Abstract
We investigated predation on lambs by bobcats (Lynx rufus) relative to coyotes (Canis latrans) from June 1994 through November 1995 at Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) in north-coastal California, where both predators occur at equally high densities. Lamb losses during this study were typical for HREC and surrounding ranches and included 64 (5.3% of lambs pastured) confirmed predator kills and 134 (11.1%) missing individuals. Fifty-seven of the predator-killed lambs were attributed to coyotes, whereas none were assigned to bobcats. The proportion of bobcat scats containing sheep remains was small (4.2%), and occurrence did not peak in the lambing season, suggesting that sheep consumed by bobcats were scavenged. Sheep were common in coyote scats (21.4%) and occurred most frequently in scats from the winter-spring lambing season. Coyotes were responsible for all lamb kills in intensively monitored pastures for which predator species could be identified. Use of space by radiocollared bobcats was not noticeably influenced by the presence of lambs. We concluded that bobcats were not important predators of lambs at HREC and not the cause for the relatively large numbers of lambs missing and unaccounted for each year.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 700-706 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Wildlife Management |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue number | 2 SUPPL. |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1998 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Bobcat
- California
- Canis latrans
- Coyote
- Lamb
- Lynx rufus
- Predation
- Sheep
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Ecology
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
Cite this
A comparison of bobcat and coyote predation on lambs in north-coastal California. / Neale, Jennifer C.C.; Sacks, Benjamin; Jaeger, Michael M.; McCullough, Dale R.
In: Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 62, No. 2 SUPPL., 01.01.1998, p. 700-706.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A comparison of bobcat and coyote predation on lambs in north-coastal California
AU - Neale, Jennifer C.C.
AU - Sacks, Benjamin
AU - Jaeger, Michael M.
AU - McCullough, Dale R.
PY - 1998/1/1
Y1 - 1998/1/1
N2 - We investigated predation on lambs by bobcats (Lynx rufus) relative to coyotes (Canis latrans) from June 1994 through November 1995 at Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) in north-coastal California, where both predators occur at equally high densities. Lamb losses during this study were typical for HREC and surrounding ranches and included 64 (5.3% of lambs pastured) confirmed predator kills and 134 (11.1%) missing individuals. Fifty-seven of the predator-killed lambs were attributed to coyotes, whereas none were assigned to bobcats. The proportion of bobcat scats containing sheep remains was small (4.2%), and occurrence did not peak in the lambing season, suggesting that sheep consumed by bobcats were scavenged. Sheep were common in coyote scats (21.4%) and occurred most frequently in scats from the winter-spring lambing season. Coyotes were responsible for all lamb kills in intensively monitored pastures for which predator species could be identified. Use of space by radiocollared bobcats was not noticeably influenced by the presence of lambs. We concluded that bobcats were not important predators of lambs at HREC and not the cause for the relatively large numbers of lambs missing and unaccounted for each year.
AB - We investigated predation on lambs by bobcats (Lynx rufus) relative to coyotes (Canis latrans) from June 1994 through November 1995 at Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) in north-coastal California, where both predators occur at equally high densities. Lamb losses during this study were typical for HREC and surrounding ranches and included 64 (5.3% of lambs pastured) confirmed predator kills and 134 (11.1%) missing individuals. Fifty-seven of the predator-killed lambs were attributed to coyotes, whereas none were assigned to bobcats. The proportion of bobcat scats containing sheep remains was small (4.2%), and occurrence did not peak in the lambing season, suggesting that sheep consumed by bobcats were scavenged. Sheep were common in coyote scats (21.4%) and occurred most frequently in scats from the winter-spring lambing season. Coyotes were responsible for all lamb kills in intensively monitored pastures for which predator species could be identified. Use of space by radiocollared bobcats was not noticeably influenced by the presence of lambs. We concluded that bobcats were not important predators of lambs at HREC and not the cause for the relatively large numbers of lambs missing and unaccounted for each year.
KW - Bobcat
KW - California
KW - Canis latrans
KW - Coyote
KW - Lamb
KW - Lynx rufus
KW - Predation
KW - Sheep
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031841799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0031841799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2307/3802346
DO - 10.2307/3802346
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0031841799
VL - 62
SP - 700
EP - 706
JO - Journal of Wildlife Management
JF - Journal of Wildlife Management
SN - 0022-541X
IS - 2 SUPPL.
ER -