Home range, habitat selection, and survival of Bobcats, Lynx rufus, in a prairie ecosystem in Kansas

Ten Bobcats (Lynx rufus), five males and five females, were radio-collared and monitored in a prairie ecosystem in northeastern Kansas from October 19 95 to March 1998 to determine seasonal home range sizes, seasonal habitat s election, and survival. Home ranges of resident Bobcats overlapped among an d between sexes, and sizes of home ranges did not differ between seasons. T he composite home range of a resident male (20.0 km(2)) was more than twice as large as resident females (7.5 +/- 0.8 km(2)). Transient Bobcats had mu ch larger (57.1 +/- 15.8 km(2)) and less well defined home ranges, whereas kittens had the smallest home ranges (7.0 +/- 3.5 km(2)). Resident Bobcats preferred grasslands in summer despite their lack of adaptations for open a reas. In winter, resident Bobcats preferred woodlands possibly because of r educed food resources and greater competition with other predators. Transie nt Bobcats and a male kitten tended to avoid habitats that were preferred b y resident Bobcats. Annual survival for resident Bobcats (1.00) was more th an twice as high as for transient or dispersing Bobcats (0.46).