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Diel Activity Patterns of Bobcats and Domestic Cats in the Houston Metropolitan Area
Leila Alavi Naini1,2, Natalie Linde1,3, Sarah Malik1,2
1Honors College, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.
Abstract:
We investigated whether bobcats ( Lynx rufus) and domestic cats ( Felis catus ) exhibit distinct daily activity patterns or use different habitats in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area. Motion-activated cameras were deployed at 33 sites for 16 one-month sampling periods from 2020 - 2024. Bobcats exhibited primarily nocturnal activity wherever they were present. Domestic cats were primarily nocturnal at sites where no bobcats were detected. Bobcats and domestic cats overlapped at sites with a mixture of forest and developed land and domestic cats shifted to more daytime activity. Both temporal and spatial niche partitioning appear to facilitate predator coexistence in urban landscapes.
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