Part 10

The predators hold a favored place in the esteem of most naturalists. At first, sympathy for the weak and indignation against the strong are perfectly natural human feelings. As the necessity for control and the wonderful way in which Nature attains a balance becomes apparent, the role of the predator becomes more and more appreciated by the student.

Mountain lion _Felis concolor_ (Latin: a cat of the same color; referring no doubt to the smooth blending of the body coloration)

Range: At present, mostly confined to the western United States and Canada, and all of Mexico south to the southern tip of South America. There are a number of mountain lions in Florida, and persistent reports indicate that they may be making a comeback in a number of other Eastern States.

Habitat: As the range indicates, habitats vary widely. Mountain lions in the Southwest show a preference for rimrock country in the Transition Life Zone or higher, but they are often seen in all the life zones.

Description: A huge, tawny cat with long, heavy tail. The long tail is a field mark identifying the young, which, having a spotted coat, otherwise resemble young bobcats to some degree. Total length 72 to 90 inches. Tail 30 to 36 inches. Weight 80 to 200 pounds. Color may vary from tawny gray to brownish red over most of the body, the underparts being lighter. The head and ears appear small in proportion to the lean muscular body. The teeth are large, the canines being especially massive. Like most members of the cat family, the mountain lion has large feet with long, sharp claws. The tracks show the imprint of four toes together with a large pad in the center of the foot. The young may be born at any time of the year. Only one litter is born every 2 to 3 years, and the average number of young is three.

Probably no species of mammal in the New World equals the mountain lion in farflung distribution. From the Yukon to Patagonia, this elusive carnivore can still be found in considerable numbers in spite of aggressive campaigns against it. In the United States, it is the chief representative of the wild cats, a group noted for fierce and predacious habits. Fortunate indeed is the person who sees one of these great felines in the wild. This may not be as difficult as one might imagine because mountain lions often travel through comparatively well settled areas. It is especially possible in the Southwest, for the four-State area covered by this book contains the heaviest population of mountain lions in the United States. However, the comparative abundance of this carnivore has not resulted in a better understanding of it. The mountain lion is still one of the least known and most maligned creatures of our times.

The Mexicans know this cosmopolite as “leon.” In Brazil it is called “onca.” Perhaps the most distinguished name, and rating as the first in New World history, is “puma,” given it by the Incas. Early American settlers of the east coast called it “panther,” “painter,” and “catamount.” In the northwestern United States, it is known as “cougar” and in the Southwest, as mountain lion. Although there is but the one species _concolor_, there are a number of subspecies. About 15 are now recognized, most of them geographical races and not markedly different from the species. Four of these subspecies are found in the four States with which we are concerned. One of the most interesting is _hippolestes_ which inhabits the State of Colorado. Translated from the Greek this is “horse thief,” an appropriate epithet indeed for this ghostly marauder. As might be expected from their vast distribution, the several subspecies have a tremendous vertical range. In the Southwest they are found from near sea level in southwestern Arizona to the tops of the highest peaks in Colorado.

In the more than four centuries that have elapsed since the white man first set foot on soil of the New World, a great mass of folklore concerning the mountain lion has accumulated. Half fact, half fiction, these tales have been repeated from one generation to another and few details have been lost in the telling; indeed, in most cases, several have been added. Most common are those which describe its fierceness and its attacks on man. In the main, these tales are lurid and convincing, but they do not stand up under scientific scrutiny. It is true that such attacks have occurred; one of the most recent and best verified was that on a 13-year old boy in Okanogan County, Washington, in 1924. It resulted in the death and partial devouring of the unfortunate youngster. Yet sensational as this incident was, it resulted in publicity far out of proportion to its importance. In fact, articles concerning this case are still appearing at intervals. The truth of the matter is that very few authentic cases of mountain lion attacks upon humans have ever occurred in the United States, and that most of these _could_ have been caused by the mountain lion’s being rabid. Certainly such attacks are not typical behavior of the normal animal. As far as man is concerned, the lion will take flight whenever possible, and even when cornered it is not nearly so pugnacious as its little cousin, the bobcat.

Other stories about the mountain lion often emphasize the bloodcurdling screams with which it preludes its stalk of some unfortunate person deep in the forest. The facts are that there is no reason to believe that lions cannot or do not scream, but most authorities agree that such vocal expressions are most likely to be made by an old male courting his lady love or warning away a rival. The cats are creatures of stealth and cunning that creep upon their prey as noiselessly as possible. Lions would hardly announce their presence with the sort of screams with which they are credited. It seems safe to say that at least 90 percent of these alleged screams can be traced to owls or amorous bobcats. Oftentimes these sounds have been linked to large tracks found in the vicinity as proof that a mountain lion was in the area. This has led one author to remark that “the witness usually is unable to distinguish the track of a large dog from that of a mountain lion.” In addition, the infrequent screams made by captive mountain lions indicate that such sounds in Nature would be far from spectacular. They consist of a sound that is more like a whistle than the demoniacal wail so often ascribed to the wild animal.

Many stories are told of a person, usually a pioneer ancestor, who has been followed by a mountain lion. In most cases this person has returned to the area suitably armed and with witnesses who found tracks of the beast together with those of their friend. Strange to say, such incidents are not at all uncommon. They have been recorded and verified a number of times. In these cases the animal often has made no effort at concealment but has followed the person quite openly. Despite this boldness it seems there is no sinister motive, merely a naive and surprising curiosity on the part of the big cat as to what kind of creature man is. It is most unfortunate that so little data have been recorded in these instances, yet this is quite understandable under the circumstances.

Finally, in most stories there is only one size of mountain lion—big! As the story makes its rounds the lion never gets smaller; it invariably grows larger. Somehow the records have missed all these really big lions. Any lion which measures more than 8 feet in length and 200 pounds in weight will be an extremely large, old male in the record class. The average will be much smaller. Statistics show most lions to be 5 to 7 feet in length and 80 to 130 pounds in weight for adult females, and 6 to 8 feet in length with weights of 120 to 200 pounds for adult males. Errors in estimating the size of these big cats are easily accounted for. In the first place the lion is a long, low, sleek creature that gives an impression of being longer than it is. Too, its size is unconsciously exaggerated by many people who are impressed with its tremendous power and agility. Many of its feats of strength seem impossible for an animal so small. Lastly, its tanned hide may be available for measurement. Actually this proves nothing; hides often are stretched 2 feet or more at the time the animal is skinned, and tanning does not shrink them appreciably.

None of the above is meant to detract in any way from the reputation of the mountain lion or its place in American folklore. It is the third largest predator in the Southwest, being exceeded only by the jaguar and the bear in size, and surpassing them both in agility. In the past, it has been feared and hated by those whose herds and flocks have suffered from its depredations. Their efforts to exterminate it have resulted in grave biological problems at times, but in the light of more advanced study it seems probable this big carnivore will be spared in the future to keep its rightful place in our wilder areas.

The mountain lion “goes with the deer”; that is to say, its function is to keep deer in check so that they will not eat up their range and starve to death. Though at first glance such a possibility seems out of the question, this has become a serious problem in recent years. It will be further intensified as suitable deer range becomes more restricted with the advance of civilization. Another function of the mountain lion-deer relationship is to weed out the diseased and inferior individuals so that the deer herd will remain healthy and up to good physical standards. It may be argued that the same end is reached by hunting, and so it is, with one major exception. The nimrod, intent on a fine trophy head, takes the buck in the prime of life, a time when he should be sireing the herd of the future. The cougar does not consciously select its victims; it takes the most easily caught, thus leaving the wisest and healthiest survivors as breeding stock.

Though deer are the lion’s preferred food, many other species of mammals are preyed upon when deer are scarce. These range in size from the smallest rodents to animals as large as elk. Among the more unlikely species recorded are skunk and bobcat. The lion also has the dubious distinction of being one of the chief predators of the porcupine. Dining on this last species is fraught with danger, however, because no matter how expertly the carcass is removed from its spiney covering, a few quills will penetrate the flesh of the diner. Little prey other than mammals is ever taken. Birds are not easily caught by such a large animal and, although it does not shun water, it is poorly equipped to take any form of aquatic life. The mountain lion will not eat carrion except under the most dire circumstances and prefers food that it has killed itself.

There are two principal methods by which the mountain lion catches its prey. The stalk and pounce technique of the common house cat is most effective in brushy country where the low crouch of the lion places its bulk behind the close ground cover. With tip of tail twitching, it creeps forward until a short run and spring, or the spring alone, will carry it to the front flank of the unsuspecting victim. If the neck of the hunted is not broken by the impact of the heavy body, the sharp claws or massive canine teeth are brought into play to rip the jugular vein and end the struggle. In the other method of hunting, the lion chooses a ledge above a game trail and simply waits there until some animal to its liking passes below. The weight of its body usually is sufficient to bear the victim to the ground and it is soon dispatched. Mountain lion studies in California have determined that in hunting deer the animal will catch one in every three attempts. It has been estimated that in an area of heavy deer population each mountain lion will kill one each week. It is of interest to note that in many places in the Southwest deer are on the increase, indicating the need for more predators to keep down their number.

Since the mountain lion has few enemies, its reproduction rate is low. Two to four kittens are born in each litter, but usually at 2- to 3-year intervals. Dens are sometimes located deep among the rocks; others may be no more than a grass nest in the brush on a rocky ridge. Like domestic kittens the young are born blind. They have an interesting color pattern at birth, a strongly spotted coat and a faintly ringed tail. This completely disappears when they are about half grown, leaving them with the tawny reddish coat which blends so well with their surroundings. They mature at about 2 years of age; beautifully evolved killers which must be admired by everyone who has come to understand the methods by which Nature regulates the animal world.

Bobcat _Lynx rufus_ (Latin: name of animal, and rufus, reddish)

Range: Common throughout much of the United States and Mexico. Found throughout the Southwest.

Habitat: This common species is found in all zones wherever there is sufficient cover to hide it.

Description: A bobcat distinguished from the lynx by having small ear tufts, a more rufous color, and a black band which crosses only the upper surface of the tail tip. Total length 30 to 35 inches. Tail 5 inches. Weight 15 to 30 pounds. This is a chunky animal with long, muscular legs and large feet. The sides of the face are heavily streaked with black, backs of ears dark, coat generally tawny to rufous above, underparts lighter. Dark spots rather prominent throughout coat, insides of front legs often barred with darker color. Young from two to six, usually born in early spring; only one litter per year.

These are the most common wild members of the cat family in the Southwest. Their distribution over the United States takes a strange pattern, inasmuch as they are not found in several of the midwestern and southeastern States, and in a large area in central Mexico. In all there are a dozen subspecies of _Lynx rufus_ in North America. They are tough little predators, among the last to retreat before the advance of civilization. In fact, they may often be found on the very fringes of our larger cities, existing on the rats that infest the city dump.

In the wilder areas, which are the bobcat’s appropriate home, its tracks are distinguishable from those of the larger _Felidae_ only by their smaller size. Like the larger members of the cat family, it is equipped with a set of strong retractile and extremely sharp claws. Although there are five toes on each front foot and only four on the hind feet, the tracks of both feet are similar. This is because the fifth toe, corresponding to our thumb, is so high on the inside of the foreleg that normally it does not touch the ground. During normal travel the claws are always in the retracted position and never show in the tracks. All native cats have a tendency to place the hind feet in the tracks left by the front feet, so that in effect each track is a double print. This may be one of the reasons a cat’s approach is so silent!

Bobcats have numerous traits in common with their relative, _Lynx canadensis_ (not treated in this book because of its extreme rarity in the Southwest), but are more versatile in their dietary tastes. While the lynx is sufficiently dependent on the snowshoe hare that its population corresponds closely in fluctuation with that of its “host,” the bobcat has a much less discriminating appetite. It also loves snowshoe hares and rabbits, but takes various other mammals as opportunity offers, and ground-living birds. Bobcats will even eat carrion, but prefer fresh meat. They are reliably reported to eat porcupines, young pronghorns, deer, and sheep, both bighorn and domestic; and they sometimes kill adult deer, although this is a difficult and dangerous proceeding. Usually a kill is at least partially covered with debris, and the cat will return at least once to feed again on it.

Though bobcats are the least spectacular of our native cats they are the most numerous and evenly distributed. Thus collectively they may be of more importance in Nature’s master plan than we realize. Their role may even increase in importance as time goes on, because of the increasing scarcity of the larger cat species.

Red fox _Vulpes fulva_ (Latin: a fox ... fulva, meaning deep yellow or tawny)

Range: Found throughout most of North America north of the Mexican border. Exceptions in the United States are areas in the southeastern and central States and desert portions of the Southwest.

Habitat: In the Southwest these foxes are restricted to wooded areas of mountains. They usually are found in the Transition Life Zone or higher.

Description: About the size of a small dog, having a bushy tail with white tip. Total length 36 to 40 inches. Tail 14 to 16 inches. Weight 10 to 15 pounds. Besides the type, this fox has at least two well-defined color phases with many intermediate forms. These will be considered separately. A typical western form of red fox will be more yellow than red. The brightest red will be a rufous median line running down the back. This fades to an ochre yellow along the edges and grades to the lighter yellow of the sides. The tail is usually dark yellow with black guard hairs and always a white tip. The underparts are light yellow to white. Fronts of feet and lower legs and backs of ears are always very dark to black. The underfur is lead-colored. The head is small with large ears, yellowish eyes having elliptical pupils, narrow nose and jaws. The young, four to six in a litter, are born early in the summer and but one litter is produced each year.

The western form of red fox might more aptly be named the “yellow” fox, since it is definitely more yellow than red. To add to the confusion, the gray fox, _Urocyon cinereoargenteus_, of the West usually has more good red in its coat than the red fox. However, the gray fox is a denizen of the desert and will not often be found at elevations preferred by the red fox. In addition, its tail is tipped with black; this definitely separates the two species at a glance. The differences of color phases within the red fox group are more pronounced and have led many people to consider them separate species. The two most distinct types of these varieties are known as the “cross” fox and the “black” or “silver” fox.

The term “cross” fox refers neither to the disposition of the animal nor to its being a hybrid variety, although it often is cross or mean and is not a hybrid. It alludes to the dark cross on its back. This is formed by a dark to black median line crossing at right angles to a dark band that traverses the shoulders. Its effect is increased by considerable amounts of gray and black mixed with the normal yellow color of the sides. The long hairs of the tail are yellowish gray to black, the general effect being dark but, as with the type, the tip is pure white. As might be expected, there are many gradations between this color phase and the type, some of them being among the most striking and beautiful foxes in the world.

The “black” or “silver” fox is a melanistic form of the red fox. In the most striking form it is a smooth shining black, the general sombreness of its coat being relieved by a sprinkling of silvery white guard hairs. These are thickest in the area of the shoulders, on the posterior portion of the back, and on the top and sides of the head. The underparts, though black, lack the lustrous “finish” so evident on the back and sides. The tip of the tail is pure white in this form also. This is the “silver” fox of commerce, an animal which through selective breeding has become standardized in the fur industry. Nevertheless, the black color is a recessive character, as evidenced by the throw-backs that often make their appearance in otherwise black litters. Without constant vigilance on the part of breeders, the “silver” fox would soon become a rarity again. The Mendelian law cannot be cancelled out by a few generations of selective breeding.

The foxes are the smallest canines native to the United States. Though they look much larger because of their long fur and bushy tail, the average red fox will not outweigh a large house cat. They make up for this lack of size, however, by being exceedingly quick in their movements. They are thus able to catch many of the small mammals which outmaneuver coyotes and wolves. Rabbits are about the largest mammals with which they can cope, but mice, woodrats, pikas, and ground squirrels are all a common part of their diet. In addition, they take many large insects and ground nesting birds and eggs whenever possible. Foxes are not as omnivorous as coyotes, but they relish berries and stone fruits and sometimes raid watermelon patches.

The social life of foxes is most interesting. The family is a closely knit unit which as a rule does not break up until the young are well able to care for themselves. Foxes are monogamous; that is, they normally choose their mates for life. Dens may be in burrows dug in the soil or in deep crevices in the rocks. They are usually in some spot where there is a good view of the surrounding territory. The pups are born rather early in the spring and by early summer will be playing around in the den entrance, although they do not venture to any distance until much later. Should the den be approached while the young are in it, the female often will be very bold in her attempts to lead the intruders away from it. As soon as the young are weaned the male joins his mate in bringing food to them. By early fall, the family is hunting together.

The red fox has been a symbol of sagacity and cunning since long before Aesop. Much of this reputation is well earned, as witness their stubborn withdrawal as civilization surrounds them. Yet sometime one wonders if their wisdom is not overrated. I am reminded of an old female who every year whelped her young in the mouth of a tile drain which drained a marshy piece of ground that had since become dry. The upper end of the tile was buried some 15 feet below the surface of the ground. My friend would watch the area until the pups were about half grown. Then he would block the entrance to the tile with a box trap and catch them as hunger drove them out to the bait. This went on for several years, the old vixen never seeming to learn from bitter experience that her family would be taken away from her.

Gray wolf _Canis lupus_ (Latin: dog ... a wolf)

Range: Canada and Alaska north to the northern coast of Greenland. In the United States it is found in three widely separated areas in Oregon, Utah and Colorado, and New Mexico and Arizona. It extends south into the tablelands of Mexico.

Habitat: In the Southwest the wolf, like the coyote, is leaving the plains, which are its chosen habitat, to live in the broken country of the Transition Life Zone.