BULLETIN FLORIDA STATE MUSEUM VOL. 33(4)


March were 38% in October and November, 7% in December and January,
and 55% in February and March. He suggested that the differences were due
to weather (which might account for the overall lower trend in early winter),
changing activity patterns of bobcats, and possible seasonal differences in
bobcat behavior. As in the present study, the peak frequency of scat deposition
in late-winter was correlated with the period of mating. In another Arizona
study, Small (1971) reported monthly frequencies of scats/km of 0.04 in
March and April, 0.58 in May, 0.18 in June, and 0.12 in July.
 The data, particularly counts of urine scrapes, suggested a higher incidence
 of marking activity in fall-winter 1980-1981 than the previous year. Frequency
 of exposed scats with and without scrapes on the 10 km census line in February
 was higher in 1979 (5.5/km) than in 1980 (2.8) or 1981 (2.7). The higher level
 of marking, particularly urine scrapes, in late fall and winter of 1980-81
 compared with 1979-80 might have reflected the slightly higher adult male
 density in the second year, although estimated numbers of adult females and
 juveniles were higher in 1979-80. The lower level of marking in 1979-80 also
 might have resulted from the greater instability of home ranges that year than
 in 1980-81 caused by the deaths from feline panleucopenia.

 Spatial Patterns of Marking Behavior.- The distribution of marking sites
in a part of the study area that contained portions of the home ranges of two
adult males and three adult females with mobile young during October-
December 1979 (Fig. 14) provided detailed evidence on the relationship of
marking behavior to social organization of the population. Marking clearly was
concentrated along home range boundaries. Of 273 4-ha quadrats that
contained segments of scat and scrape census routes, 60 also contained
segments of home range boundaries while the remaining 213 were in the
interior portions of home ranges. Quadrats with home range boundaries had a
significantly higher frequency of marking than those within home ranges (85%
vs. 31%, X2 = 54.38, 1 df, p < 0.001). There was a greater tendency for urine
scrapes than for fecal scrapes to be located at home range boundaries.
Quadrats including home range boundaries contained 88% of 248 urine or
presumed urine scrapes compared with 65% of the 265 fecal scrapes or
exposed scats. Similar relationships between home range boundaries and
marking sites were found in other seasons. For example, the same area was
thoroughly searched for scats and scrapes in July 1980, and 22 exposed scats
and 55 known or presumed urine scrapes estimated to be not over 2 months
old were recorded; 14 (64%) of the scats and 50 (91%) of the urine scrapes
were in quadrats containing home range boundaries. Four of the five
remaining urine scrapes were located near two rest sites used by two females
with non-mobile kittens. In fall and winter 1980-81, there was a shift in the
focus of marking activity in this part of the study area which correlated with a
shift in home range boundaries.