Wild Cats In California

Mountain lions and bobcats are the two species of wild cats that live in California. These two cats share much of the same habitat, whether that be desert, mountain, or even urban environment throughout the state.

California mountain lions (Puma Concolor)

Mountain lions are spread over a large geographic area that covers parts of all three American continents. Consequently, they have many regional names. In 1834, their scientific name was even changed from Felis concolor to Puma concolor. Some common names that mountain lions go by are cougar, panther, painter, and puma.

What do mountain lions look like?

A Mountain lion looks like a giant house cat with short tan hair. One of these animals is much bigger than a domestic cat, though. They generally have lean, muscular bodies, rounded heads, and upright ears that are oval at the tip. They also have a long tail, which is tan with a black tip. Their tail accounts for almost one-third of their entire length. Their long tails help them keep balance.

Mountain lions have a light brown coat of short, coarse hair over most of their body. The area around their nose, the tip of their tail, and the tips of their ears are black. Their belly, the area above their upper lip, lower lip, and chin are all white. They also have a sprinkling of dark hair on their backs. Bear in mind, though, that their coat color varies somewhat with geographic location.

Male and female mountain lions are phenotypically identical in every respect except for size. Males are 30 to 40% bigger than females. Though sizes vary considerably throughout the cat’s geographic range, an adult male or tom typically weighs between 110 and 180 pounds, 50 to (82 kgs). A rare few of them grow bigger than 200 pounds (91kgs). Female mountain lions or queens average between 80 and 130 pounds (36 to 59 kgs). Adult males or toms will reach 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 M) from their snout to the tip of their tail. On the other hand, adult females are 5 to7 feet long (1.5 to 2.1 M).

Mountain lions are the fourth largest wildcat in the world. They are also the second largest wild cat in the western hemisphere. They are smaller in size only than the Jaguar in the Americas. However, worldwide, the African Lion and the Tiger are also larger.

A fun fact is that despite their large size, they are not taxonomically classified as big cats because they cannot roar. Leopards, for example, are smaller than mountain lions, but since they can roar and cannot purr, they are classified as big cats while mountain lions are not. Another interesting thing that I can mention here is that mountain lions purr.

Since they purr and cannot roar, mountain lions are in the Felis genus. Meanwhile, big cats such as the African lion, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, and jaguars which cannot purr and can roar, are in the Panthera genus. “A side note, I listed snow leopards separately from leopards because they are a separate species.”

Where are they typically found?

Mountain lions live on all three American Continents. Their range begins in the Yukon territory of Canada in the north and extends down through parts of North America, Central America, and South America to Argentine Patagonia in the south.

The biggest populations in Canada are in British Columbia and Alberta. On the other hand, in the United States, they mainly live in the western states and Florida. The people of Florida call this elusive cat the Florida Panther.

How about in California?

Mountain lions live in a wide variety of habitats and conditions throughout the state. Their natural habitats include both desert and mountain country. They prefer steep rocky terrain to hide and sleep in during daylight hours. They also like areas with thick cover when hunting to stalk and ambush prey, such as pinyon pine, juniper, mountain mahogany, cold desert shrubland, and sagebrush.

These big predatory cats live from the Klamaths and the Cascades in northern California to the Inverse ranges in the south. The only limiting factor is prey animals’ presence or lack thereof.

Yosemite National Park is prime mountain lion country with its abundance of deer. However, mountain lions also live in urban areas such as Los Angeles to a limited extent. For example, a young tom once claimed L. A’s Griffith Park for his territory.

Except for in the case of mating or to raise their young, these are solitary animals. They cover a lot of country. An adult male’s home range is normally more than 100 square miles and up to 250 square miles. They will sometimes mark their territory by leaving claw marks on trees. They also scratch up piles of leaves and or pine needles that they urinate on as a scent marker. Male mountain lions fight to the death sometimes to defend their territory.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that between 4000 and 6000 mountain lions live in the state.

What do mountain lions eat?

Mountain lions are opportunistic predators that hunt mostly nocturnally, stalking their prey, mainly deer, from behind. In California, this could either be a Columbian black-tailed deer or a mule deer.

On average, a mountain lion kills a deer once a week. Additionally, they consume elk, desert bighorn sheep, pronghorns, feral horses, coyotes, raccoons, birds, rats, feral pigs, porcupines, skunks, snakes, and small pets, domestic livestock, and literally any other native wildlife they can catch.

Do mountain lions ever harm humans?

I’ve taken much of the following section from another one of my blog posts entitled “Are Mountain Lions Dangerous?” Found here.

Fatal mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare. In fact, there are only 20 records of fatal mountain lion attacks on humans in all of North America in the last 100 years. Don’t let that fact lull you into a complete sense of false security, though. There have been many more mountain lion attacks over the years that didn’t result in a fatality. Mountain lions are, in fact, dangerous.

A mountain lion is a formidably tough wild predatory animal. They can run 40 to 50 miles per hour for short bursts. Additionally, they can leap 18 feet vertically and 40 feet horizontally to catch their prey. These ninja-like predators typically stalk their prey from behind and then leap on an animal’s back. They then crush their cervical spine or larynx with their powerful jaws. They have a bite force of 750 pounds per square inch.

Some factors that cause mountain lions to attack humans

The majority of the time, mountain lions use their ghost-like skills to avoid human contact. On rare occasions, though, they attack humans. Below are a few of the reasons why.

• If the cougar has an injury or some sort of impairment that prevents it from killing its normal prey, it’ll be more likely to look at a person as potential prey.
• Male mountain lions engage in fights for territory. Some of their battles are to the death. A percentage of cougar attacks on humans are perpetrated by hungry semi-juvenile toms that have been kicked out of territories with a more abundant food supply.
• Scientific data suggests that mountain lions that were orphaned at a young age are more likely to attack humans. This is possibly because they missed the part of their training where their mothers taught them that humans are to be feared.

If a mountain lion is stalking you

• Never run away. According to a Multidisciplinary Journal of the Interactions of People and Animals, those who try to run away when they encounter a mountain lion put themselves at greater risk of sustaining serious injuries and even death. Running away triggers a lion’s instinct to chase. 
• Stay as calm as you can. Panic is your enemy. In a survival situation such as this, a cool head will put you at a better advantage.
• Speak firmly in a loud voice but avoid a high-pitched tone or screaming
• You need to hold your ground when the cat is coming towards you and slowly back away when it pauses its approach
• Stand upright. Avoid bending over or crouching down as much as possible, as this puts you in the vulnerable position of appearing like a small, four-legged animal that can easily become prey.
• Open your jacket if you’re wearing one to appear larger. and wave your arms slowly to give yourself the appearance of having as much size as possible as you back away slowly. You can also throw rocks, sticks, or other objects at the lion.
• If you’re walking with a child, pick them up and hold them in your arms.

If you’ve done all the above, there’s still that small chance that you’ll still be attacked by the mountain lion. You need to be mentally prepared for this. At this point, do not panic and freeze up. In order to survive, you’ll need to fight back with as much aggression as you can muster.

Historical accounts show that people have successfully fought mountain lions off with their bare hands, sticks, rocks, garden tools, or any other weapon within reach. You already have a ready-made weapon if you’re using a walking stick. Target sensitive areas such as the eyes and nose, and hit as hard as you can! You should also try to remain standing if possible. You’ll lose some of your advantage on the ground. If you get knocked down, try as hard as possible to protect your neck and head as you continue to fight back.

California bobcats (Lynx rufus)

Bobcats live only in North America. Their range begins in southern Canada, about where the range of their close relative, the Canada lynx, begins to dwindle out and extends south into southern Mexico.

A bobcat is much smaller than a mountain lion. Bobcats are small wild cats. In fact, bobcats that are a little on the small side are not much bigger than large domestic cats such as coon cats.

A bobcat is 2 to 4 feet long and weighs about 15 to 35 pounds. A Female bobcat is quite a bit smaller than a male.

These animals have a short tail with a black tip rather than a long one. Their fur is usually gray to brown, with dark mottled black spots on their bodies. They also have black stripes on their inner forelegs and tail.

From a side view, you will notice that a bobcat is slightly higher in the rump than at the shoulders. Bobcats and lynx have long hind legs in proportion to their forelegs.

They have black-tufted ears. In other words, they have tufts of hair that poke up above their ears that are black at the tips. They also have a whiskered face that seems broader due to their long ruffled facial hair and whiskers. Their eyes are yellow most of the time with round black pupils.

Like mountain lions, bobcats live a solitary existence most of the time. The only time that you’d be likely to see two adult bobcats together is during the mating season. Female bobcats breed once a year. If they successfully breed, they will have an average of three kittens. After breeding, the male’s role is complete. He goes off to search for more females to mate with. Only the female bobcat cares for the kittens and teaches them how to survive. When they are about a year old, the young bobcats are on their own.

Bobcats are fierce. If you get one cornered, you’ve got a semi-dangerous animal on your hands. It will hiss, growl and spit like one of the nastiest house cats you’ve ever run into, only much worse. They mean it too. They have to be tough and mean to survive.

What do bobcats eat?

Despite their comparatively small size, bobcats are aggressive, tough predators. At times, particularly during the winter, they prey on animals that are much larger than they are, such as deer. However, their regular diets mainly consist of small mammals such as jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares, cotton rats, mice, and squirrels. They also prey on reptiles, birds, and carrion. When they take up residence close to a residential area, their menu might occasionally also include small domestic dogs or cats.

Interestingly, they even prey on rattlesnakes even though they are not immune to rattlesnake venom. They accomplish this by using their quickness to pin the snake’s head down with a paw, after which they dispatch the snake with a quick bite to its spine behind the head.

Where do bobcats live in California?

As with mountain lions, bobcat populations are liberally scattered throughout the state of California. They do well in a wide variety of different habitats. They are at home in the mountains, in semi-desert areas, or the desert country. Chaparral, oak, pinyon-juniper, and coniferous/deciduous forests are all good bobcat habitats.

Like mountain lions, bobcats are not a common sight around civilization. However, they are more apt to take up residence around residential neighborhoods than mountain lions are.

Southern California

Bobcats still live in close proximity to the urban landscapes of southern California. For instance, they live in the Simi Hills, Santa Monica mountains, and the Santa Susana mountains. There are even urban bobcats that live in Los Angeles.

People rarely know that they’re around unless they are caught on a doorbell camera, or their pets start to come up missing. This is because they are nocturnal or crepuscular. They seldom come out in broad daylight.

If you happen to come upon an urban bobcat, give it some space. They are dangerous wild animals. In the unlikely event that you have one that is cornered in a house or a garage, for example, leave the doors open, back off, and give it a chance to leave on its own. If it doesn’t go of its own volition, you’ll have to call and have someone with the California department of fish and Wildlife come and take care of the problem for you.

Northern California

Bobcats live throughout the state, and this includes the north. Bobcats live in the redwood forests of northern California, as well as the mixed conifer/deciduous forests of the Klamath, Cascade, Warner, and Sierra Nevada ranges. Although bobcats are mainly nocturnal or crepuscular, it’s not unheard of for visitors to see bobcats out hunting during the daylight hours in Yosemite National Park. There are also bobcats in the urban landscape of the San Francisco Bay area.

Final Thoughts

California is a large, ecologically diverse place. Both the Mountain lion and the bobcat have adapted to thrive in a variety of ecosystems from the north end to the south end of the state. What’s more, in areas with habitat loss due to urbanization, they have learned to adapt and thrive there too.