Sam Fried Sam FriedSam Fried has seen and photographed almost all North American birds. Meet Sam Previous Answers

As humans continue to trample over, fragment and overpopulate North America, some species decline and others adapt, moving into new niches and actually increasing in numbers. The bobcat is among the latter group, doing extremely well in this somewhat altered environment, while the other large cats have declined. Where I live, the bobcat population has expanded greatly, as the numbers of wild turkey have also increased, providing an excellent food source in addition to rabbits, which are the mainstay of their diet.

Bobcats generally inhabit the United States from coast to coast, in a wide variety of environments. They prefer an uneven landscape, denning in caves and rocky ledges. The male takes no part in caring for or raising the young and will mate with several females if available.

There are a number of excellent books on North American mammals, ranging from small field guides to large reference volumes. Here are a few:

A Field Guide to the Mammals of America North of Mexico, by Burt & Grossenheider, Houghton-Mifflin Publishing, sponsored by the National Audubon Society (1976). (pocket-sized)

Mammals of North America, Temperate and Arctic Regions, by Adrian Forsyth, Firefly Books (1999). (Coffee table size)

Bobcat, by Jalma Barrett, a children's book in the Wildcats of North America series, Blackbirch Press, 24 pages (1999).

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