BULLETIN FLORIDA STATE MUSEUM VOL. 33(4)


separate from that of the kittens. In some instances the adult rest site was on
the opposite side of the range from that of the young.
 Females with kittens over 4 months old continued independent movements
throughout their ranges but also were frequently accompanied by kittens when
traveling. These family group movements often included trips along home
range boundaries. The adults continued occasionally to rest separately from
the kittens. When adults were not present, kittens made independent
excursions around the general area of the rest site. On several occasions when
she had kittens 5 months of age or older, F1 was recorded (visual observations,
tracking) traveling without her full litter, indicating that young at this age may
not remain together in the same area while the female is away. By 5-7 months
of age, kittens traveling with the mother often walked abreast or preceded her
along the route. Signs of apparent play were most noticeable during this
period. Based on tracks, one young would frequently move ahead along a
travel route and then "ambush" the others when they came past. Mothers also
participated in such play, as recorded at night on 16 September 1979. F1 and
her three young about 5.5 months old were observed for 20 minutes in the light
of vehicle headlights as they engaged in mock attacks on each other. The
juveniles were intent on ambushing one another, one jumping on the back of
another from behind a bush as it walked past. The attacks were usually
followed by a short chase, with either animal being the pursuer. A kitten also
would occasionally jump on the mother who would then chase it. The family
moved slowly along as they engaged in this play. Radio fixes, tracks, and
sightings indicated that young made occasional contact with adult males
beginning about their fifth month.
 From about 7 months until they dispersed, juveniles were increasingly
independent of the mother. The family did not use a given rest site for more
than a day or two, and successive sites were often located on opposite sides of
the home range. The family group frequently traveled throughout all parts of
the range. Juveniles also wandered about more on their own, their individual
rest sites being up to 0.5 km apart. On several occasions when her older young
were resting at scattered sites, Fl was radiotracked as she moved through the
area to round them up. On 6 July 1981, L. Saul (pers. comm.) observed F1
giving 23 sheep-like "m-a-a" vocalizations in a 2-minute interval after which
three or four young appeared and followed her as she left the area. The
vocalizations were distinctly audible from a distance of about 60 m. On
occasion, when a mother was moving about the range with some of her young,
others would be located in a distant part of the range. Such instances became
increasingly frequent as the young neared the age of dispersal.
 In one case, F1 and her two young born in 1980, the juveniles apparently
restricted their movements to separate areas at the periphery of the adult's
range from about 10 months of age (January 1981) until disappearing 3 or 4
months later. The only occasion during this period when they were recorded