Part 8

Neotoma cinerea drummondii (Richardson)

Bushy-tailed Wood Rat

Myoxus drummondii Richardson, Zool. Jour., 3:517, 1828. (Type probably from near Jasper House, Alberta, Canada.)

Neotoma cinerea drummondii Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 7:25, April 13, 1892.

Specimens examined.--Total 4, as follows: British Columbia: Summit Pass, 4500 ft., 10 mi. S and 70 mi. W of Fort Nelson, 1; 5 mi. W and 3 mi. N Fort St. John, 3.

Remarks.--Wood rats were obtained at only two locations, Alcorn's field notes indicating that the animals were rare and spotty in distribution. Rand (1944:44) comments that the rats were "scarce north of the Lower Liard Crossing."

At both localities where specimens were taken, Alcorn noted first their characteristic droppings. At Summit Pass, droppings were found in a rock slide at the upper limit of timber line; one rat was taken. At the trapping station five miles west and three miles north of Fort St. John, droppings were found in and under an old abandoned building; four young (two prepared) and one adult were obtained.

Synaptomys borealis dalli Merriam

Northern Bog Lemming

Synaptomys (Mictomys) dalli Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 10:62, March 19, 1896. (Type from Nulato, Alaska.)

Synaptomys borealis dalli A. B. Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 50:24, (June 30) August 5, 1927.

Specimens examined.--Total 6, as follows: Alaska: E side Deadman Lake, 1800 ft., 15 mi. SE Northway, 1. Yukon Territory: McIntyre Creek, 2250 ft., 3 mi. NW Whitehorse, 5.

Remarks.--The northern bog lemming is evidently not generally distributed along the Alaska Highway but may be locally numerous in cover of grass and sedge especially in marsh and bog habitat. Five specimens were obtained in a grassy area 30 feet wide by 60 feet long which was approximately 50 feet from McIntyre Creek in the Yukon Territory. In 22 mouse traps set the first night in this locality, three Synaptomys, six Microtus and one Sorex were taken. One additional Synaptomys was taken on each of the following two nights in the same area. At Deadman Lake, Alaska, one Synaptomys was taken in heavy sedge bordering a small pond.

Clethrionomys rutilus dawsoni (Merriam)

Dawson Red-backed Mouse

Evotomys dawsoni Merriam, Amer. Nat., 22:650, July, 1888. (Type from Finlayson River, a northern source of the Liard River, lat. 61 deg. 30' N, long. 129 deg. 30' W, Yukon, Canada.)

Clethrionomys rutilus dawsoni Rausch, Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., 40:135, April 21, 1950.

Specimens examined.--Total 126, as follows: Alaska: Chatanika River, 700 ft., 14 mi. E and 25 mi. N Fairbanks, 17; 1 mi. SW Fairbanks, 440 ft., 1; N side Salcha River, 600 ft., 25 mi. S and 20 mi. E Fairbanks, 15; 25 mi. S and 20 mi. E Fairbanks, 3; Yerrick Creek, 21 mi. W and 4 mi. N Tok Junction, 32; Tok Junction, 1600 ft., 1; E side Deadman Lake, 1800 ft., 15 mi. SE Northway, 9; 1 mi. NE Anchorage, 100 ft., 9; Glenn Highway, 6 mi. WSW Snowshoe Lake, 1; E side Chilkat River, 100 ft., 9 mi. W and 4 mi. N Haines, 2; 1 mi. S Haines, 5 ft., 2. Yukon Territory: Jct. Grafe Creek and Edith Creek, 2; 6 mi. SW Kluane, 2250 ft., 4; 2 mi. NNW Whitehorse, 2100 ft., 2; W side Lewes River, 2150 ft., 2 mi. S Whitehorse, 6; SW end Desadeash Lake, 15. British Columbia: Stonehouse Creek, 51/2 mi. W jct. Stonehouse Creek and Kelsall River, 1; S side Toad River, 10 mi. S and 21 mi. E Muncho Lake, 2; Summit Pass, 4500 ft., 10 mi. S and 70 mi. W Fort Nelson, 2.

Remarks.--Specimens from one mile northeast of Anchorage show little tendency toward C. r. orca from the Prince William Sound area (see Orr, 1945:73). One specimen from this locality is slightly darker than the others.

Red-backed mice were numerous in most localities where Alcorn trapped. A number of specimens were taken adjacent to and within abandoned road camps, where second growth vegetation was rank. As in the case of C. gapperi, he found C. rutilus in varied habitats.

Clethrionomys gapperi athabascae (Preble)

Red-backed Mouse

Evotomys gapperi athabascae Preble, N. Amer. Fauna, 27:178, October 26, 1908. (Type from Fort Smith, Slave Lake, Mackenzie District, Northwest Territories, Canada.)

Clethrionomys gapperi athabascae Harper, Jour. Mamm., 13:28, February 9, 1932.

Specimens examined.--Total 14, as follows: British Columbia: N side Muska River, 1200 ft., 4 mi. W Fort Nelson, 1; E side Minaker River, 1 mi. W Trutch, 3; 5 mi. W and 3 mi. N Fort St. John, 4. Alberta: Assineau River, 1920 ft., 10 mi. E and 1 mi. N Kinuso, 6.

Remarks.--These red-backed mice were taken in various habitats: grassy areas in aspen and poplar forest, heavy spruce forest with no undergrowth excepting lichens and moss, thick underbrush in river flood plain, and at the site of an old sawmill. The northwestern distribution of this species along the Alaska Highway as found by Alcorn is approximately the same as that found by Rand (1944:44).

Ondatra zibethicus spatulatus (Osgood)

Muskrat