RENO, Nev. — Bobcat fur coats have become a hot item among the fashion-conscious in Russia and China, leading to a big jump in prices and exports for the soft, spotted pelts.

The fur’s booming popularity has some wildlife advocates worried about possible overtrapping of the cats, which are so reclusive that most states do not know just how many exist.

Bobcat pelts now draw some of the highest prices among trapped furs, recently commanding as much as $550 for a single hide. As the price has gone up, the number of bobcat skins exported by the U.S. has nearly tripled in five years, to 49,700 in 2006.

Because most state wildlife officials do not know the actual size of their bobcat populations, there’s no way to determine if they are being overtrapped, according to wildlife advocates.

“These bobcat harvest numbers should be a red flag to tell biologists that economics and fashion trends may be negatively impacting a species,” said Dave Pauli, western regional director of the Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society.

Overseas demand has driven up both the price and the exports, said Brian MacMillan, vice president of U.S. operations for the continent’s largest fur auction house, North American Fur Auctions.

Bobcat skins fetched more than any other wild fur-bearing animal at his Toronto-based company’s two latest auctions, averaging more than $200.

“It’s one of the hottest furs today. … It’s definitely a high-fashion piece,” MacMillan said. “The primary market is with Russia, but they’re also going to China, Hong Kong and Italy.”