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Cytauxzoonosis is a fatal tick-borne disease in domestic cats caused by infection with the apicomplexan Cytauxzoon felis. Bobcats are the natural wild-vertebrate reservoirs for C. felis, and infections are typically subclinical and chronic in this species. The present study was done to determine the prevalence and geographic distribution of C. felis infection in wild bobcats from Oklahoma and the occurrence in northwestern Texas. Tongue samples from 360 bobcats were collected from 53 counties in Oklahoma and 13 samples from three counties in Texas. For DNA extracted from each tongue sample, a probe-based droplet digital PCR assay was performed targeting the C. felis mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit III (cox3). Prevalence of C. felis infection was calculated for each county sampled, and data from individual counties were combined according to geographic regions and compared using chi-square tests. Overall prevalence of C. felis in bobcats from Oklahoma was 80.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75.6–83.8). The prevalence of infection was >90% for bobcats from central, northeastern, south-central, and southeastern regions of Oklahoma, but <68% for bobcats from northwestern and southwestern regions. Bobcats from central counties in Oklahoma were 25.693 times more likely to be infected with C. felis compared to all other bobcats sampled from the state. Higher prevalence estimates of C. felis in bobcats appeared to be in counties where known tick vectors are most common. Occurrence of C. felis in bobcats from northwestern Texas was 30.8% (95% CI, 12.4%–58.0%) based on 13 samples. Results of this study support the utilization of bobcats as sentinel animals to identify geographic areas with risk of C. felis infection to domestic cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2000, the Alameda County Vector Control Services District has received only 10 requests for service regarding bobcats. Seven of those cases have occurred in the past three years. Of those, only one case has involved the bobcats creating a den on a residential property. This is the case study of a mother bobcat and four kittens denning in the backyard of a suburban home in Fremont, California. The eviction of the bobcats from the deck of the vacant home was completed in May and June of 2019. During a four-week period, a wide range of eviction techniques were used, including noise, light, and water harassment, along with eviction fluid and human presence. This experience gave us the opportunity to observe and record the behaviors of bobcats living in a suburban environment and to test various eviction methods that had previously been untested in Alameda County. After four weeks of continuous humane harassment, the eviction was successful.

Natural recolonization of bobcat (Lynx rufus) populations in the midwestern United States presents challenges for managers with limited knowledge of the species' population dynamics in a highly fragmented agricultural landscape. Dispersal is a component of population dynamics of a recolonizing population, which is likely influenced by landscape features. To better understand population expansion, we examined dispersal characteristics of juvenile (<2 yr) bobcats in recently recolonized south‐central Iowa, USA, from 2003–2009. We radio‐collared and tracked dispersal fates of 61 individuals (34 males, 27 females), with 29 (22 males, 7 females) dispersing by approximately 2 years of age and the rest remaining philopatric. Most (65%) juvenile males dispersed, whereas only 26% of females dispersed. Initiation of dispersal varied, but none occurred in July–August. Dispersal duration ranged from 4–240 days. Average age at dispersal was 16.9 ± 1.1 (SE) months. Dispersal was most prevalent in an east‐west direction and straight‐line distances ranged from 6.6–203.2 km (x¯ = 57.9 km). On average, males dispersed 44 km farther than females. Land cover composition was similar in natal and post‐dispersal core ranges and consisted predominantly (70%) of forest and grassland. Lower abundance of forest and grassland in areas north of the study area may ultimately limit the ability of juvenile bobcats to successfully disperse and expand throughout the Corn Belt of Iowa. © 2019 The Wildlife Society. Successful dispersal and settlement by bobcats indicates that the population in Iowa may continue to expand in size and distribution, but range expansion will likely be slowed by female philopatry and biased dispersal direction, with few individuals moving north into regions of greater proportion of row crop agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammals are known to vary in their sensitivity to urbanization. In heavily urbanized southern California, bobcats (Lynx rufus) prey on rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) that forage for lush vegetation in developed areas. We collected data on the density of rabbits in adjacent urban and natural areas using visual line surveys. We also measured habitat use for seven GPS-collared female bobcats to determine if bobcats selected areas with higher rabbit densities. Estimated rabbit densities did not vary between urban, urban edge, and natural areas during wet or dry seasons, reflecting their consistent presence across the landscape. During daytime and crepuscular hours, bobcats used natural coastal sage scrub and grassland habitats more frequently (76–84% of the time) than urban areas. Conversely, at night, bobcats decreased their use of coastal sage scrub and doubled their time in urban areas. In summary, we found that rabbits were present across the landscape, and bobcats are likely selecting urban areas at night to prey on rabbits and avoid people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maturation of mammalian carnivores from a lactating juvenile to a predatory adult requires a suite of changes in both morphology and behaviour. Bobcats ( Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777)) are medium-sized cats with well-developed skulls to process large prey that can exceed their body mass. An integrated view of the skull ontogeny in the bobcat was developed to detect the relationship between shape, size (on the basis of three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis), and life history. Dietary changes from juvenile to adults were taken into account and compared with other carnivores. Newborns were different from the remaining age stages in the behavioral and morphological characters examined, which allows us to relate them to the terminal morphology reached during the prenatal period. All findings were related to the reinforcement of the skull and the enhancement of predatory skills in adult bobcats. The final cranial shape is reached in A2 age class, after 2 years of age, and once sexual maturity has been reached. This is a pattern not followed for the rest of carnivores previously studied, which might be related to the capacity of subduing prey that exceed them in size, a behavior not common in felids of the body size of bobcats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]