A comparison of bobcat and coyote predation on lambs in north-coastal California

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 ty...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of wildlife management 1998-04, Vol.62 (2), p.700-706
Main Authors: Neale, J.C.C, Sacks, B.N, Jaeger, M.M, McCullough, D.R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AGNEAU
Animal husbandry
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Bobcats
Canis latrans
Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife
CORDERO
COYOTE
COYOTES
DEPREDACION
DEPREDADORES
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Homes
Lambing
LAMBS
LINCE
LYNX
LYNX RUFUS
LYNXES
MORTALIDAD
MORTALITE
MORTALITY
OVIN
OVINOS
Pastures
PREDATEUR
PREDATION
PREDATORS
SHEEP
Wildcats
Wildlife management
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0022-541X
1937-2817
DOI:10.2307/3802346