Bobcat Winter Food Habits 



113 



were different (p<0.01) for both age groups, but no clear biological sig- 

 nificance in the trends was apparent (Tables 1, 2). Weights of females 

 were less than males (p<0.01) for both adults and kittens. Sex ratios of 

 adults and kittens were not different among regions or between yearly 

 samples (p>0.05). 



Table 1. Analysis of variance for weights of skinned carcasses of 505 bobcats 

 collected in 1978-79 and 1979-80 in North Carolina. 



Adults (N=355) 

 Source DF F value 



Kittens (N= 150) 

 Source DF F value 



Sample 



Region (Sample) 



Sex (Region) 



0.02 

 4.13** 

 134.74** 



Sample 



Region (Sample) 



Sex (Region) 



1.75 



5.24** 



3.84** 



** Significant at the P<0.01 level. 



Table 2. Skinned weights (kg) of 505 bobcats collected in the three physiograph- 

 ic regions of North CaroHna. 



Region 



Age Class 

 Kittens 



Sex 



N 



Mean 



SE 



Coastal Plain 



9 



47 



3.9 



0.1 







S 



58 



4.3 



0.1 





Adults 



9 



131 



5.8 



0.1 







S 



153 



8.0 



0.1 



Piedmont 



Kittens 



9 



10 



3.4 



0.2 







S 



23 



4.0 



0.2 





Adults 



9 



26 



5.9 



0.2 







S 



33 



8.2 



0.2 



Mountains 



Kittens 



9 



6 



3.0 



0.3 







S 



6 



2.9 



0.4 





Adults 



9 



9 



4.9 



0.1 







S 



3 



9.0 



1.1 



Of 473 stomachs suitable for examination, 398 (179 $, 219 $) con- 

 tained food. This sample comprised 257 adults and 141 kittens. Stom- 

 achs containing food were collected from 50 of the 100 counties in the 

 state, with the largest samples in the Coastal Plain (307) and Piedmont 

 Plateau (73) regions and the smallest sample (18) from the Mountains 

 (Fig. 1). 



Some disproportionate sampling was evident in these regions, with 

 one or two counties contributing more than a third of the total number 



