1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren vog obam here. If you live in 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 1: the United States, you might have never seen a bobcat 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: in the wild, but that doesn't mean they're not there, 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: and it doesn't mean there's not a bobcat sighting in 6 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: your future. Bobcat's taxonomical name, Lynx rufus, are doing great, 7 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: thanks for asking. These days, they're pretty common and can 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: be found in almost every state in the lower forty eight, 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: as well as throughout most of Mexico and parts of Canada. 10 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: They look a bit like a domestic housecat, so much 11 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: so the people have accidentally rescued bobcat kittens from the 12 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: side of the road. Except the adult bobcats grow to 13 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:41,919 Speaker 1: be as big as a mid sized dog and are 14 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: a far site less friendly. With a sleek, brown spotted coat, 15 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: a short tail, and tufted ears. You would never mistake 16 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: a grown bobcat for a pet, but you might mistake 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: it for a Canadian lynx. That's Lynx canadensis in North America. 18 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: The difference between a bobcat and a lynx has a 19 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: bit to do with the size of the feet, the 20 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: color of the coat, and the length of the ear tufts. Links. However, 21 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: live in northern latitudes and high elevations, and bobcats can 22 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: be found almost anywhere deserts, wetlands, forests, you name it. Also, 23 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: bobcats have notoriously assertive personalities. According to the San Diego Zoo, 24 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: they're referred to by zookeepers as the spitfires of the 25 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: animal kingdom for their unwillingness to back down from a 26 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: kill and just general audacity. A full grown bobcat is 27 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: only about thirty three pounds that's fifteen kilos, but is 28 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: able to bring down a two hundred and fifty pound 29 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: deer by itself that's about a hundred and ten kilos. 30 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: Not only are bobcats tenacious, they're also resilient and adaptable 31 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 1: to land use change. We spoke with John litt Vedis, 32 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: Emeritus Professor in the Department of Natural Resources in the 33 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: Environment at the University of New Hampshire. According to litt 34 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: Vedis's research, bounty records from New Hampshire from the early 35 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds to today show that as old growth trees 36 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: were cleared for agriculture and timber replaced in many places, 37 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: with she young forests, bobcat numbers skyrocketed. Their favorite foods, rabbits, deer, grouse, 38 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: and basically anything else that likes to live in a scrubby, 39 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: impenetrable thicket were well supported by a young forest, But 40 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 1: as the forests aged into old ones that didn't harbor 41 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: as many rabbits, and as coyotes, which compete with bobcats 42 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: were introduced to New Hampshire, and as bobcat firs became 43 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: popular in the mid twentieth century, numbers plummeted. These factors, 44 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: accompanied by some particularly harsh winters in New Hampshire in 45 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventies and eighties, resulted in the bobcat population 46 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: tanking by the population in this state, where they had 47 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: once flourished, was most likely fewer than a hundred and 48 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: fifty animals. A similar trend could be seen all over 49 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: the United States. But then the states started protecting bobcats 50 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: by putting strict limits on how many could be hunted 51 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: or trapped. With less human intervention, bobcats are doing much 52 00:02:55,040 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: better Vedas said, bobcat populations are increasing now throughout much 53 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: of their geographic range. I'm amazed at the abilities they 54 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: have to adapt to a demanding and changing environment. Because, 55 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: unlike coyotes and foxes, bobcats are strict carnivores, so their 56 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: diet places substantial challenges to acclimating to suburban and urban life. 57 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: In New Hampshire, bobcat numbers were estimated to be around 58 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: one thousand four and are even higher today. So how 59 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: do they manage maintaining a strict carnivores diet while living 60 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: catches catch can and human centered landscapes. They work smarter, 61 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: not harder, preying on our backyard chickens and other animals 62 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: that do well hanging out around people, Veta said. In 63 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: the Northeast, staying close to a bird feeder during winter 64 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: seems to help bobcats snag unsuspecting squirrels and thus get 65 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: through the toughest time of the year. Of course, cohabiting 66 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: with humans isn't always great for either the bobcat or 67 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: the humans. The cats are more likely to be hit 68 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: by cars or have unpleasant run ins with humans if 69 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: they're lounging around in someone's backyard waiting for a turk 70 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: key or chipmunk to wander through. Should you encounter a bobcat, 71 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: the best advice is to give it as much respect 72 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: and space as possible. Similarly, a small dog or housecat 73 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: might be targeted by a bobcat as a potential meal, 74 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: and domestic cats are susceptible to a tick boorn disease 75 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: called bobcat fever, for which bobcats are the natural host. 76 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: In the meantime, bobcats are doing so well that some 77 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: states like Illinois have passed laws reinstating bobcat hunting and 78 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: trapping season for the first time in forty years. But 79 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: now the question is how do we maintain a good 80 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: relationship with bobcat neighbors. It's tricky, but public education about 81 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: how to safely cohabitate with bobcats will help. Mostly, as 82 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: we said, leave them alone, don't feed them, and keep 83 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: an eye on children and animals if you've spotted one 84 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood. Also, like any housecat, they'll take the 85 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: hint that they're not welcome if you spray them with water. 86 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: Leveda said, I'm happy they're thriving. For me, they symbolize 87 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: the wild portrait of nature, and I'm glad they're doing well. 88 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: Today's episode was written by Jessicuin Shields and produced by 89 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: Tyler clang. Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart Radios 90 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works. For more in this and lots of 91 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: other catty topics, visit our home planet has stuff works 92 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: dot com and for more podcasts from my heart Radio, 93 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 94 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.