The bobcat, or Lynx rufus, is Florida’s most common native wildcat, a highly adaptable predator found across the state from deep swamps to suburban green spaces. Its success is due to its flexible hunting style and a diet that shifts based on immediate availability and habitat. As a medium-sized carnivore, the Florida bobcat plays an ecological role by controlling populations of smaller mammals. Understanding what these felines consume provides a clear picture of their integration into Florida’s diverse ecosystems.
Core Dietary Staples
The majority of a Florida bobcat’s diet consists of readily available, medium-sized mammals, which provide the highest caloric return. Rabbits are a primary food source, including the marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris) and the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). These lagomorphs are abundant throughout the state, making them a reliable and foundational part of the bobcat’s menu.
Various rodents also form a significant portion of their staple diet, particularly cotton rats, gophers, and squirrels found in both forested and open habitats. The abundance of these small mammals makes them easy targets for the bobcat’s characteristic ambush hunting style. By preying heavily on these species, bobcats help regulate local populations of small herbivores and omnivores. This reliance on rabbits and rodents ensures the bobcat receives the dense nutrition required to maintain its energy levels.
Opportunistic and Varied Prey
While small mammals are the core diet, the Florida bobcat is a generalist hunter that readily supplements its meals with a wide variety of secondary prey. Birds, particularly ground-nesting and wading species, become more prevalent, sometimes accounting for a significant portion of their food intake during winter months. Reptiles and amphibians also become targets, reflecting the bobcat’s presence in wetland environments like the Everglades.
Bobcats have been documented preying on small alligators and consuming juvenile Burmese pythons, demonstrating their willingness to engage with dangerous prey. They also consume the eggs of reptiles and birds, including those of invasive pythons, which offers a seasonal food source requiring minimal effort. This opportunistic behavior, which can also include scavenging on deer carcasses, highlights the feline’s adaptability.
Interactions with Human Settlements
As human development encroaches on natural habitats, bobcats are increasingly found in suburban and rural areas where their diet intersects with domestic animals. While they prefer wild prey, bobcats are opportunistic and will target small livestock, such as poultry and small goats, if they are not properly secured. The dense population of feral cats in some parts of Florida also provides a readily available, non-natural food source.
The most common concern for residents is the predation of domestic pets, particularly small dogs and outdoor cats. A bobcat views an unattended small pet as a vulnerable food source. To minimize conflicts, residents should take preventive steps that remove easy access to food and shelter.
Securing all outdoor garbage containers and removing pet food left outside are effective ways to stop attracting both bobcats and their prey. Small pets should never be left unsupervised outdoors, especially at dawn, dusk, and throughout the night when bobcats are most active. Livestock enclosures, like chicken coops, require sturdy wire mesh coverings and buried wire skirts to prevent the bobcat from gaining entry.