Growth rates and intraspecific variation in body weights of raccoons (Procyon lotor) in southern Texas

We estimated growth rates and sere and age-specific seasonal weight fluctua tions for raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Sari Patricio Co., Texas. During 1990 -1992 we recorded 248 weights for 167 raccoons. Growth rate parameters for raccoons <2-years-old differed (P < 0.05) between males and females. Female s reached adult size as)yearlings, while males did not reach adult size unt il they approached 2 yr of age, Mean weights of adult raccoons differed bet ween sexes (P < 0.0001) and among months (P < 0.0001). Raccoons in a subtro pical climate experienced seasonal fluctuations in body weight; however, th ese seasonal patterns differed in their timing and magnitude from those of raccoons in temperate climates.