IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Parker, G.R.; Smith, G.E.J. | |
| Sex specific and age specific reproductive and physical parameters of the bobcat_ Lynx rufus _on Cape Breton Island Nova-Scotia Canada | |
| 1983 Canadian Journal of Zoology (61): 1771-1782 | |
A total of 605 _L. rufus_ carcasses, collected by trappers on Cape Breton Island from 1977-1978 through 1979-1980, were examined for sex and age structure, physical characteristics and condition, diet and reproduction. The overall sex ratio was 52 males to 48 females; sex ratios favored male in the juvenile cohorts and females in adult classes. Annual survival rates for adult males and females were 0.58 and 0.63, respectively. Kits were underrepresented and yearlings overrepresented in the annual harvests. The oldest bobcats were aged at 11.5 yr. Females produced their 1st litters at 1 or 2 yr of age. Breeding rates for 1- 2- and 3-yr-old bobcats were 26, 55 and 73%, respectively. For those 3 age-classes, in utero litter sizes were 2.22, 2.43 and 2.74, respectively. Litter sizes ranged from 1-6. Snowshoe hare (_Lepus americanus_) was the most important food item in the winter diet; annual percent occurrence values ranged from 83-92%. The proportion of yearlings in the monthly samples declined through the winter while the proportion of kits increased. Options for regulating the composition of the harvest through flexible seasons are discussed. |
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