Consideration is given to the possibility that compact bovine femur material undergoes a ductile-to-brittle transition behaviour which is similar in some respects to that which occurs for certain metallic materials. Evidence for this possibility is derived from compressive and tensile bulk strength measurements reported over a range of temperatures and from scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations of specimen fracture surfaces which resulted from tests at 77, 190 and 463K. The ductile versus brittle appearance of the SEM fractographs is difficult to discern relative to metal fracture because of the complex bone histology.