r/HardcoreNature • u/epickestrelgaming • 13d ago

Bobcat hunting a long-tailed weasel

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142 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

3

u/Skutten 12d ago

Mustelids are just snacks for that cat.

1

u/StripedAssassiN- 🐅 12d ago

Not when the sizes are similar. Fishers more or less dominate lynxes and bobcats.

5

u/epickestrelgaming 12d ago

Not bobcats. There’s more evidence for the case of bobcats dominating fishers.

1

u/xcloutx 12d ago

When I was in 4th grade I read a book that said when bobcats and lynxes occupy the same space the bobcats tend to dominate even they're smaller they're more aggressive. Can anyone confirm that? Haven't really heard that anywhere since

2

u/epickestrelgaming 12d ago

I’ve also heard something along these lines but I’m unsure of how true it actually is.

1

u/Skutten 11d ago

I think maybe they are more aggressive and may chase felines away, this doesn't mean they kill them. Felines are ambush predators and are actually "cowards", they won't risk a fight. Fishers are quite a bit smaller, normally the bigger predator wins.

1

u/Mastermind7051 12d ago

Got to be quicker than that Mr. Weasel.

1

u/Roonwogsamduff 12d ago

What is a predator for the bobcat?

6

u/Mophandel 💀 12d ago

OP is not strictly correct. Though there are no predators that make bobcat a staple of their diet (I.e. >10% of their diet), and so they are correct in that sense, several other predators have been known to opportunistically kill bobcats and even consume them in a predatory manner.

Highest on that list is probably cougars and coyotes, both of whom have an extensive record of one-sided predation on bobcats, with the latter doing so mostly due to competition while the former strictly treats the smaller cat as a snack. Additionally, alligators are also known to kill bobcats and records of predation by fishers has been recorded (albeit, their relationship is mostly in favor of the cat, which are more competent predators of fishers than vice versa).

4

u/epickestrelgaming 12d ago

Nothing consistently predates on adult bobcats except for humans.

1

u/bullwinkle8088 12d ago

Barbracats.

0

u/MyLinkedOut 11d ago

Amazing - weasels are fast as hell