Part 3

The little bobcat ranges through the woods mostly at night seeking small rodents, rabbits, grouse, and ptarmigan. Like his giant cousin, the cougar, he will invariably detect quickly the presence of any intruder and quietly slip away. The presence of long hairs between his toes in winter, forming a "snowshoe-like" pad, enables him to travel swiftly through winter snows. Although wary of man, he will frequent settled areas where food in the form of rats, mice, and rabbits is common.

COYOTE (Canis latrans lestes)

Looks somewhat like a German shepherd dog with a yellowish gray coat and long, bushy tail. The coyote has a pointed nose, and a heavy tail which, when the animal is running, seems to float behind. Total length about 4 feet; weight up to 35 pounds. This species of coyote is usually larger than the familiar plains variety, and may be confused only with the larger wolf, which has disappeared from this region.

This crafty and bold "wild dog" is very common and increasing in the entire area, from the lower hills to above timberline. Their increase may be accounted for not only by their extreme cunning and adaptability to the invasion of man, but also because they produce the high average litter of six young each year. Scarcity of food, persecution by man, and the great stamina of coyotes has helped him become the outstanding predator in North America, both in numbers and extent of range. They will eat practically anything--birds, insects, carrion, rodents, rabbits; and when in packs can overcome large game animals, which are in a weakened condition due to severe winters. I have seen coyotes in many of the lower valleys of the Park in mid-morning hours, "playing" with ground squirrels. They grab and fling them several times into the air, catching them expertly each time and finally gulping them down. The coyote becomes more awesome if you have heard its weird howl floating out of a moonlight night.

RED FOX (Vulpes macroura)

Reddish-gold coat and a long bushy white-tipped tail. Dark legs. Smaller than a coyote. Total length 3½ feet. Weight up to 14 pounds.

This fox is regarded as uncommon in the region and is difficult to see because it runs chiefly at night. They are swift and cunning, feeding on wood rats, mice, and birds throughout the area. Because of the value of their pelts in the fur trade, they have been heavily trapped and, not being as diversified in habit, have been unable to survive as well as the coyote.

CROSS FOX

This color variation of the red fox is similar except the coat is an intermixture of reddish, gray, and black tones. It has been seen in this region. The silver or black fox color phases of this red fox have not as yet, been reported for the Park. One litter of the red fox may contain several varieties of these phases.

BADGER (Taxidae taxus taxus)

Stout, flat-looking body with shaggy, silver-gray fur. Black and white distinctive markings on the face and head. Long, heavy claws. Total length about 28 inches. Weighs up to 20 pounds.

This compact, tough little badger, while more common in the plains and foothills, now digs its solitary burrow in the lower mountain meadows. As they capture prey by digging them out, they are usually found wherever there are ground squirrel colonies; but will also feed on skunks and marmots. They can dig themselves out of sight in the ground in a few minutes. Like the bears, they fatten up in the fall and go into a period of semi-hibernation from which they may waken and wander about during warmer winter days.

STRIPED SKUNK (Mephitis mephitis varians)

A stout bodied animal about the size of a house-cat, with a small head, large bushy tail, and short legs. Color black with a double stripe of white running the length of the back. Tail black and white. Total length about 28 inches. Weight up to 10 pounds.

This famous little night hunter sleeps most of the day and when awake is commonly seen roaming about human habitations. He feeds largely on small mice, insects, and also likes birds' eggs. He releases his potent scent only on extreme provocation or surprise and is actually quite a docile, friendly little fellow. If picked up by the tail, he may or may not fumigate the air.

SPOTTED SKUNK (Spilogale tenuis)

A smaller and more slender skunk distinguished by a number of narrow white stripes on the back which tend to break up, often resulting in spots. Rare in the Park and then only east of the Continental Divide.

MARTEN (Martes caurina origenes)

A large weasel-like animal with prominent ears and a bushy tail. Warm brown color except on chest and underparts which are yellowish. Total length about 25 inches.

The elongated, agile-bodied marten is largely nocturnal, but because of his abundance is now rather commonly seen during the day in the subalpine forests of the Park. On the trails in Wild Basin, Bear Lake, and upper Colorado River Valley areas, he may be attracted to put in a bold appearance, by setting out a lure of smelly meat or fish. Ordinarily, they feed on chickarees and small rodents of the deep forest. They are primarily climbers, but are equally at home on the forest floor.

MINK (Mustela vison energumenos)

A slim, rich dark-brown animal with a pointed nose, small ears, and fairly bushy tail. Movements are snake-like. Does not turn white in winter as will his smaller cousin, the weasel. Total length about 25 inches.

Aggressive and crafty killers, mink are infrequently seen along stream areas of the Park. They are as much at home in the water as out of it, catching fish and muskrats, as well as numerous small land rodents. Mink can travel miles along water courses with their bounding, graceful lope. Here they record their passage with tracks in the sand or mud. When angry, they emit a powerful, offensive odor.

LONG-TAILED WEASEL (Mustela frenata nevadensis)

Very slender weasel with a flattened head and beady eyes. Fur is dark brown, black tip on tail, and buffy underparts. Winter coat is snow white with black-tipped tail, and is then called "ermine." Total length 16 inches. There are about 36 different kinds of weasels in the United States.

It is incredible that such a small body could contain such a remarkably vicious nature as that of the weasel. Most animals kills for food, but the long saber-sharp teeth of the weasel kill wantonly and apparently just for the sake of killing. They first suck the warm blood from the base of the skull or neck of their victim and then eat portions of its meat and bones. They are quick and intelligent and can subdue animals several times their size. They are quite common throughout the Park up to timberline, and are so curious and unafraid that once seen, they may be attracted by making various squeaks and sounds.

SHORT-TAILED WEASEL (Mustela streatori lepta)

A very small weasel differing from the long-tailed weasel chiefly in size. Total length 9½ inches. Rare in the Park.

THE PLANT EATERS (RODENTS)

BEAVER (Castor canadensis concisor)

Compact, heavyset, water mammal with brown fur and a broad, horizontally-flattened, scaly tail. Large, webbed hind feet. Total length about 3½ feet. Average weight about 40 pounds. When swimming, only the top half of the head, shoulders, and part of the back appear above water. For positive identification, watch for the broad, black tail which may slap the water, or "flip up" when it dives.

This largest of North American rodents is very abundant and widely distributed in many of the mountain streams. To locate their dams, look for small pools or lakes in streams of heavily wooded sections. If new, the dams will be a mass of twigs and saplings carefully interlaced and sealed with mud; if old, the dams will be overgrown with grasses and small shrubs, but will still maintain the general shape and contour of a beaver dam. These dams will easily support the weight of a man. In the pond area or on the dam, a conical mass of mud and twigs, (the beaver lodge) some three to five feet high may be found, which contains the home of the beavers using that pond. Each lodge has an underwater entrance which is constantly in use, winter and summer. While beavers work mostly at night, it has been a regular practice in the Park to observe them swimming in their ponds just before nightfall. The Mill Creek, Hidden Valley, and Colorado River Valley areas have been especially good locations for sight of beaver. If aspen, which is both the beaver's food and construction material, have all been removed for a distance of five or six hundred feet from the pond, then probably the beavers have moved out and gone up or down stream to build a new pond. Muskrats may then occupy the entire pond.

MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica osoyoosensis)

This water mammal might well be a miniature beaver to the casual observer, with the one distinguishing feature of having a long, scaly tail flattened in the vertical plane instead of the beaver's broad, flat tail. Length not more than 2 feet. When swimming, only a small portion of the top of the animal shows above water, along with a thin edge of the tail, which is used with a sculling and rudder effect.

Muskrat are common in the Park, often living in beaver-made ponds. They are therefore often confused with beaver by the uninitiated, but if attention is given to the size and tail characteristics, there will be no identification difficulty. The muskrat or "rats," as they are often called, build dens in the banks of the ponds and more rarely in this region, small grass and mud lodges. Their principal foods are rushes, grass, and water plants. In ponds containing active muskrat these plants are often found cut and floating near the banks.

PORCUPINE (Erethizon dorsatum epixanthum)

Large, spiny rodent with high arched back, small black head, blunt nose, and heavy, short tail. Spines yellowish-white tipped with dark brown. Movements clumsy; slow, waddling gait. Total length up to 3 feet.

Common in the montane and subalpine forests of the region, the "quill pig" has been able to thrive because his potential predators can seldom discover that the only way to kill him, is to flip him over on his back and rip open his belly. Many interested animals, however, come away from a porky contact with a face or skin full of painful quills. Porcupine protect themselves by quick erection of masses of quills and by swift defensive swings of the spiny tail. These quills number up to 35,000 on a single animal. They spend most of their time clinging high in the tree branches, feeding on the green foliage and the inner bark of pine trees. This accounts for the yellow "bare" patches sometimes seen on tree trunks. However, they have a strong predilection for anything containing even a fraction of salt; they will eat boots, axe handles, gun stocks, outhouse wood, and parts of buildings--anything where human perspiration has left a salty deposit. Porcupines, as well as smaller rodents, devour many elk and deer antlers left in the woods. They have a strange assortment of guttural sounds and cries which are sometimes heard at night. These uncanny noises emitting from the dark create interesting possibilities for more imaginative minds. The highly controversial question of porcupine mating is solved when we understand that the female has the muscular power of pulling in her quills closely to the body contour, permitting normal mating procedure. The single young is born in well-developed condition, but still enclosed in a membranous sack.

MARMOT (Marmota flaviventris luteola)

A medium sized western woodchuck having a variable shade of reddish-brown fur and a dark brown tail. Has a small band of white across the face. Total length up to 2½ feet and weight up to 20 pounds. They are 2 or 3 times larger than ground squirrels.

Marmots or "whistle pigs" as they are often called, are among the most easily observed mammals in the Rockies. They are found everywhere, particularly in rocky slides, boulder, and cliff areas from the Park boundary up to the tops of the highest peaks. Most of the parking area "feeding grounds" on the Trail Ridge Road contain their share of marmots, which ordinarily feed on seeds, flowers, and grasses. They are a socially-minded animal, often living in small communities and posting a sentinel to give a high, shrill whistle at the first sign of danger. When sufficiently fattened in the fall, they find a snug hole in the rocks and drop off in the slow, deep sleep of the "true" hibernators.

ABERT SQUIRREL (Sciurus aberti ferreus)

A large, heavy-bodied tree squirrel with a long, bushy tail. Has 3 distinct color phases; gray, dark brown, and black, all of which are common in the Park. Has long ear-tufts which are shed in the spring and grown out again by fall. Total length 20 inches.

Of the two kinds of tree squirrels in the Park, the aristocratic-appearing abert or tufted-ear squirrel is predominant in the montane or yellow pine valleys and ridges. They feed on the fine branches of yellow pine and on pine cone seeds. Their large, bulky nests of twigs and pine needles are placed high in the trees and are difficult to locate.

CHICKAREE (Sciurus fremonti fremonti)

A small, alert tree squirrel with back and sides a grayish-rust color; white underparts. Tail is white fringed. Distinguished from the abert squirrel by smaller size and the narrow white line around the eye. Total length is 13 inches. Formerly known as Fremont's squirrel.

This little chickaree or pine squirrel (as he is often called) is the chattering "alarm box" of the spruce-fir forests. They prefer the cool, denser, subalpine forests well above the range of the tufted-ear squirrel. Feeding chiefly on seeds of evergreen cones, they often leave great heaps of cone debris at their feeding places. The cones they bury for future use are often neglected and young seedling trees may thus spring up about their storage areas.

RICHARDSON GROUND SQUIRREL (Citellus richardsonii elegans)

A pale brown squirrel with a relatively short tail and a characteristically stiff, erect posture on occasion, which alone is enough for identification. Total length about 11 inches. Widely distributed in the west and formerly called Wyoming ground squirrel or picket-pin gopher in the southern Rockies. It is not a gopher.

These gregarious little fellows so frequently seen, alert and erect along the roadsides, have invaded the flat mountain meadows from the lower foothills. Living in colonies somewhat like prairie dogs (not found in this region), their groups of small mounds are often scattered in the grass near fields that have been cultivated to hay crops.

GOLDEN-MANTLED GROUND SQUIRREL (Callospermophilus lateralis lateralis)

Larger than a chipmunk, chestnut-gray on head and back. Distinguished from chipmunks by having black and white strips on its sides (none down the middle of the back) and by having a plain face with no stripping. Not as nervous and quick as the chipmunk. Total length 11 inches. Formerly called Say's ground squirrel in this locality.

These trusting little fellows are the most commonly seen, photographed, and fed animals in the Park, (including the rangers). Dozens of these beautifully striped squirrels compete with chipmunks throughout the area for visitor "hand-outs" of peanuts. If left to themselves (those that haven't forgotten how) they feed largely on plant material and seeds. There is a definite reason for this voracious engorging of food during the summer, which is enjoyed by the marmots and richardson ground squirrels as well. These animals are exemplary of the "true" hibernators of the animal kingdom. They go into burrows below frost line for a long winter period, curling up into tight little balls, and drop off into a death-like, torpid sleep from which they are aroused with some difficulty. Their temperature may drop from around ninety degrees F. to only forty; their heartbeat may reduce from approximately two hundred beats per minute to four or five; their oxygen consumption is less than ten per cent of the amount used in active condition. They utilize part of their stored-up summer fat for the little energy needed to keep alive. When the warm days of spring arrive, they dig their way out of the ground and search again for food and the customary "handouts."

LEAST CHIPMUNK (Eutamias minimus operarius)

This little chipmunk is distinguished from the only other similar rodent in the Park, the golden-mantled ground squirrel, by its small size and nervous habit, stripes down the middle, as well as the sides of the back, and by narrow strips of black and white on its face. The tail is relatively long and bushy. Total length 8 inches. Found in Colorado east of the Continental Divide, from foothills to above timberline. Another least chipmunk (Eutamias minimus consobrinus) probably overlaps the range of operarius near the Continental Divide, and occupies the west half of the Park.

This quick nervous chipmunk is very common in all zones over 5,000 feet and is found scurrying among the rocks and along the forest floor, as well as running on tree trunks and branches. Like the ground squirrel, it has well-developed cheek pouches in which it can store an amazing amount of food. While it has a form of hibernation, it does not go into the deep torpor of the hibernating ground squirrel. It has been seen in the dead of winter running over the snows.

WESTERN CHIPMUNK (Eutamias quadrivittatus quadrivittatus)

A close relative of the least chipmunk of northwestern Colorado, which is rarely seen within the Park boundaries, and then not above 9,000 feet; is slightly larger and has a proportionately longer tail than the least chipmunk. Total length 8½-9½ inches.

NORTHERN POCKET GOPHER (Thomomys talpoides fossor)

A reddish-brown rodent with long, heavy, front digging claws. When compared to ground squirrels the pocket gopher has a heavier, chunky body and a shorter, thick tail. Has large, furlined cheek pouches. Total length 8½ inches. This group of pocket gophers is widely distributed from the great plains to the Pacific coast. Another subspecies (Thomomys talpoides clusius) occurs rarely in the Park although it is common in the plains and foothills. It resembles fossor except that its fur is brownish-gray.

Spending most of its life under the ground this well equipped excavator digs an amazing labyrinth of tunnels in western soils. It can make well over 200 feet of tunnel in a single night, usually digging down 5 or 6 feet below the surface. The prominent locator signs of the gopher are earthen mounds about 12 inches in diameter and 4 inches above ground level. In the center of the mound is an entrance to his tunnel system. In winter this tough, little rodent moves around above ground under the snow. His digging continues at this time and the excavated earth is pushed out of the ground and into his snow tunnels. When the snow melts the next spring the long, irregular earth cylinders lying on the ground are exposed. This shy, secretive gopher is difficult to see even at his earthen look-out mound, because he rarely exposes himself when intruders are nearby. They are found occasionally in meadows up to timberline.

BUSHY-TAILED PACK RAT (Neotoma cinerea orolestes)

A large rat, reddish-gray with heavy black linings on the back; color variations are considerable and may even grade into yellowish-gray. Bushy, gray tail; large ears and beady eyes. Total length up to 17 inches. Formerly known as a wood rat.

This notorious mountain rat is widely distributed over the state from 4,600 feet up to the tops of the highest peaks. Often frequenting buildings and cabins in the mountains, the pack rat has also been labeled a trade rat. These names are derived from the animal's habit of carrying off any loose article it may find and sometimes leaving other objects in the place of those taken. While these rats do possess a distinct musky odor, they, like many of the other rodents, have unduly suffered in character by comparison with the universally disliked house rat. A rodent ordinarily found in rocky places, they are much cleaner in appearance and habits than their dirty, disease-laden relatives of the city. They build a large, globular nest of soft, shredded materials and are most active in the first few hours of the night, and again before dawn. Usually they are very furtive.

DEER MOUSE (Peromyscus maniculatus rufinus)

A round-eared mouse with tawny brown upper parts, and white feet and underparts. Total length up to 6 inches.

Like the pack rats, these are common in the mountain regions, particularly around dwellings, although they are much more easily seen than the rats. Unlike the disagreeable house mice, they keep themselves exceptionally clean. As they do not hibernate, they are commonly seen throughout the winter months from valley to timberline. They are also known as the white-footed deer mice of the mountains.

CLIFF MOUSE (Peromyscus nasutus nasutus)

A very large-eared mouse with dark, black and gray back. Total length up to 6 inches.

Sometimes called the long-nosed deer mouse, they are found occasionally in the Park, chiefly east of the Continental Divide. They prefer living in rocky areas, and are not as abundant as the true deer mouse (maniculatus).

JUMPING MOUSE (Zapus princeps princeps)

A large mouse with a dark back and greatly elongated hindlegs. Very long tail. Total length 9 inches.

This "kangaroo-like" mouse is found more commonly in the vegetation along the cold, rushing mountain streams. Although weighing less than an ounce, they make average hops or leaps from five to six feet at a bound.

THE VOLES

These little mammals are all members of a family of rodents which are set apart by their stocky, clumsy build, small ears, blunt heads, and certain skeletal differences. They have a decided preference for the colder regions of the globe and are generally a populous group in the world of rodents, the most numerous and widely distributed of which are the meadow voles. They are merely listed here to show the variety that have been found in the Park and to give an indication of their relative abundance. The final identification of some of them is possible only on close examination and measurement. For identifying characters, consult the reference mentioned in the preface.

LONG-TAILED VOLE (Microtus longicaudaus mordax)

Common in all types of habitat.

DWARF VOLE (Microtus montanus fusus)

Common on grassy hillsides and drier meadows.

MEADOW VOLE (Microtus pennsylvanicus modestus)

Common in damp meadows.

RED-BACKED VOLE (Clethrionomys gapperi galei)

Occasional in damp woods.

NORTHERN VOLE (Phenacomys intermedius intermedius)

Rarely found in the subalpine zone.

THE HARES, RABBITS, AND PIKAS

These animals were formerly included in the order of rodents. However, instead of having the rodents' four front (incisor) teeth, (two above and two below), these have six. The extra pair are tiny and not very useful, being placed directly behind the upper front teeth. This anatomical difference is the scientific basis for separating the rodents and the rabbits.

PIKA (Ochotona princeps saxatilis)