METRIC CHARACTERISTICS AND SEXUAL DIMORPHISM OF THE POSTCRANIAL SKELETON OF WILD CAT FELIS-SILVESTRIS IN BULGARIA

The measurements of scapula, pelvis, humerus, ulna, radius, tibia, femur, and the first three vertebrae of the adult wild cat Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777 from Bulgaria were used in this study. Considerable differences between the sexes were revealed at three levels of significance in most of the sizes of scapula, pelvis, and vertebrae. The males were bigger than the females. No significant differences were found in the limb bones, except in the length of the humerus. Widening of the female pelvis was not observed. The variability of the skeletal parts examined was found to be comparatively low for most of them.