Abstract
Food habits of the bobcat (Felis rufus) in eastern Arkansas were examined based on stomach contents of 148 specimens. Rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus and S. aquaticus) were the primary food source for males, females, and kittens. Rice rats (Oryzomys palustris), nutria (Myocastor coypus), and several species of waterfowl are first reported as food of bobcats in Arkansas. Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethica) were more common in bobcat diets in eastern versus western Arkansas. Adult males did not use smaller prey but this food source was common, in kittens; females were intermediate in their use of smaller prey.
Recommended Citation
Tumlison, C. Renn and McDaniel, V. Rick
(1990)
"Analysis of the Fall and Winter Diet of the Bobcat in Eastern Arkansas,"
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 44, Article 30.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol44/iss1/30
