Rabbits and rodents make up the majority of their diets, but they also consume reptiles and birds. If they visited your backyard you’d probably never even realize it. Although they hold territory near populated areas, they avoid people as much as possible. Since bobcats aren’t much larger than domestic cats, they pose no threat to people. Their nocturnal nature adds to their elusiveness. Due to their stealthy nature and ability to blend in, you are unlikely to encounter one. The number of bobcats in the region is estimated to be one per 4 square miles. As a result, it is difficult to determine their number or distribution. These cats are incredibly secretive by nature. Virginia’s most established wildcat is the bobcat. Bobcats Image Credit: detlef-bukowski, Pexels The following article will give you a better understanding of the wild cat situation in Virginia. Virginia also closely controls wild cat populations within the state, so the captive wild cat population is most likely much lower than in other jurisdictions. It’s clear that wild cats in the United States are struggling against human encroachment into their natural habitats, erosion of prey, and competition with other predators. After roaming the countryside of Virginia for centuries, wild cat species are now less numerous. Virginia may be for lovers, but it’s not for wild cats: only one species of wild cat remains established in the commonwealth. The key to their survival is their ability to be tolerated by humans. Some of these animals are endangered or threatened, some are thriving. These include big cats and small cats, from mountain lions and jaguars to lynxes, ocelots, jaguarundi, and possibly margays. This pupil shape allows them to sharply gauge distance before leaping for prey.There are many different types of wild cats in the United States. “Cats also have slit-shaped pupils, which are common in ambush predators. “Their pupils have the ability to dilate widely, allowing more light to hit their retinas, giving them great vision in low light,” Dr. Dogs have this, too, and this is why cats’ and dogs’ eyes will sometimes look like they’re glowing in the dark.Ĭats’ pupils can also dilate to large circles in the dark to let more light into their eyes. This allows cats to be able to see better in low-light situations. Kong said.Ĭats also have a layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back through the retina to make more light available. “If there is some light in the room or coming to the room, they’ll be able to see much more than we can, since their eyes have more rods than us that are sensitive to the light, as well the ‘mirror’ layer in the eye that helps in catching more light,” Dr. Rods are the receptors that help with seeing in the dark. Kong said.Ĭats can’t see in the pitch-black dark, but they can see well in low light, which is why they’re able to hunt at dusk and dawn.Ĭats have more rods in their eyes than humans, which allows them to see well in low light. “Hunting at dusk and dawn gives cats an advantage because they’re less likely to be seen by predators,” Dr. The low light of the twilight hours also helped wild cats stay away from predators who were more active during the light of day and darkness of night, too. “The long hours between these times allowed them to rest and recuperate before the next hunt,” Dr. Hunting at dusk and dawn also gave cats a long time to relax and conserve energy in between their hunting sessions. “This adaptation allowed them to hunt in the cool of the day with just enough light to visualize, stalk and catch their prey.” “These habits of activity during twilight developed in the domestic cat’s wild cousin that lived in semi-desert-type environments,” Dr. Wild cats would hunt during periods of low light to stay cool in their desert environment, and eventually passed this trait down to the domesticated cats we know today. The reason why cats are more active when it’s dark out is because of their ancestors.
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