Photo by R. Ohanyon
BOBCATS AND BOBWHITES Article by DALE ROLLINS, Ph.D.
P
redation is the most common cause of mortality for bobwhites. The list of “whodunnits,” is long, and the equation is complex. Death from above, death in the tall grass. Mammalian mesocarnivores such as raccoons and skunks are locally common and adroit nest predators. Raptors such as Northern Harriers are seasonally important predators of adult birds, especially during October through March. Snakes can be nest predators, but they also prey on chicks and adult birds. Recently in Florida, a bobwhite chick was found inside a bullfrog. Indeed, just about everything (including me) likes to eat quail. Stealth and agility afford some quail predators a leg up on other potential predators. In the raptor world, the Cooper’s Hawk is an F-16 equivalent. The mammalian analog to a Cooper’s Hawk might be the bobcat. Like Cooper’s Hawks, they may be fairly common though rarely seen. Stealth is their middle name. Anyone who has owned a housecat can attest to the prowess of their feline in securing prey, be it a lizard or a songbird. A bobcat is likely even more skillful. After all, their existence rests upon their ability to catch their food.
38 T E X A S W I L D L I F E
APRIL 2021
BOBCAT ECOLOGY IN TEXAS Bobcats can be found throughout the state in a variety of habitats. They prefer rocky canyons or outcrops; in rockless areas, they resort to thickets such as whitebrush for protection and den sites. Bobcats are active mostly at night. In hilly country, they often drop their feces on large rocks on promontories or ridges. The scats are often characterized as resembling a “Tootsie Roll.” Males make scrapes—small piles of leaves and sticks on which they urinate—like those of mountain lions, only smaller. They den in crevices in canyon walls, in boulder piles or in thickets. Breeding usually begins in February, with the young born after a gestation period of about 60 days. They may have two to seven young, with three being the average litter size. A bobcat's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as rats, ground squirrels, mice and rabbits, and birds. They occasionally kill and eat deer, primarily fawns. Wild turkeys, quail, domestic sheep, goats and poultry are also susceptible to bobcat predation. When playing the role of CSI, investigators should look at any and all evidence at the “crime scene” as they seek to assign cause of death. Bobcats may partially cover or cache their kills and return later to feed. Occasionally, we discover a dead
