IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Knowles, P.R. | |
| Home range size and habitat selection of bobcats Lynx rufus in north-central Montana USA | |
| 1985 Canadian Field-Naturalist (99(1)): 6-12 | |
A study of bobcat (_L. rufus_) habitat selection and movements was conducted from Jan. 1979 through Aug. 1980 on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in northcentral Montana. Five cats were radio-collared and followed from 2 wk to 17 mo. with 3 of the cats accounting for 423 of the 457 relocations. Home range size was largest (83.3 km2) for the adult male, followed by the adult female with 17.8 km2 and her male kitten with 5.8 km2. Nine cover types were designated on the study area and vertical vegetative cover was measured with a coverboard for each type. The juniper cover type was the densest (93% cover), followed by river bottom (75%), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga-menziesii) (71%), dense pine (52%), greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) (30%), open pine (24%), sage-grass (11%), agricultural (9%); and prairie dog town (3%). The 3 cats with over 50 relocations each all showed significant selection for cover type with 52% cover or greater. The only cover types with less than 52% cover used more often than expected was that of prairie dog towns. Lagomorph pellet transects showed a high positive correlation with cover type density. The highest densities of small rodents were in the dense cover types (greater than 50% cover) and the sage-grass cover type. |
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