Bobcats can be seen at play and on the prowl in Orange County’s native landscape, or exploiting the edge of the urban wilderness.

But even as they continue to captivate human observers, the news for these animals is mixed. Recent studies have shown that the mid-sized felines, typically under 30 pounds and two to three feet long, are far more adaptable than previously thought.

They inhabit even damaged fragments of habitat near urban areas.

To reach them, however, the bobcats must cross busy streets; some locations in the county have become death traps, hot spots in which road-killed bobcats turn up regularly.

Scientists also found local bobcats dead of mange. While the cause is unclear, analysis of bobcats in the Santa Monica Mountains showed their mange might be related to ingestion of chemical rodenticides.

Unlike mountain lions, bobcats present little or no threat to humans or their pets, though we seem to present a significant threat to bobcats.

We’re now approaching breeding season for the cats, when hyper-alert males begin contending for territory. While these conflicts sometimes escalate into fights, the predators – ever wary of injury – more often threaten each other by scent marking, growling or giving chase.

Scientific name: Lynx rufus

Sources: Research ecologist Erin Boydston, U.S. Geological Survey; Register files.

Next week: Cedar waxwing

Photo: Courtesy O.C. wildlife photographer Linda Jones

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