Quantitative Assessment of Variation in Litter Size of the Raccoon Procyon lotor

Geographic variation in litter size of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) is positively correlated with latitude, longitude and female body size. The positive correlation between litter size and body size for raccoons is inconsistent with interspecific patterns of litter size-body size variation of carnivores in which litter size decreases with increasing body size. Multiple regression analysis revealed that only body size explains a significant amount of the variation in raccoon litter size. Geographic variation in litter size of raccoons occurs because there is geographic variation in female body size whereas climatic factors associated with latitude and longitude appear to influence litter size only indirectly via their effects on body size.