Mammals of Mount Rainier National Park

by Merlin K. Potts; Russell K. Grater

THE BATS

Of the four types of bats known to occur in the park, only two are closely related. These two are very small as compared to their larger cousins.

The Miller bat, Myotis yumanensis saturatus Miller, is a small bat with the upperparts dark glossy yellowish brown and the underparts golden. The sides, chin and throat are somewhat darker than the underparts. The fur over the entire body is slaty black at the base. The membranes of the wings are blackish.

This bat is found in the transition zone of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California, along the coast.

It has been taken at Longmire, Paradise Valley and Sunset Park. It stays in the forests of the park, only occasionally being seen above the open meadows.

The coloration of the Northwestern long-legged bat, Myotis volans longicrus (True), above is dark brownish, sometimes blackish; the underparts are dusky brown. The ears and wings are blackish. This bat cannot be distinguished in flight from the Miller bat.

It is found in the humid coast and mountain region from Admiralty Island, Alaska, to Monterey County, California.

While it is apparently fairly common at the lower elevations, very few collections have been made. It has been taken at St. Andrews Park (5,500 feet) and at Longmire.

The silver-haired bat, Lasconycteris noctivagans (Le Conte), is a medium sized bat with dark brown or blackish coloration above and below. Many hairs on the back and underparts are tipped with white, with the white tips most numerous on the middle of the back. The wings are dark brown.

This bat occurs on the North American Continent north of Mexico, ranging from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

There is as yet no evidence that this bat actually stays within the park for any length of time. It is believed that it only moves through during migration. Records thus far obtained are during September, at elevations around 5,000 feet.

The Townsend lump-nosed bat, Corynorhinus rafinesque townsendii (Cooper), is of medium size, with long thin ears and two prominent lumps on either side of the nose. The coloration is dark brown above, somewhat lighter below, the base of the fur is dark slaty. The ears, feet and wings are dark brown.

The Townsend lump-nosed bat occurs from southern British Columbia southward through most of Washington and Oregon, and along the coast into California as far south as San Francisco.

Only one record has been obtained from the park, a specimen collected at Longmire in September, 1937.

Specimens in park collection: Miller bat, RNP-85; Northwestern long-legged bat, none; silver-haired bat, none; Townsend lump-nosed bat, RNP-93; Longmire Museum, Park Headquarters.

The bats are among the most feared and least known of any of our mammals. Many people are afraid to have anything to do with them, and everyone is familiar with the old belief that, given the opportunity, a bat will fly into one’s hair. Yet the bats that are so common in North America are weak and entirely harmless. Far from being harmful to man, they serve a most useful function in destroying various insects. The worst problem the bat presents is the habit some species have of using buildings as a place to sleep.

Although possessing a wing-like structure, the bat does not have a wing in the sense that a bird has. The “wing” consists of a much modified hand with very long fingers. This is covered with a thin, but very tough membrane, that enables the animal to fly. The bat’s flight is seemingly aimless, but is actually purposeful. It is during these “drunken flights” that it catches the insects upon which it lives.

By far the most astonishing and marvelous feature about the bat’s anatomy is the delicate mechanism that guides it in flight. This animal has operated on the principle used by radar thousands of years before man discovered the device. The hearing is extremely acute and bats are able to receive sound impulses at a vibration frequency too high for the human ear. During flight it sends out shrill cries of high vibration frequency. As these sounds travel out through space they are reflected back by any object, large or small, that they strike. Through sensitive ears the bat receives these rebounding sounds and thus is aware at all times of the nearness of any object. This explains the bat’s uncanny ability to fly through a room in total darkness without striking even such small objects as wire or lamp cords. This ingenious device fails around water, however. Experiments have shown that a small wire stretched just above the surface of a pond is not “seen” by the bat when it swoops down to get a drink.

Some bats rest in leafy treetops where they cling to small branches. Most species stay in hollow trees or caves during the daytime, and “bat caves” are common in many parts of the country, the most famous one is at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. While resting or sleeping the bat hangs head downward, always in a position to drop and fly at any moment. It is helpless on the ground, and must obtain sufficient elevation to allow for a few inches of drop before it can fly.

One of the most elusive animals in the park is the coyote.

MOUNTAIN COYOTE
Canis latrans lestes Merriam

The mountain coyote resembles a small collie dog in size, with a slender body, erect, pointed ears, and bushy tail. The upper parts of its body are light brownish gray, with numerous long, coarse, black hairs. The under parts are whitish, with the long hairs of the throat tipped with black. The tail is heavily tipped with black above and light beneath. The muzzle and crown of the head is a bright yellowish brown.

Specimens in park collection: RNP-98, Longmire Museum, Park Headquarters.

The geographical distribution of the coyote includes all of western North America. The mountain coyote is found from British Columbia southward through Washington, Oregon, and the highlands of the Great Basin, Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains to the plateau region of northern Arizona and down the Continental Divide in New Mexico to the Mexican border.

It is found locally throughout the park, at all elevations from the extreme lower portions to forest line, although usually more abundant in the vicinity of the old fire burns near the south and west boundaries.

The shrill, wild, evening song of the coyote rising from an open slope or brushy burn never fails to bring the listener to a rapt and keen attention. There is a spine-tingling, eerie quality in the call that seems symbolic of a wilderness land. It is descriptive also, in that it may sound like one animal or a pack. Usually it is heard at sunset or on moonlight nights in the fall or winter, as the pack gathers for the night’s foraging.

The park is not especially well suited to the coyote, as it lacks the open sagebrush flats and rolling hills that are such important parts of the animal’s natural environment. Coyotes are highly adaptable animals, however, and seem to fit themselves into almost any habitat. Having respect but little fear of man, they are often found even in the farming districts and near the smaller towns. Wherever there is sufficient food there seem to be coyotes, even though they are mercilessly hunted in many such localities.

Food consists mainly of small animals, such as ground squirrels, mice, chipmunks and marmots, although an occasional deer falls prey to this wily hunter. Fruits and berries are eaten in large quantities when available. During the late summer it has been observed catching grasshoppers in the open meadows, such insects are staple articles of diet. The wild antics of a coyote as it dives and twists trying to capture an agile grasshopper, sometimes apparently as a game rather than in a serious quest for food, afford an amusing picture. As a mouser the coyote is hard to equal, and it may frequently be seen in the early evening catching meadow mice. Destruction of deer is not overly extensive, with the old animals and an occasional unwary fawn being the principal victims. Once in a while a deer is found that refuses to become an easy prey and a merry chase often follows—this time with the coyote beating a hasty retreat with the enraged, wouldbe victim close behind. There are numerous instances of such chases on record, and authentic observations of coyotes being knocked down and trampled by deer.

Coyote pups, normally about five to seven in a litter, are usually born in April or May and have all the playful characteristics of a puppy dog. Just as soon as they are able to walk, they may be seen around the entrance to the den where they tug and pull at each other in mock ferocity. As they grow older their interest in the outside world keeps pace with their growth, and by fall they are out learning the serious business of obtaining food under the direction of the father or mother, or both. It is during this time that they range in family groups of five or six animals.

TIMBER WOLF
Canis lupus fuscus Richardson

The wolf is a large, dog-like animal, with dull yellowish-brown fur, heavily clouded over the back and tail with black-tipped hairs. Occasionally it is almost entirely black or grayish. The young are black at birth, changing later to the adult coloration.

Specimens in park collection: None.

These animals were formerly found over most of the United States, Canada, and Alaska, but they have been exterminated over much of the original range. A few wolves are still found in the timbered regions west of the Cascades from Oregon northward through Washington, British Columbia and into Alaska.

At one time they were reported from several localities in the park, but gradually they were killed off throughout central Washington until they were apparently exterminated in the park prior to 1930. Since that time single animals have been reported in 1933, 1937, 1941, 1943 and 1947. These records appear to be those of stragglers that wander into and out of the park. The wolf can thus be considered as rare in the area today.

The heavily forested ridges and slopes near old fire burns appear to be the type of habitat preferred, and most of the local records are from such areas. The wolf seems to prefer the heavy timber for its home, but uses the more open areas for hunting, as it is in these old burns that deer, elk, rabbits and other important food sources are found. Being extremely shy and silent, the animal is seldom seen even when known to be present.

The “silver” color phase of the red fox transforms an alert and attractive animal into a creature of rare beauty.

Little is known regarding the family life of the wolf, although the adults are devoted parents. Apparently the pups number from five to ten, and are born in March or April. They usually stay pretty close to the den, which is a large hole in a bank, or a protected nook in a log jam, rock slide, or similar situation. Here they spend their puppyhood, an always hungry family even though their parents may bring in large quantities of food. In the late summer and early fall they are taken out in a group or pack and taught the essentials of successful hunting.

Powerful and intelligent, the wolf stands out as one of Nature’s finest predator creations. It is unfortunate that man’s economic interests and the food habits of the wolf clash, and the continuous campaign of extermination being waged can have but one inevitable result unless public appreciation of this now rare wilderness animal increases. Like other magnificent predators before him, the wolf appears doomed over most, if not eventually all, of the United States.

CASCADE RED FOX
Vulpes fulva cascadensis Merriam

The Cascade red fox is about the size of a small dog, with a very slender body, bushy tail, erect ears and pointed muzzle. It may have several color “phases” of which the red is the one most often seen. In the “red” phase the head and upper parts are a straw yellow; ears blackish and underparts white. The tail is yellowish mixed with black, with a prominent white tip. The “cross” phase is of the same general coloration as the red, but has a dark band running across the shoulders and a dark band down the back, another dark band runs from the chin down the throat onto the belly. The “black” or “silver” fox is all black with silver-tipped hairs, excepting the white tip of the tail. A litter of pups may contain all of the various color phases.

Specimens in park collection: None.

The red foxes occur over most of the United States and Canada. The Cascade red fox ranges from the northern Sierra Nevadas through the Cascades of Oregon and Washington.

It is found in the park at all elevations up to forest line.

Shy and cunning, this beautiful animal is seldom seen, yet is relatively common, especially around the alpine meadows, where its short, sharp bark is sometimes heard in the late evening. One pair of foxes has raised families for several seasons within a short distance of the busy highway to Paradise Valley near Marmot Point, while residents of Longmire have had the thrill of seeing more than one of the shimmering “silver” foxes around their yards.

Few animals are so graceful and agile, and to watch a fox stalking a mouse is to see a gifted expert in the art of hunting. Soundless, alert, poised, it is a wary mouse that successfully escapes the lightning-like pounce. Food is largely made up of such things as mice, ground squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, wood rats, and other small game such as birds and insects. Berries and fruit are eaten in season.

A resident of the dense forest, the marten is a member of the weasel family.

NORTHWESTERN PINE MARTEN
Martes caurina caurina (Merriam)

This animal is slightly smaller than a house cat, with soft, heavy fur and a bushy tail. The coloration above is rich, dark brown, darker along the back and tail; face grayish; a large patch of buff or orange on the throat and breast.

Specimens in park collection: RNP-44, RNP-108; Longmire Museum, Park Headquarters.

Martens inhabit the forested regions of northern North America. The Northwestern pine marten is found from southern British Columbia south to northern California, in and west of the Cascade Mountains.

It is fairly common from the park boundaries to forest line, especially around the Paradise and White River valleys.

This beautiful and graceful member of the weasel family is chiefly seen after nightfall, but is also occasionally encountered along the trails during the day. At Paradise Valley a pair lived in the old Community House for several years, and were the source of a keen thrill to the visitors who saw them playing around the building. For the most part the marten is a resident of the dense forest. It is an expert climber, travels through the trees almost as well as a squirrel, and is equally at home among the talus slopes where it searches for conies.

The marten eats a wide variety of foods, with small game such as mice most commonly taken. Chipmunks, wood rats, squirrels, rabbits, pikas, birds and occasionally insects and berries are other important food items. Young martens are usually born from April to June and normally number around four to six in a family. The home is located in hollow trees or logs, or among the rocks.

FISHER
Martes pennanti (Erxleben)

The fisher is considerably larger than the marten, although resembling this near relative in general characteristics. The coloration above ranges from buffy gray to brownish black, with the under parts black or blackish. The hair over the head, neck and shoulders has a grayish appearance. Spots of white may occur on the throat and breast.

Specimens in park collection: None.

The fishers are now confined almost entirely to the northeastern United States and Canada, west to British Columbia, although rather common in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park.

Its occurrence within the park is open to question as no records have been obtained for several years. Investigation in the more remote sectors may disclose its presence. It was once known to range from the park boundaries to forest line.

The name “fisher” is somewhat of a misnomer, as the animal is not known to catch fish or even to live close to streams. It will eat fish if the opportunity arises, however. It has a wide variety of common names, including that of pennant marten, pekan, and black cat.

Like the marten, the fisher is a lover of the deep woods and is reportedly very agile in the trees. It feeds principally upon rabbits, squirrels, mice, small birds, and frogs. It is not adverse to killing and eating the marten. One of its most interesting sources of food is the porcupine, which the fisher manages to kill without serious injury from the sharp quills. A litter of from two to four young, which are born in a nest in a hollow log or tree, are raised annually.

MINK
Mustela vison energumenos (Bangs)

The body of the mink is somewhat like that of a weasel, but heavier and considerably larger. The legs and ears are short; the tail is bushy. The coloration is brown, darkening along the back and becoming almost black on the tail. Sometimes irregular white streaks or spots occur on the throat, chest or belly.

Specimens in park collection: None.

The mink occurs over nearly all of North America, from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Arctic Circle.

Records from the park are few in number and show that it ranges mostly at the lower elevations, although it has been seen at lakes around 5,000 feet. Most records have been obtained along the Nisqually and Ohanapecosh Rivers and around Lake Louise.

The weasel is a tireless and efficient hunter.

The mink seems to be equally at home in the forests or in the open meadows—all it requires is a watercourse or lake that will supply food of some type. Minks are great travelers, often following a stream for a considerable distance as they hunt. The hunting pattern is erratic and every little thing that attracts attention apparently bears investigating. This animal is an expert swimmer and can go long distances under the water in pursuit of fish. Other foods include almost any type of small mammal, birds, eggs, frogs and crustaceans.

There seems to be no sense of fear in a mink and in a fight it is an extremely dangerous adversary. Woe be unto the dog that attempts to corner it, as even the largest dogs usually are sent home with badly slashed faces. Like several other members of the weasel family, a mink gives off a strong odor if disturbed.

WASHINGTON WEASEL, LONG-TAILED WEASEL
Mustela frenata washingtoni (Merriam)

The Washington weasel is the largest weasel known to occur in the park, measuring around fifteen inches in total length. During the summer it is dark brown above, darker on the head, with the under parts a dull yellow, lighter on the chin and throat. About two inches of the tip of the tail is black. In the winter its coloration may range from a dull brown, with white underparts, to almost pure white except for a yellowish tinge on the belly, rump and tail. The black tip of the tail remains unchanged.

Specimens in park collection: RNP-45, RNP-79, RNP-82, and RNP-94; Longmire Museum, Park Headquarters.

Weasels inhabit practically all of North America. The Washington weasel is found in the Cascade Mountains of Washington and Oregon, at least as far south as Fort Klamath, Oregon. One specimen is reported from the Chicago Field Museum as having been taken from Happy Lake in the Olympic Mountains.

In the park it is found from the lower elevations to forest line and above, being especially common around the open valleys between 4,000 and 5,000 feet.

Around Paradise Valley this weasel has found excellent hunting near the Lodge and Inn. Here visitors spend considerable time feeding chipmunks and ground squirrels, and attract large numbers with the quantities of food offered. With the slopes literally swarming with choice tid-bits, weasels have taken over each summer and created havoc among the chipmunks and ground squirrels, not to mention arousing the ire of all visitors concerned. Yet some check is necessary on these rodents, which might otherwise multiply beyond the ability of the habitat to support them. In spite of the efforts of the angry onlookers, mother weasel will dodge her way out among the fleeing animals and capture one to take home for her young. Records show that families of weasels have lived beneath the Lodge and Guide House for several years, reaping a rich harvest of food each summer from the rodent population.

LEAST WEASEL, ERMINE
Mustela ermina gulosa Hall

The least weasel is small, with a total length of around ten inches. In the summer it is dark brown above, darkest on the head, with the underparts whitish, usually tinged with pale yellow. The tip of the tail is black. In the winter the coat may range in color from a light brown among animals at lower elevations to a pure white at higher altitudes. The tip of the tail remains black, however.

Specimens in park collection: RNP-70, RNP-87, and RNP-111; Longmire Museum Park Headquarters.

This weasel ranges through the Cascade Mountains from southwestern British Columbia to Southern Oregon.

It is found in the park throughout the forested regions, and up as high as forest line, but is most abundant in the lower elevations.

The weasel never fails to impress one with its utter fearlessness and bewildering agility. It is very inquisitive and will probe around buildings as readily as the rocky slopes in its seemingly never-ending search for food. Its victims are limited only by their size, as the weasel shows no hesitation in attacking anything that it can possibly kill. For the most part its food consists of small rodents, such as chipmunks, ground squirrels and mice. Its lust for killing, and the occasional damage it does around poultry, combine to give it an exceedingly bad reputation which completely overshadows the economic good it does. As a natural control of rodent pests in agricultural and grazing regions it has no equal.

WOLVERINE
Gulo luscus luteus Elliot

The wolverine has a stocky body, with a powerful head, neck and legs. The legs and tail are short, the coloration is blackish or dark brown, a broad, yellowish band beginning at the shoulders runs along either side and reunites on the animal’s rump. The lower parts are generally blackish, except for the throat and chest, which are usually mottled with white or salmon color. Large males may measure as much as three feet in length, including the tail, which is about ten inches long, and weigh up to fifty pounds.

Specimens in park collection: None.

The wolverine formerly ranged from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, through the extreme northeastern states, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado, Utah, and Oregon northward to the Arctic Ocean. It is believed to be extinct or nearly so over much of its original range in the United States, although it is reported to occur in fair numbers in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park.

From 1897 to 1918 wolverines were occasionally reported from the park area, but there have been none recorded since 1933, when one was observed near the White River Ranger Station.

Known by a variety of common names ranging from glutton, carcajou, mountain devil, skunk bear, to maneater, the wolverine lives up to any or all of them. A member of the weasel family, it has somewhat the general build and habits of a small bear. Fierce and ready to fight anything that walks, it is a terrifying animal to face. Even such a huge animal as an elk is attacked without hesitation. Its cunning and boldness is greatly respected by the Indians, who believe it to be inhabited by an evil spirit. For the most part it hunts by night and wanders great distances in search of food.

It will eat any kind of game it can kill, a list which is extensive. Not being able to entirely satisfy an enormous appetite by killing, the wolverine also consumes all the dead carcasses that can be located. It is famous for destruction along trap lines, methodically following the line and eating anything that has been caught. Suspicious and canny, it is difficult to lure into a trap, and often if caught will gain its freedom by smashing even a heavy trap to pieces.

PACIFIC OTTER
Lutra canadensis pacifica Rhoads

The otter is one of the largest members of the weasel family, somewhat minklike in general appearance, with a small head and rather short legs. The feet are webbed and the tail is thick and tapering toward the tip. The general coloration above is dark chestnut-brown, becoming somewhat paler on the underparts, throat and cheeks.

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

Otters are geographically distributed over most of North America. The Pacific Otter is found from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia northward as far as the coast of Alaska.

Recent years have failed to produce any records from the park, and there is some doubt that the otter still exists in the area. However, it was reported by Dr. C. Hart Merriam as fairly common along the Nisqually Valley in 1897, while there were reports from the park in later years. Thus it may be that this animal is still present in some more remote sectors.

Although adapted for living either on land or in the water, the otter seems to prefer the water. It is a graceful, powerful swimmer, and delights in frolicking in pools deep enough to allow lots of freedom of action. Playful by nature, it often amuses itself by sliding down banks into the water, repeating the performance time and again until a well defined slide is made. Its food is made up of a wide variety of animal life, ranging from fish, crayfish, frogs, snakes and birds to small mammals.

In one way it is unfortunate that the otter has such a valuable pelt, because it has been relentlessly trapped wherever found; so much so, in fact, that only in areas protected against trapping is it likely to continue to hold its own or multiply.

LITTLE SPOTTED SKUNK
Spilogale gracilis latifrons Merriam

This animal has a slender body about a foot in length, with short legs and a plumelike tail. The general coloration is black with a prominent white spot on the forehead, four white stripes running from the head onto the back, white patches and stripes along the sides, the rump spotted white, and the tail broadly white-tipped.

Specimens in park collection: None.

The spotted skunks, often erroneously called “civet cats,” are found over most of the United States.

The little spotted skunk occurs on the west side of the Cascade Mountains of Washington, and through the Olympic Peninsula to the westward. The northern limits of range are not clearly defined.

In Mount Rainier National Park it has been reported from near Longmire, Tahoma Creek and Carbon River. In 1897 records show that it was fairly common in the Nisqually River Valley, but in recent years observations have become extremely limited. Its present status must be considered as uncommon to rare.

This is without doubt the most interesting as well as the handsomest skunk in the Northwest. Unlike its larger cousin, the Puget Sound striped skunk, this little animal is graceful and rather agile. Seldom is it seen during the day time, preferring to roam about in search of food during the night. Its travels take it over a wide area, and it shows a fondness for man-made buildings. It has been known to occupy attics in dwellings, and one disconcerted wife of a National Park Service employee found one casually strolling through the hallway of her house one night! It is rather playful and even tempered, and seldom resorts to the strong perfume it carries.

Its food is varied, and may include almost anything from insects and reptiles to small rodents. As a mouser it rivals a cat in effectiveness. Sometimes referred to as the “hydrophobia skunk” or “phoby-cat” it has had a bad reputation in the past as a carrier of hydrophobia. However, the belief so prevalent among many people that its bite will always produce this dread malady has no foundation in fact. Many animals may carry hydrophobia, and there are few authentic records of the skunks as carriers.

PUGET SOUND STRIPED SKUNK
Mephitis mephitis spissigrada Bangs

Larger and stockier than the little spotted skunk, the Puget Sound striped skunk is black, with a narrow white stripe through the forehead, a broad white stripe starting on the head and dividing at the shoulders into two broad stripes that run back along the sides of the body. There are long white hairs on the tail; the tip of the tail is black.

Specimens in park collection: RNP-43, Longmire Museum, Park Headquarters.

The Puget Sound striped skunk is found from northwestern Oregon through the lowlands of western Washington and into the Puget Sound section of southern British Columbia.

In the park it has been recorded only once. This lone record was from near the Nisqually Entrance where one was killed on the highway by an automobile.

This type of skunk is well known throughout the United States. Its cousins through the Middle West, East and South are familiar to every farm boy. Its struggle for existence has been seriously threatened in many localities because of the value of its fur. Because it prefers open country to dense forests and mountains, it occupies the same regions as man.

The skunk is by nature a timid and gentle animal, and by moving slowly it is possible to approach one with no fear of disastrous results. However, practically anyone will agree that it is a safer course to simply let the skunk go its way unmolested. The powers of persuasion it possesses are not to be taken lightly!

NORTHWESTERN COUGAR
Felis concolor oregonensis Rafinesque

The cougar is the largest of the cats found in the region, measuring up to more than eight feet in total length and weighing 150 pounds or more. The body is slender, with a small head and long tail. Its coloration above may range from reddish brown to gray brown, darkest along the back. The underparts are whitish with the light areas extending forward as far as the chin. The tail is brown with a prominent black tip. Young cougars are somewhat lighter in color, with large dark spots along the back and sides.

Specimens in park collection: Mounted specimen at the Forest House at Ohanapecosh.

Cougars, or mountain lions, were formerly found over practically all of the United States, but are now extinct over most of their original range.

The Northwestern cougar ranges from northern California through Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. It is fairly common in some parts of its range.

In the park it may be found from the lower elevations up to forest line. Most records have come from around the Nisqually River drainage and from the west side of the park. However, it is apparently well distributed throughout the region.

Probably no animal found within the park affects the visitor as does the cougar. To many people it is regarded as a highly dangerous, blood-thirsty creature awaiting only a chance to pounce upon some unsuspecting hiker. On the contrary, there are few animals in the woods that are as shy or that run faster from humans than does the cougar. The chances of actually observing one in the wilds are very remote, as the lion usually sees without being seen, and beats a hasty retreat.

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.