Part 17

Much has been said pro and con about the ability of the cougar to emit a “scream.” Much depends upon the person’s conception of what makes up a “scream.” For the most part the cougar is silent, but contrary to what is often claimed, it does have the ability to express itself vocally. At times it may utter a loud cry that reminds one somewhat of the caterwaul of a domesticated tomcat. One female lion in a zoo gave a long series of such squalls when her kitten was taken from her. The so-called “woman in agony” scream, so often attributed to the cougar, is more likely that of the grown young of the great horned owl.

The cougar is also well known because of its great liking for venison, and without doubt it accounts for several deer a year. To say that a lion kills large numbers of deer each year (some persons claim as high as 100 per year) is something that needs clarification. There is little doubt that when deer are abundant a lion will get a considerable number; conversely when deer are not common the number taken will be low. Under natural conditions the lion serves as an important “control” upon the numbers of deer in any given region, for the most part killing old animals that have passed their prime or young deer that aren’t sufficiently alert, so offering no real threat to the deer population as a whole, but definitely helping to preserve forest reproduction from destruction by preventing an excessive multiplication of deer.

BOBCAT, NORTHWESTERN WILDCAT Lynx rufus fasciatus Rafinesque

The bobcat is a typical member of the cat tribe, and resembles the common domestic cat in many respects. It differs in size, being perhaps twice as large, has longer legs, a very short tail, and big feet. The Northwestern Wildcat is a rich rufous brown over the back, grizzled with black; paler on the sides; with white underparts splotched with black. The legs are barred with dark brown and black. The tail is dark brown above with black bars, the extreme tip and underside is white. The ears are slightly tufted, the side whiskers or throat ruff are conspicuous.

Specimens in park collection: Mounted specimen, Longmire Museum, Park Headquarters.

Bobcats are found in all of the United States, and northward into western Canada.

The Northwestern wildcat occurs in northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, and southwestern British Columbia. The cats are uncommon in Mount Rainier National Park, where their range is apparently confined mostly to the lower elevations near the southern and western boundaries.

Of all the wild creatures of the woods, the bobcat is perhaps the shyest. Many woodsmen of several years experience can count upon the fingers of one hand the cats they have seen, with the exception of those caught in traps or treed by dogs. Often it is only by observation of their tracks or sign that their presence is revealed. This is all the more remarkable when it is understood that like domestic cats, they hunt by day as well as by night.

Their habits are typically cat-like. They prey upon rodents and birds, and may occasionally kill deer, particularly fawns.

CANADA LYNX Lynx canadensis canadensis Kerr

The lynx is like the bobcat in size and build, but is lighter in color, and may further be distinguished by the black tipped tail, longer ear tufts, more conspicuous side whiskers, and broad spreading feet.

Specimens in park collection: None.

The range of the lynx is principally in Canada, although it extends into northern Oregon in the Northwest, southward in the Rocky Mountains into Colorado, and as far south as Pennsylvania in the northeast.

Taylor and Shaw, in Mammals and Birds of Mount Rainier National Park, 1927, observe that, “The shy and secretive habits of the members of the cat tribe make their study unusually difficult. At the outset one finds himself practically restricted to an examination of tracks and sign. These indicate the abundance of cats of the genus Lynx (either lynx or bobcat) in suitable locations throughout the park. The Canada lynx is confined to higher portions of the park, the bobcat to lower altitudes. J. B. Flett reports the capture of a Canada lynx some years ago by C. A. Stoner in the Sawtooth Range just south of the park.

“Tracks and sign ... were most in evidence on the backbone ridges at or just above timberline.”

For the past several years there have been no authentic records of the Canada lynx in the park, and it is extremely doubtful that the animal now occurs within park boundaries.

HYPOTHETICAL LIST

Although not known to occur in Mount Rainier National Park prior to the date of this publication, the following mammals may be recorded:

Alaska Brown Bat, Myotis lucifugus alascensis Miller Longeared Bat, Myotis evotis pacificus Dalquest Northwest Coast Bat, Myotis californicus caurinus Miller Big Brown Bat, Eptesicus fuscus bernardinus Rhoads Puget Sound Weasel, Mustela ermina streatori (Merriam) Townsend Chipmunk, Tamias townsendii townsendii Bachman Yellow Pine Chipmunk, Tamias amoenus affinis Allen Oregon Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus oregonensis (Bachman)

The occurrence of the following mammals was listed by Taylor and Shaw, Mammals and Birds of Mount Rainier National Park, 1927, as follows:

Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus osoyoosensis (Lord). “In lower portions of the park; apparently now trapped out within its boundaries.” Norway Rat, Rattus norvegicus norvegicus (Erxleben). “Here included on the authority of J. B. Flett, who has observed it at Longmire.” House Mouse, Mus musculus Linnaeus subsp? “At Longmire; at present scarce, perhaps extirpated.”

It is believed that the three species above are not now found within the park.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ANTHONY, H. E. 1928 Field Book of North American Mammals. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York.

BAILEY, V. 1936 The Mammals and Life Zones of Oregon, North American Fauna, Number 55, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Biological Survey, Washington, D. C.

BROCKMAN, C. FRANK 1947 Flora of Mount Rainier National Park. U. S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.

DALQUEST, WALTER W. 1948 Mammals of Washington. University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History, Volume 2.

HAMILTON, W. J. JR. 1939 American Mammals. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York.