The bobcat, Lynx rufus, is an adaptable, medium-sized predator that thrives across North America, ranging from southern Canada down to Mexico. This wild feline successfully inhabits a vast range of environments. Though a carnivore that consumes almost any available animal, the bobcat’s diet is built upon a foundation of small game. This generalist approach allows the bobcat to adjust its menu based on local prey abundance and seasonal changes.
The Primary Menu of Small Mammals
Lagomorphs, such as cottontail rabbits and hares, form the dominant caloric base of the bobcat’s diet across most of its range. Studies in the midwestern United States, for instance, frequently find eastern cottontail remains in over 60% of bobcat stomachs analyzed. This preference is so pronounced that bobcats in the eastern part of their range tend to consume more lagomorphs than their western counterparts.
Rodents constitute the other major component of the bobcat’s primary diet, providing a consistent source of nutrition when larger prey are scarce. This group includes various species such as mice, voles, gophers, and squirrels, which are preyed upon depending on local availability. In some northern areas during winter, small rodents and tree squirrels, like the red squirrel, can comprise a large proportion of the bobcat’s dietary biomass, sometimes exceeding 78%.
Opportunistic Prey and Dietary Flexibility
The bobcat demonstrates impressive dietary flexibility, expanding its menu to include larger and smaller animals not classified as core small mammals. Bobcats are known to take on prey significantly larger than themselves, such as young or weakened white-tailed deer, especially during harsh winter months or when primary prey populations are low. Adult male bobcats consume larger quantities of deer than females, likely due to their greater size. Much of the deer consumed, however, is often scavenged as carrion or consists of vulnerable fawns.
The bobcat’s opportunistic nature also leads it to consume smaller, less conventional food items, including non-mammalian vertebrates. Birds, particularly ground-nesting species, are an occasional part of the diet, with consumption increasing during winter in some areas. In subtropical regions, reptiles like snakes and lizards can be a frequent food source, sometimes appearing in over 15% of samples. Bobcats living near water bodies may also consume fish, and occasionally, they will ingest insects or other arthropods.
Hunting Strategies and Environmental Influence
The bobcat is a solitary hunter that relies on stealth and patience, primarily operating during the crepuscular hours of dawn and dusk. Its spotted, brownish coat provides effective camouflage, allowing it to blend seamlessly into rocky outcrops, dense brush, and varied forest undergrowth. The bobcat employs a classic feline stalk-and-pounce technique, slowly creeping toward its unsuspecting target before delivering a swift, final attack. To maintain silence during the approach, it often places its back feet precisely in the tracks of its front feet.
The geography and local habitat dictate the specific composition of the bobcat’s diet, leading to distinct regional variations. For example, bobcats inhabiting arid desert environments tend to maintain smaller home ranges and may consume a higher frequency of avian prey than their northern relatives. In the northern part of their range, where deep snow can put the bobcat at an energetic disadvantage, they may shift their focus away from lagomorphs toward more readily available small rodents and squirrels.