

Quiet, secretive, and avoidant of humans, bobcats are crepuscular and active mainly at dusk and dawn. They are fairly small, weighing between 8 and 40 pounds, with males being larger than females. Their name comes from the stubby short tail, which appears “bobbed.” Their faces look wide due to the bushy ruffs of fur below their ears and fluffy tufts around their cheeks. The ears are pointy with black tips and the eyes are yellow with black pupils. The spotted pattern of their body coat is great camouflage.

As ambush predators, bobcats stealthily stalk or hide, waiting for prey to come near, then pounce. They are also good tree-climbers. Diet includes cottontail rabbits, small rodents (such as squirrels, groundhogs, chipmunks, and voles), birds, fish, amphibians, eggs, and small white-tailed deer, particularly fawns. 

Bobcats are adaptable and can live in a variety of habitats, though in Ohio they prefer forested areas. They are mostly solitary, establishing independent home ranges and interacting with other bobcats only for the breeding and kitten-rearing season. Common prior to human settlement, these felines were extirpated (completely absent) from the state by 1850 due to habitat loss and overhunting. They have since made a comeback and have an established population in the eastern and southern parts of Ohio and are continuing to expand. Meow!