Bobcats
Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are about twice the size of a housecat. Adult male bobcats on Kiawah weigh between 18-25 pounds, and adult females weigh approximately 15-20 pounds. Bobcats are most active within a few hours of dawn and dusk. Often bobcats, stalk their prey, moving in as close as possible before jumping to capture it. At other times, the bobcat will merely crouch in an area where prey is abundant and wait for something to come along. Bobcats are opportunistic feeders and will eat a variety of animals; including rabbits, rodents, opossums, raccoons, birds, deer, and even reptiles and amphibians.
The breeding season for bobcats is February through April and kittens are born approximately 62 days later. The den may be located under a brush pile, in a thicket of saw palmetto, or in a hollow tree stump. Kittens are born blind and their eyes will open after about 10 days. They are dependent on the mother\'s milk until they are four weeks old. Soon after, the female will begin bringing rodents and birds to them, later giving them lessons in how to kill.
BOBCAT RESEARCH
Bobcats are very important to the ecosystem on Kiawah Island since they are at the top of the food chain. Because of this, bobcats play a vital role in regulating populations of prey species, including rabbits, rodents, and deer. Bobcats are shy, secretive animals which typically avoid humans and dwellings. Kiawah's bobcats are unique in that they have adapted very well to the influx of people and homes on the island. Because of the importance of bobcats to the ecosystem of the island, a variety of research projects have been conducted to learn more about their ecology, their habitat needs, and how to better manage for them.
There have been 4 bobcat research projects conducted on Kiawah Island since 2000. Brief summaries can be found below. More detailed information can be obtained from Town Hall.
2000 BOBCAT ECOLOGY STUDY SUMMARY
Fourteen bobcats were caught on Kiawah during 2000 and fitted with radio-transmitter collars. Each of these collars transmits on a unique frequency so researchers were able to locate each cat on a daily basis. Between 2000-2004, 6 of these bobcats have died. One is presumed to have died from disease, while the other 5 are believed to have been hit by automobiles. These results clearly demonstrate that automobiles are the primary cause of bobcat mortality on Kiawah Island. Please drive carefully around the island and be on alert for animals near the roadside at all times. A complete copy of the research project results can be obtained at Town Hall.
2004 BOBCAT STUDY SUMMARY
During 2004, an additional 16 bobcats were captured and fitted with radio-collars as part of the Predator-Prey Project (a cooperative project between the Town of Kiawah Island and the Kiawah Island Natural Habitat Conservancy). Data from this study continue to demonstrate the incredible adaptability of Kiawah bobcats and how they have continued to cope well with continued development. A full report of the Predator-Prey Project can be found in Dr. Shane Roberts' Phd Dissertation.
2007 BOBCAT GPS PILOT STUDY
This study began in February 2007 to test the feasability of using GPS-enabled radio collars to identify fine-scale habitat use by bobcats. 5 bobcats were fitted with GPS collars and monitored for 1-3 months. Each collar logged an average of 2,400 locations. Data analysis has shown that GPS collars do work very well on Kiawah Island and a larger scale study was launched in 2008. Additional details can be found on the Bobcat GPS Study page.
2008 BOBCAT GPS STUDY
15 unique bobcats were trapped during March-April 2008 and 8 were fitted with Televilt GPS collars (5 males, 3 females). These collars are programmed to last 1-2 years. Preliminary results are positive though there have been some issues encountered with the new Televilt collars. More information is available on the Bobcat GPS Study page.