Ivy A. Godbois

Habitat needs of wildlife are important for science-based wildlife management. Further, these needs may differ based upon the ecosystem in which the species lives. Bobcat habitat use within the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest ecosystem has received little attention. Therefore, we monitored 21 bobcats (Lynx rufus) (8 M, 13 F) during 2001-2002 in southwestern Georgia to determine habitat use at two different spatial scales: (1) habitat associated with each animal's locations relative to habitat composition of its home range and (2) habitat composition of each bobcat's home range...

We quantified bobcat (Lynx rufus) diet on a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) dominated area managed for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), hereafter quail. We sorted prey items to species when possible, but for analysis we categorized them into 1 of 5 classes: rodent, bird, deer, rabbit, and other species. Bobcat diet did not differ seasonally (X2 = 17.82, P = 0.1213). Most scats (91%) contained rodent, 14% contained bird, 9% contained deer (Odocoileus virginianus), 6% contained rabbit (Sylvilagus sp.), and 12% contained other. Quail remains were detected in only 2 of 135 bobcat scats...