Bobcat Prowling

Discussion questions

• What will make a perfect territory for Yearling? What is he looking for?  Why does it take so long for him to find his own territory?

• In the book, several children see signs that bobcats live near them. What do they notice?  What wildlife lives near you? What signs do you see ?

• How can we co-exist or share space with wildlife? 

Vocabulary

• Prowl:  Yearling uses a stealthy walk, to sneak up on his prey. Try it out on your hands and knees! 

• Caterwaul: Bobcats (and some other feline mammals) make a shrill call or howl. A 20 second recording is here. 

• Territory: Yearling is trying to find an area to claim for himself where he will be able to find food and shelter. He keeps finding territories that already have a resident animal, such as a lynx or bobcat.

• Prey: These are the small mammals and birds that Yearling catches and kills to eat. 

• Forage: Yearling searches for food as he travels, looking in  woods, fields, and streams. 

• Camouflage: Yearling keeps hidden from his prey while hunting, and from animals that might threaten him by blending into his surroundings the same color as his fur. 

• Readers will find additional information in the back matter, including a look at what a bobcat’s “home range” means. Nocturnal and diurnal are likely familiar terms for many readers; they may be delighted to learn that there’s a word for animals like bobcats that hunt at twilight: crepuscular. 

Video content with a caveat: As Bobcat Prowling  relates to all aspects of the life cycle, these videos do include verbal or visual reference to the prey (dead animals) that the bobcats eat. There are also further suggestions on the last page of the book. See notes about muting below.  

• Bobcat Kitten’s Hunting Lesson (YouTube, 2:46m)
  A little dated in narration, shows two “kills” (pounces). Useful information but ends with the unfortunate statement, “kids…sometimes you think they’ll never leave home.”

• Does the Bobcat Make it?  (YouTube, 23s)
  Bobcat makes a huge jump. Play with sound off, as this spectacular jump elicits an “oh  shiiiiii…” from the viewer/photographer. Included in the back matter of the book. 

• Bobcat City: Studying Urban Cats  (Texas Parks and Wildlife) (YouTube, 15m)
  A little dry but does provide visuals of bobcats and prey.  For the older Red Clover readers. 

Publisher content 

• Bobcat Prowling

Activities

• Share this October, 2024 article about bobcats in Chittenden County.

• Identify tracks: what tracks can you find in the snow? Bring some tracking cards or a book about tracks to identify who has been here in the snow!

• Document who is outside of your classroom or library window. Keep a wildlife journal near the window and invite students to take turns noting or drawing what they see from; birds and squirrels count! Keeping a tally can also show which animals appear the most.

• Learn more about our neighbors, the bobcats. Why do they have the pointed tuft of hair at the top of their ears? Use online searches or other books in your library to find out more about their characteristics, habitat, and lifecycle. 

• People have designed ingenious ways to help animals navigate safely through built-up areas and roadways. Check out examples in books like Salamander Sky (Farber), and Crossings (Duffield). Here’s a site that shows “50 amazing” animal bridges created to help animals travel safely in areas that people have built roads. Sketch and build a safe corridor or bridge for animals in your area to cross a road, parking lot, or other dangerous place for animals. 

Companion books