Wild Animals/Strange sound

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Expert: Jonathan Wright - 6/26/2009


Question
So I woke up to my dog barking around 4am and figured he needed to go outside to do his business, well when we went out the back door he immediately bellowed staring out into the darkness and I told him to hush and go use the bathroom, I put him on his run line and sat down for a smoke to give him time but he acted a little afraid to do so, he was glancing around the yard listening closely, I felt like something was watching me also, like that hair on the back of your neck standing feeling. Anyways I started listening closely and heard a strange almost purring sound that would last for maybe a second then a second of nothing and a little chatter, like weird chatter, sci-fi chatter even. It was pretty strange and it kept going on for about 4 minutes, all the while the dog was listening very closely and glancing around anxiously, I couldn't see anything at all, it was dark and the backyard is pretty big and at the end is a shallow creek bed, any clue as to what it could be? I live in central Texas in kind of a suburb, a lot of wooded areas and not very many houses.

Answer
Dear Jonathan

Thanks for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites I used.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Texas_mammalsCats (Felidae) says that the following cats are found in Texas: the bobcat, margay and puma, as well as the endangered jaguarundi and ocelot. I think the bobcat is the most likely culprit, as many of its calls resemble that of a cat.   

Wild Cats of the World by Melvin E. Sunquist and Fiona Sunquist (http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=bobcats+pu...) says that the bobcat's varied calls include purring and chattering, with the bobcat being one of the few wild cats to make chattering calls. The bobcat's calls are more powerful than those of a domestic cat. I think the bobcat is the most likely of the Texan cats to have made the sounds you heard.

All the best

Jonathan

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Jonathan Wright

Expertise

I can answer questions about wild mammals and other animals, as well as extinct animals and zoos. I am not an expert about every animal species. I can look up information from books and the internet, but can't verify if all the information is true. Please don't ask questions about: 1. Pets. I am not a vet. Please contact a vet if your pet is ill. You may need to spend some money if you want your pet to live. Don't get a pet if you don't know how to look after it and if you can't provide it with the space, food and possible companions that will help it live a healthy life. Don't take animals from the wild, unless they are ill and/or injured and you can protect them until a wildlife charity can help. It is cruel to take animals from their parents, especially if the parents will look for the babies, while putting their other babies at risk. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals or you may need a licence to look after some species. Please check with a local wildlife group. 2. Eggs: Please don't remove eggs from nests. The mother birds provide the right temperature for the eggs and won't sit on them if the temperature is warm enough for them to develop naturally. It is illegal to remove eggs of some species and, unless you have an incubator or a broody hen, the egg may not develop. If you are allowed to touch the eggs, you can candle them to see if they are fertile. If theys aren't fertile, they won't hatch. 3. Fights: Please don't ask about fights between different animals. These questions assume that individuals of two species fight each time they meet and that one species will always be victorious over another. This is untrue. There are cases where a live mouse has been fed to a venomous snake, bitten the snake leading to the snake's demise. 4: Diseases: Please ask doctors or other medical experts about diseases that you may catch from animals. I can't advise on how to deal with viruses, bacteria etc.

Experience

I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.

Organizations
WWF. ZSL. Natural History Museum. RSPB. London Bat Group.

Publications
Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group

Education/Credentials
BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' level in Zoology. 'O' Level in Biology.

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