Mammals of the Table Rocks

Bobcat

Felis rufus

USFWS

Bobcat

Felis rufus

USFWS

I am the most common wildcat. I get my name from my stubby, or "bobbed," tail.

I like to eat mice, squirrels, gophers, opossums, moles, shrews, raccoons, foxes, domestic cats, birds, reptiles, porcupines, and even skunks. I hunt small prey by waiting for victims motionlessly and then pouncing. I pursue medium-size animals from a hunting bed or lookout, attacking by stalking and then rushing, or by simply rushing. I seek large prey, such as deer, when they are bedded down. When food is scarce I will eat carrion, usually animals killed by cars or by hunters. Like the Lynx, I am a solitary animal.

My various calls sound much like those of the domestic cat, although my scream is piercing. When I am threatened, I utter a short, sudden, and resonant "cough-bark." I yowl loudest and most often during the breeding season. Humans (who hunt me with hounds in some areas) and the automobile are my worst enemies, but predators such as foxes, owls, and adult male Bobcats may attack my young.

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