WASSMER ET AL.: SOUTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA BOBCAT ECOLOGY


continued to use their entire home range. The most detailed record of adult
female movements shortly after parturition was obtained for F1 (Fig. 5C, 6),
who was monitored intensively from 8 to 14 April 1981 after birth of a litter on
or about 1 April. During this period, she covered the entire area she used
prior to parturition and after the young were 3-4 months old (Fig. 6). On two
afternoons she made short trips to the nearest range boundary, and on four
nights between 1800 and 0100 hr she made long distance movements that
involved travel over most of the other portions of her pre-parturition range.
On one of these extended excursions, she rested for about 30 minutes at a site
1 km from the natal den area then returned directly to the den.
 Maximum distances moved by adult females from natal and secondary den
sites during the first two months postpartum usually occurred in late afternoon
and at night. Because calculations of home ranges of females Fl, F9, and Fll
with newborn young during the period of 1 May-19 July 1980 were based
largely on radio locations during morning and afternoon, their observed home
ranges (Table 5) during this interval are probably underestimates of the areas
actually used.
 The mothers apparently carried the kittens short distances to new rest sites
every 1-6 days, as no kitten tracks were observed where adults crossed sand
roads between consecutive known sites. The best example of this pattern of
rest-site shifting was obtained for F9 (Fig. 7) during the first 30 days after the
birth of her 1980 litter. In this period she used eight sites an average of four
(range = 1-6) days each. Mean and extreme distances moved between sites
were 0.3 km and 0.1-0.4 km, respectively. The total area within the polygon
defined by the perimeter rest sites was about 0.4 km2. At least six other sites in
the immediate vicinity were used during the second month after the birth of
the litter. The semi-tame female (Fl) also moved her litters about in a similar
fashion. For example, at least six sites were used during the first 51 days after
the birth of her May 1980 litter. All sites were within an area of about 0.3 km2.
She apparently made her first long distance movement (1.8 km) with the
kittens on 22 June in response to disturbance by farm machinery in the
immediate vicinity of the rest site used during the preceding few days.
Winegarner (1985b) also observed similar shifts in rest sites of F1 with young
about 1 month old in 1982.
 Adults with kittens ranging from about 2 to 4 months of age also used rest
 sites for periods of 1-6 days. The rest sites during this period tended to be
 more generally dispersed throughout the adult's range than earlier. The
 kittens sometimes accompanied the mother on short excursions in the vicinity
 of the rest site. On several occasions females with kittens over 2 months of age
 were observed carrying food to the rest site area. The family usually travelled
 between rest sites with the mother in the lead and the kittens following
 single-file. During this period the mothers continued to make independent
 excursions along the boundaries of their range and occasionally used a rest site