Diets of Bobcats in Arkansas with Special Reference to Age and Sex Differences

Relationships between diet of bobcats (Lynx rufus) and season, region, age, and sex were studied in Arkansas, based on contents of 150 stomachs collected between June 1970 and April 1972. Rabbits (Sylvilagus sp.), squirrels (Sciurus niger, S. carolinensis, Tamias striatus, Glaucomys volans), and rats and mice (Sigmodon hispidus, Neotoma floridana, Peromyscus sp., Microtus pinetorum, Reithrodontomys sp.) were found in 39, 22, and 21 percent of stomachs, respectively. Consumption of rabbits and deer (Odocoileus virginianus) peaked in autumn. Occurrence of rabbits (P < 0.025) and rats and mice (P < 0.01) was greater in stomachs from the Gulf Coastal Plain region; occurrence of squirrels (P < 0.005) was greater in the Interior Highlands. Diets of kittens, juveniles, and adults were similar. Occurrence of rats and mice was greater in females than in males (P < 0.025), suggesting that females selected smaller or more abundant