Diet of the Recovering Ohio Bobcat (Lynx rufus) with a Consideration of Two Subpopulations

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are a native carnivore of Ohio, but by 1850 were extirpated or nearly so following pioneer settlement of the state. The first modern record of a bobcat in Ohio was an adult male killed in 1946. Distribution accounts indicate that population re- establishment began around 2000. Today the bobcat is protected, and verified sightings, camera surveys, and genetic analyses point to two subpopulations: a fast growing, self-sustaining eastern subpopulation, and a more slowly growing southern subpopulation. We evaluated stomach contents of 120 adult and subadult bobcat carcasses to help understand the disparity in subpopulation growth rates, and inform proper bobcat management. We identified prey species morphologically. We quantified prey species taken and converted their frequencies to caloric intake estimates. We calculated dry weight estimates of prey groups and compared them between bobcat age classes, sexes, regions, and across seasons. We examined regional diet differences further by calculating diet and condition indices. Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) occurred most often. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) supplied the greatest caloric value. Small rodents and insectivores were the most common prey group. Adults consumed more, as defined by weight, meso-mammals and large rodents than subadults. Diet composition did not differ between sexes. Weight of large mammal intake differed significantly between winter and summer, being greater in winter. Diet composition and prey group weights did not differ regionally. Dietary niche breadth of the southern subpopulation indicated more even consumption of prey groups than the eastern, whereas food niche overlap between regions was high. The condition index of eastern and southern bobcats also did not differ. We present the first rigorous analysis of bobcat diet in Ohio, and infer that diet is not a likely driver of disparate subpopulation growth rates of this recovering species.