Part 6

Range: Western United States but east of the coastal range of mountains. The northern limits are along the Canadian border; the southern limits in central Arizona and New Mexico.

Habitat: Mountains of the west through the Transition and Canadian Life Zones. Seldom found below the pines.

Description: The “powder puff” tail is the best field characteristic by which to recognize this rabbit, usually the only cottontail in its range at the elevations given above. It is one of the largest of its kind, averaging 12 to 14 inches in total length with the tail less than 2 inches long. Average weights run from 1½ to 3 pounds. Ears are relatively short and wide for a cottontail. Color varies somewhat with relation to habitat, but in general it is gray with a faint yellowish tinge. Darkest areas are about the back and upper sides; under parts are light to almost white. The winter coat is heavier than the summer, but much the same color. The underside of the tail is the cottony white so well known to city and country dwellers alike. From the scanty records available on the number of young it would seem that three to four constitute the average litter. Perhaps the higher elevations at which they live keep them free from many of the predators to which their lowland cousins succumb, and thus they are able to maintain their numbers with smaller families.

Though often found in the depths of the forest, these shy rabbits prefer to live in the brushy thickets that border high mountain meadows and line the streams. There, in true cottontail fashion, they venture into the open to feed, always ready at the first sign of danger to scurry back to safety under tangled branches. Once fairly entered into the maze of paths that they alone know, there is little danger of capture. There they can count themselves safe from further pursuit by the larger predators and have a distinct advantage over those their own size or smaller. Although so clever at turning and doubling back in their chosen refuges, they seldom use much evasive action when surprised in the open. Their first thought seems to be to reach cover in the straightest possible line, and as a consequence many are snapped up by predators who not only rely on this behavior but often gain the advantage of a surprise attack as well.

Food habits are much the same as those of other cottontails, modified to some extent by the different plant associations with which they are found. In summer, tender grasses and herbs are the favorite fare, but in winter when deep snow isolates them from even the taller herbs, these adaptable animals turn to bark and such small twigs as meet their taste. At this time even the tips of conifer twigs are often eaten. Access to this food, which during the summer is usually out of reach, is facilitated by the growth of long hair on the bottom of the feet, especially on the hind feet. Though these seasonal “snowshoes” do not approach those of the Arctic hare in size, they serve very well to support the lighter cottontails as they move over the soft surface. They are especially useful when the animal stands on its hind feet to reach some inviting bit that would be out of reach in the normal crouching position. During this operation it reaches for food with the mouth alone; the forepaws cannot be used to gather food, but hang loosely in front of the body as an aid to balance.

This inability to grasp or handle objects with the front feet is characteristic of all those animals which in the United States we call “rabbits.” Though here included with the rodents, the jackrabbits, snowshoe hares, and cottontails all lack the dexterity with the forepaws with which the rest of the group is endowed. The structure of the bones is much like that of the ungulates in that the feet cannot be turned sideways. Thus front legs are used mainly for running, digging, and washing the face and ears, a procedure much like that employed by domestic cats, except that it is carried out with the sides of the paws rather than the insides of the wrists as Tabby does.

Though it lives in a different habitat than other closely related species, the mountain cottontail shares many of their habits. It is a nocturnal animal, seldom seen at large except at dusk or in early morning hours. During the greater part of the day it seeks refuge under some brush pile or deep in the recesses of the slide rock. On occasion it will make itself a form in long grass or under a shrub, but usually prefers more substantial protection. In areas which are being logged, cottontails are quick to take advantage of the shelter offered by huge piles of limbs and debris left by loggers. Later in the season, when the piles are burned, it is not unusual to see as many as three or four cottontails scurry from one pile.

Nests for rearing the young are not of such great concern to these rabbits. Perhaps they instinctively choose places where an enemy would never expect to find them. Many are mere hollows in tall grass or shallow burrows in an accumulation of pine needles. They are lined with soft grasses or needles and hair which the mother pulls from her own body. More hair and grass fibers are cleverly matted together to form a loosely woven blanket which she pulls over the nest when she leaves. It is arranged with such cunning and blends so well with the surrounding that unless one sees the rabbit leave it is only by accident a nest is discovered. The three to five young are born blind and naked, but thrive so well in the warm nest that in about a month they are fully furred and able to leave. At this age they are extremely playful little creatures, often indulging in a game much like tag, although to a human observer it is never quite clear just who is “It.”

In this connection it is interesting to note than among the “hunted” mammals the play spirit is usually manifested by running games in which there is little if any physical contact. By contrast, the young of predators indulge in wrestling games featuring use of teeth and claws, often beyond the point where fun ceases and anger begins.

Pika Ochotona princeps (Mongol name of pika ... Latin: chief)

Range: Mountainous areas of the western United States, western Canada, and southern Alaska. Found in the southwestern United States in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

Habitat: Talus slopes of the Hudsonian and Alpine Life Zones.

Description: A small animal bearing some resemblance to a guinea pig; found only among or in the vicinity of rock slides. Total length from 6½ to 8½ inches. No visible tail. Color, gray to brown. Eyes small, ears large and set well back on head. The front legs are short and are exceeded but little by the hind legs. They are all quite concealed by the long hair of the sides. This gives the animal much the appearance of a mechanical toy as it glides smoothly over the rocks. The soles of the feet are covered with hair, the only bare spots on the feet being the pads of the toes. The call is distinctive, the most common being an “eeh” repeated several times. This sound is shrill, but has a falsetto quality as though it were being produced during an inhalation. Young thought to number from three to six.

Far up on the mountainside, above timberline but below the eternal snows, a great field of talus rests uneasily on the massive slopes of bedrock. From a distance it seems merely a smooth gray scar that softens the otherwise abrupt lift of the summit. A closer inspection reveals it as a tumbled mass of variously shaped slabs of stone varying from tiny fragments to huge blocks weighing many tons. Its entire bulk is shot through with chinks and crevices of every conceivable shape and form.

Here and there a wisp of grass or an occasional stunted shrub has found a precarious foothold among the slabs. Other low matlike plants occur in considerable numbers. The only sounds are faint whisperings of wind among the rocks and a distant sighing from the forest below. Suddenly a sharp “eeh-eeh” breaks the silence, then all is quiet again. The shrill sounds are repeated, this time from a different quarter. You look toward the sound but see nothing. Finally, if you are lucky, your eyes focus on a little face somewhat resembling that of a tiny cottontail rabbit, peering at you from the safety of a home among the rocks. It is the pika you see and this rock slide is his castle.

The pika bears a superficial facial resemblance to the rabbit, to which it is most nearly related. This is occasioned no doubt by the long silky whiskers and deeply cleft upper lip, for the eyes are small and the ears, while large, are shaped much differently from those of its larger relative. Its other physical characteristics are entirely unlike those of the rabbit. The chunky body, short legs, and almost total lack of a tail are more like those of the guinea pig to which it is more distantly allied. Several species are known. All are inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere and all, whether Asiatic, European, or American, are found living in rock slides at or above timberline. In the western United States the pika is known by a variety of other common names of which “coney,” “little chief hare,” and “rock rabbit” are perhaps the best known.

Living as it does in only one type of habitat, the pika has developed highly specialized habits. The most remarkable is its practice of cutting hay for winter food. At timberline the growing season is short, but the herbs and grasses which this animal eats spring up and mature in a matter of weeks. During this time the pika lives high on the succulent leaves and stems, but during the latter part of the season it carefully harvests enough food to last through the coming winter. None of this hoard is carried directly into the burrow. Instead, it is painstakingly transported to suitable areas which are exposed to the hot sun, and there piled in miniature haycocks and left to cure. No human harvester ever worked harder to gather his crop or laid it up with more care than this tiny husbandman. Fortunately its tastes are not critical; thus, although the individual plants are scattered, the pika is able to select a sufficient store from the considerable number of species represented at this altitude.

In Utah and Colorado the “haying” time arrives with the height of the summer blooming season. At timberline this usually occurs during August. As though realizing that a hard frost would ruin its delightfully fragrant crop, the pika sets furiously to work. After cutting down as much herbage as it can handle at one time, it gathers the mass into an unwieldy bundle and carries it by mouth to one of the sites it has selected as a curing place. Usually these areas have been used the previous season for the same purpose, and a mass of the least edible stems remain to mark their location. Depositing the load on this base, the pika scurries away for another bundle. Long familiarity with routes across the uneven rocks enables it to make its way with never a misstep, even though the load carried may be of such size that vision to the front is completely obscured. Working early and late the pika distributes its harvest among the various piles. As a result, the hay dries out evenly and when cold weather calls a halt to the work each little stack is perfectly cured without a trace of mildew. The truly monumental work to which this little creature goes is shown by as many as a half dozen haycocks, each of which may contain up to a bushel or more of feed.

Comparatively little is known of the pika’s life history. What has been recorded has been noted during those periods when it was seen on the surfaces of rock slides. What goes on deep in the labyrinths of its habitat can only be conjectured. It seems reasonable to suppose that in some subterranean cavity the pika has constructed a comfortable nest lined with soft grasses. Certainly it remains active all winter, although buried under many feet of snow, for in the spring its stacks of hay have been largely consumed.

The number of young is thought to range from three to six. They probably are born in early summer, as when they appear on the surface, usually in late July or early August, they are about half grown. Though family ties are closely knit until the young mature, pikas cannot be considered gregarious animals. The scarcity of food alone would be sufficient reason to prohibit large groups in one small area. Each adult takes up squatter’s rights on a territory large enough to support it, and thereafter holds it with but little interference from others of its kind.

Few natural enemies prey on the pikas. The very openness of their habitat prevents the larger predators from stealing up unseen. Hawks and eagles account for some, and weasels are able to penetrate their underground maze at will, but the natural fecundity of the species seems to balance these losses very well. To the nature student the pika offers a tempting challenge. It is far from being a rare animal, yet at the same time it is one about which almost nothing is known. As qualifications for learning its secrets, one must be somewhat of a miner and considerable of an arctic explorer.

Tassel-eared squirrel (Abert’s) Sciurus aberti (Latin: shade-tail ... for Col. J. J. Abert)

Range: Northern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, extreme southeastern Utah, and south central Colorado in the United States; also found in the Sierra Madre Mountains of northern Mexico.

Habitat: Ponderosa pine forests of the Transition Life Zone.

Description: The only squirrels in the United States that have conspicuous pencils of hair on the tips of the ears. Sciurus aberti is a large squirrel with a total length of about 20 inches. Tail about 9 inches. The summer pelage is brown on the back, with gray sides and pure white underparts. The beautiful bushy tail is silvery below and gray above. During summer the long ears have no tassels on the tips. Beautiful as is the summer coat, it is far surpassed by the winter one. Then the heavier fur becomes richer brown on the back, and the contrast between the gray and white areas is further emphasized by appearance of a narrow black band between them. The ears too become more spectacular with the addition of the penciled tufts which give this animal its common name. Breeding habits of this squirrel are variable and evidently depend to a great extent on the food supply. There may be as many as two litters in a fruitful year and none at all in a lean year. The usual number is three or four young to a litter. These are born sometimes in a hollow tree, but more often in a bulky nest of leaves built in a tree top.

No mammal of the United States has a more appropriate generic name than the large tree squirrel. Sciurus literally translated means “shade-tail” and refers of course to the beautiful and useful appendage sported by all of our arboreal types of squirrels. It is doubtful if any can equal the striking plume carried by aberti; certainly none can surpass it. Its distinctiveness is not occasioned by its size, for several species have tails that are longer. Rather, its elegance is derived from the width, the striking coloration, and the easy grace with which the animal displays its beauty. Whether in full flight across a grassy clearing or in repose on some lofty limb, the first field mark of this unusual squirrel will be the tail; the second, the tasseled ears.

As the map shows, Sciurus aberti and its many forms are confined in the United States mainly to the high country along parts of the Colorado River, and also to that great escarpment known as the Mogollon Rim, whose length is divided about equally between New Mexico and Arizona. In this range is found what is often referred to as the “greatest unbroken stand of ponderosa pine to be found in this country.” Of the many species of plants and animals found as associates of this forest, perhaps none is more dependent on ponderosa pine than the tassel-eared squirrel. This rough-barked tree furnishes a major source of food and shelter. In return, for Nature always demands that restitution be made, the squirrels plant a part of the seeds that insure continuation of the ponderosas.

It is a common belief that squirrel’s diet consists of nuts and little else. This is true only to a degree. A squirrel is fond of nuts and will eat and hoard them during the short season when they are available. For the greater part of the year, when its stores have been depleted, it turns to many other types of food among which are fruit, herbage, leaf buds, and flowers. Favorite food of the tassel-eared squirrel is, of course, the large single-winged seeds found under scales of ponderosa pine cones. Next favored are acorns from the oak that mingles with pine at the lower edge of the Transition Life Zone. If the season is good, great quantities of cones and acorns are buried for future use. These are hidden singly, not in caches, as is the habit of some squirrels. In the event the squirrel does not return for its hidden stores, some of the seeds will sprout eventually and take their part in the slow cycle of growth and decay that is continually going on in the forest.