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.