- Kathleen Scavone
- Posted On
The Living Landscape: The twilight Bobcat
“The poetry of earth is never dead.” – John Keats
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lately, I have been awakened by the distinctive sounds of a bobcat's call in the twilight hours.
I have been lucky enough to see bobcats, several times, in south Lake County.
From what I gather, bobcats are usually solitary animals which travel their own territories, that range anywhere from five to 30 square miles.
These gorgeous animals of the genus Lynx have been around for almost two million years, and range south from Mexico all the way up to Canada.
They contribute much to the delicate dance of the ecosystem by consuming rodents. They have been known to take down a deer, as well as small ranch animals.
Once upon a time bobcats were hunted for their beautiful fur, which is patterned with camouflage spots, varying from tan to black.
Adults are more than 18 inches to 50 inches long and stand around one and two feet tall – about twice the size of a house cat.
Both fashions and laws have changed to protect the bobcat, and their numbers are increasing.
Bobcats den in shelters such as caves or downed trees and for an auxiliary den they may select a handy brush pile.
They mate in winter, then gestate for over 50 days, with between one to six kittens per litter.
The bobcat is considered to be crepuscular in behavior, that is mainly active just before dawn and prior to dusk – the twilight hours.
During the winter their behavior leans toward diurnality, or becoming more active during daylight hours.
There are many Indian myths that feature Lynx as the protagonist. One story is from the Nez Perce group, which ranges from today's central Idaho to Oregon, and were one of the largest tribes met by explorers Lewis and Clark.
In “The Story of Lynx” the many dualities of life are studied. It is common in some North American tribes and South American tribes to find that the concept of duality or sameness occurs, as well as opposites in nature.
Anthropologists studying myths of different Native American cultures understand that through the retelling of myths, much is lost in the translation.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.