Part 6

Family TALPIDAE

=Scapanus latimanus occultus= Grinnell and Swarth

California Mole

Workings of moles were found on the Pacific slope of the mountains from 1600 feet at Claremont up to 7500 feet on Blue Ridge, and on the Pacific slope beneath basin sagebrush in Cajon Canyon one mile from desert slope Joshua-tree flats, but not on the desert slope, although moles probably occur on that slope in some of the places where there is suitable habitat.

Near Camp Baldy in the sandy soil beneath groves of alders moles seemed to be especially abundant. Although common on the coastal face of the range, moles shunned compact, dry, or rocky soils. In the greasewood chaparral one-half mile west of the mouth of Palmer Canyon, where the soil was hard and rocky, mole tunnels were in soft soil that had accumulated at the edge of a fire road beneath a steep road cut. The assumption is that this accumulation contained insects attractive, as food, to the moles.

Specimens examined, 2: Los Angeles County: Camp Baldy, 4200 ft., 1(PC); Claremont, 1600 ft., 1(PC).

Family SORICIDAE

=Sorex obscurus parvidens= Jackson

Dusky Shrew

Jackson (1928:124) recorded a specimen from Camp Baldy, 4200 feet, San Antonio Canyon.

=Sorex ornatus ornatus= Merriam

Ornate Shrew

Both of my specimens were taken amid riparian growth on the Pacific slope of the range.

Specimens examined, 2: Los Angeles County: San Antonio Canyon, 3500 ft., 1; Cobal Canyon, 5 mi. N Claremont, 1800 ft., 1 (PC).

=Notiosorex crawfordi crawfordi= (Coues)

Gray Shrew

One was taken in 1946 beneath a woodpile on the campus of Norton School, two miles northeast of Claremont, and examined by Dr. W. E. Pequegnat.

Family VESPERTILIONIDAE

=Myotis yumanensis sociabilis= H. W. Grinnell

Yuma Myotis

A female was taken in lower San Antonio Canyon, 2800 feet elevation, on September 27, 1951.

=Myotis evotis evotis= (J. A. Allen)

Long-eared Myotis

This species was observed and collected at several stations ranging from 2800 feet elevation in San Antonio Canyon, to Blue Ridge at 8200 feet, and down the desert slope to 6000 feet at Jackson Lake. This distribution encompasses most of the chaparral and yellow pine forest associations. Within these areas, however, this bat shows marked habitat preferences.

Woodland habitats seem to be preferred by evotis. At several ponds in lower San Antonio Canyon this bat was observed repeatedly as it foraged over the water and coursed low between rows of alders and Baccharis. At Blue Ridge in September, 1951, these bats foraged approximately six feet above the ground beneath the canopy of coniferous foliage and between the trunks of the trees.

Most of the bats were taken by stretching fine wires above the surface of a pond as outlined by Borell (1937:478). Collecting was generally carried on until at least 11:00 p. m., and the time at which each bat was taken at the pond was recorded, thereby making possible a rough estimate of the pre-midnight forage period of each bat commonly collected at the ponds. Usually bats taken at the start of their supposed forage period had empty or nearly empty stomachs, whereas those taken towards the end of their forage period had full or nearly full stomachs. M. evotis usually first appeared just at dark, well after the pipistrelles and California myotis had begun foraging. The forage period of evotis seemed to begin approximately 30 minutes after sunset and to end approximately two and one-quarter hours later.

Individuals of this species were taken from May 4, to October 14, 1951. A female taken on May 19, 1951, in San Antonio Canyon, carried one minute embryo, and one taken in the same locality on June 8, had one embryo four millimeters in length.

Specimens examined.--Total, 12, distributed as follows: Los Angeles County: San Antonio Canyon, 2800 ft., 11; Claremont, 1100 ft., 1 (P.C.).