BULLETIN FLORIDA MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY VOL 38 PT. 11(9)


 The five habitat types used in this analysis were sandhill, swamp forest,
hammock, old field, and clear-water-lake fringe. The "hammock" habitat type
included both the mesic hardwood hammock associations and the sand live oak
hammocks. "Clear-water-lake fringes" were the meadows surrounding the upland
lakes and ponds.


 METHODS

 Capture and Handling


 Fifty-three raccoons were captured in Tomahawk traps baited with a mixture
of sardines and cat food. Trapping was conducted for four or five consecutive days
in November 1991, and February, May, and August 1992, for a total of 402 trap
nights. Trap sites were located in hammock (40%), sandhill (30%), and swamp
forest (30%).
 Raccoons captured for the first time were anesthetized with ketamine
hydrochloride (Ketaset, Bristol Laboratories, Syracuse, NY) at a dosage of 10
mg/kg estimated body mass (Bigler and Hoff 1974) and were measured, weighed,
and ear-tagged. In November and February, 29 animals classified as adults, based
on large size, permanent dentition, and testicular or mammary development, were
fitted with radiocollars (Advanced Telemetry Systems, Bethel, MN) weighing an
average of 75.4 grams, which represented 1.5% of the average body weight of
radiocollared males and 2% of females. These collars were removed from
recaptured animals in May and August. Recaptured animals were identified,
weighed, and released. Following recovery from anesthesia, all animals were
released at the site of capture.


 Radio Telemetry


 The radio-telemetry portion of the study was conducted from November 1991
to May 1992. Radiocollared animals were located by triangulation (Kenward
1987) with portable telemetry equipment from known locations along roads, or by
following the signal to the animal. When an animal was located at a rest site, the
habitat type, type of rest site, and presence of other raccoons, if known, were
recorded. If the rest site was in a tree, the tree species was recorded when known,
and the diameter at breast height (DBH) was measured. Mean triangulation error
(Heezen and Tester 1967) for bearings taken from 200 to 600 m away was 58.8 m,
with a 95% confidence interval of 34.0-83.6 m.


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