9 2 Troy A. Ladine 



The inherent relationship known for mass and length (Thompson 1961, 

 Schmidt-Nielsen 1984), suggests that a relationship between mass and girth 

 could be an estimable parameter to investigate as a measure of physical condi- 

 tion. The girth of an animal could increase disproportionately to overall mass if 

 there is a great amount of fat in relation to the skeletal and muscular tissue. This 

 would indicate an improvement in the relative condition of an individual. Con- 

 versely, a decrease in girth measurement would likely be noticed before a large 

 decrease in mass due to the loss of fat around the thoracic region, the first fat to 

 be lost during a shortage of food (Stuewer 1943). Bissonette and Csech (1938) 

 found smaller litters were produced by malnourished female raccoons, suggest- 

 ing a possible correlation of mass to girth with reproductive fitness in raccoons. 



No indirect method of estimating physical condition that avoids sacri- 

 ficing individuals has been described for the raccoon. The objectives of this 

 study were to investigate the allometric relationship between mass and girth in 

 raccoons and to evaluate the suitability of this relationship as an indirect method 

 of quantifying physical condition in this species. 



STUDY AREA AND METHODS 



The study was conducted on the 252 ha Edward J. Meeman Biological 

 Station (MBS) located ca. 20 km north of Memphis, Tennessee, 35°20'N latitude 

 and 90°01'W longitude. Tree species are described as western mixed mesophyt- 

 ic forest (Braun 1950, Miller and Neiswender 1987). Five permanent ponds, one 

 temporary pond and permanent and intermittent streams provided water sources 

 to MBS. No trap site was located at a distance greater than 450 m from perma- 

 nent water. Topography varies from gentle (<3%) to steep (>45%) slopes. Cli- 

 matic conditions varied greatly throughout the three years of the study. Rainfall 

 at MBS from April to September was 77.4 cm in 1991, 50.9 cm in 1992, and 48.9 

 cm in 1993, and from October to March was 71.2 cm in 1991, 52.7 cm in 1992, 

 and 26.2 cm for October and November 1993. Mean temperature did not vary 

 greatly from the 30-year mean temperature at MBS. Mean seasonal temperature 

 was 16.5 C in spring, 26.6 C in summer, 17.3 C in autumn, and 6.0 C in winter. 

 There was an extended period equal to 30 days of >32 C daytime temperature 

 from July to August 1993 that did not occur during the previous two years. 

 Detailed analyses of the habitat and climatic patterns at MBS can be found in 

 Ladine (1995). 



Beginning 3 February 1991 and running through 30 November 1993, a 

 5 X 10 trapping grid was established with folding Tomahawk live traps (Toma- 

 hawk Live Trap Co.; Tomahawk, Wisconsin) placed 150 m apart (grid size =112 

 ha). Traps were open four nights per week from 3 February 1991 to 31 January 

 1992, after which they were open three nights per week. Traps were baited with 

 canned cat food. 



