University of Kansas Publications

Museum of Natural History



Volume 9, No. 2, pp. 69-80

December 10, 1955

Additional Records and Extensions of

Known Ranges of Mammals from Utah

BY



STEPHEN D. DURRANT, M. RAYMOND LEE, AND

RICHARD M. HANSEN




University of Kansas

Lawrence

1955

[Pg 71]

Additional Records and Extensions of

Known Ranges of Mammals From Utah

BY



STEPHEN D. DURRANT, M. RAYMOND LEE, AND

RICHARD M. HANSEN

The Museum of Zoology, University of Utah, contains approximately
5000 specimens in addition to those available to Durrant
(1952) when he prepared his account of the "Mammals of Utah,
Taxonomy and Distribution." Study of this material discloses two
kinds of mammals not heretofore known to occur in Utah, and extends
the known limits of occurrence of many others as is set forth
below in what may be thought of as a supplement to the aforementioned
report of 1952.

Our study was financed in part by a grant from the National
Science Foundation.

Sorex vagrans obscurus Merriam. Dusky Shrew.—Twelve specimens
are available from the Abajo Mountains and Elk Ridge, San
Juan County, Utah, as follows: North Creek, 6 mi. W Monticello,
8300 ft.; 1 mi. S Twin Peaks, 9500 ft.; Kigalia R. S., 8000 ft.; and
Gooseberry R. S., 8250 ft. Previously, the only known specimens
from east of the Colorado River in Utah were from the La Sal Mountains
in extreme eastern Grand County and extreme northern San
Juan County. These twelve specimens extend the known area of
occurrence of the species in Utah approximately 80 miles to the
south, and indicate that this shrew occurs throughout the state in
favorable habitats.

Sorex palustris navigator (Baird). Water Shrew.—An individual
was observed by M. Raymond Lee at North Creek, seven miles
west of Monticello, Abajo Mountains, 8000 feet, San Juan County,
on July 10, 1954. Usually we are extremely reluctant to record
sight records, but do so in this instance because the water shrew
is so distinctive that it can be readily recognized and because the
occurrence extends the known range approximately 80 miles southward
in Utah. This individual was observed at close range while
swimming and foraging in North Creek, and there can be no doubt
of its identity.

Myotis yumanensis yumanensis (H. Allen). Yuma Myotis.—Durrant[Pg 72]
(1952:43) reported this subspecies from Utah on the authority
of Hardy (1941:289) who had specimens from two localities in
extreme southwestern Utah. Durrant (1952:41) referred specimen
Number 6784, from Willow Creek, 25 miles south of Ouray,
Uintah County, to Myotis lucifugus carissima. Restudy of this
specimen reveals that it is Myotis yumanensis yumanensis. This
identification has been corroborated by Dr. Philip H. Krutzsch,
University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and extends the known
range of the subspecies M. y. yumanensis approximately 300 miles
northeastward in Utah. See also Krutzsch and Heppenstall (1955:126)
who record specimens from 2 mi. SW Jensen.

Myotis subulatus melanorhinus (Merriam). Small-footed Myotis.—This
bat previously was known from only seven localities in Utah,
which indicated that it occurred in only the western and southern
areas of the state. Four additional records are now available from
the following localities: Logan Canyon Cave, 15 miles north of
Logan, Cache County; Weber College Campus, Ogden, Weber
County; University of Utah Campus, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake
County; Six Mile Canyon, 3-1/2 miles east of Sterling, Sanpete County.
These occurrences extend the known range to the eastward in Utah,
and indicate a state-wide distribution. Specimens of the subspecies
Myotis s. melanorhinus are recorded also from as far north as
Double Springs, Custer County, Idaho (Davis, 1939:117).

Pipestrellus hesperus hesperus (H. Allen). Western Pipistrelle.—Heretofore,
the northernmost known specimens of this bat from
Utah were from Old Lincoln Highway, 18 miles southwest of Orr's
Ranch, Tooele County. Specimen Number 7531 is now available
from cliffs NE [3 mi.] Ogden, Weber County, and extends the
known range of this species in Utah approximately 100 miles northeastward.
This pipistrelle probably inhabits all of northern and
northwestern Utah in suitable habitats. This probability is supported
by Davis' (1939:120) report of a specimen from Salmon
Creek, eight miles west of Rogerson, Twin Falls County, Idaho.
See also Krutzsch and Heppenstall (1955:127) who record a specimen
from, eastern Utah as far north as, Desert Springs which is
10 mi. SW Ouray, Uintah County.

Corynorhinus rafinesquii pallescens Miller. Long-eared Bat.—Formerly,
the northernmost record of the long-eared bat in Utah
was from east of Springville, Utah County. Specimens are now
available from Goldhill, Tooele County, and from South Fork,
Ogden River, Weber County. Professor J. S. Stanford, Department[Pg 73]
of Zoology, Utah State Agricultural College, informed us (by
letter) that this bat is the common cave bat in Logan Canyon,
Cache County. This northern extension of known area of occurrence
of approximately 100 miles indicates that it probably is state-wide
in distribution in suitable habitats. It can be inferred from
Hall (1946:161) that the range of C. r. intermedius in Nevada extended
northeastward into northwestern Utah, and Davis (1939:124)
reported specimens from Bingham and Bannock counties,
Idaho, that he referred to the above mentioned subspecies. This
led Stanford to comment (in litt.) that bats of this species from
northern Utah in Cache County might be C. r. intermedius. Insofar
as we are aware, C. r. pallescens differs from C. r. intermedius only
in being slightly paler. Our specimens from Goldhill and South
Fork of the Ogden River are not beyond the range of color of specimens
from elsewhere in the state that are referable to C. r. pallescens.
Inasmuch as specimens are not available from Logan
Canyon, we deem it best pending the acquisition of specimens from
that locality to refer all members of this species from Utah to the
subspecies C. r. pallescens.

Marmota flaviventer nosophora Howell. Yellow-bellied Marmot.—Durrant
(1952:101) did not indicate that any species of the
genus Marmota occurred on the mountains within the basin of
Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. Furthermore, he commented (op.
cit.:502) upon the dearth of sciurids within this basin. One specimen,
No. 10,905, of the subspecies M. f. nosophora has been taken
from South Willow Canyon, 10,000 feet, base of Deseret Peak,
Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County. This specimen is noteworthy
not only in that it extends the known range of this kind of mammal
50 miles to the west in Utah, but in that it is well within the basin
of the ancient lake. The marmot is common in the Wasatch Mountains
on the eastern mainland of Lake Bonneville, but to date has
not been found on the Oquirrh Mountains immediately to the west.
The Oquirrh Mountains are interposed between the Stansbury and
Wasatch mountains. The presence of the marmot on the Stansbury
Mountains indicates that it probably occurs also on the
Oquirrh Mountains.

Citellus beldingi crebrus Hall. Belding Ground Squirrel.—Durrant
(1952:113) had only two specimens of this ground squirrel
from Standrod, Boxelder County. Additional specimens have been
obtained from the following localities in northwestern Boxelder
County: Grouse Creek, Park Valley, Grouse Creek Mountains,[Pg 74]
12 miles northwest of Grouse Creek, and Goose Creek. C. b. crebrus
now is known to inhabit all the major drainages of the Raft
River, Goose Creek, and Grouse Creek mountains. In addition to
extending the known area of occurrence of this animal in Utah,
these specimens prove also that this species is not restricted to the
Snake River Drainage as Durrant (1952:113) supposed, but occurs
also in the Great Basin Drainage.

Citellus richardsonii elegans (Kennicott). Richardson Ground
Squirrel.—Recently, Hansen (1953:132) reported on specimens of
this species from Rich and Summit counties. Additional specimens
are now available from Highway 165 [2 mi. E Summit—Daggett
Co. Line], 2 miles south of Utah-Wyoming State Line; 5 miles west
of Manila, and one mile northeast of Manila (Carnegie Museum).
These localities are in Daggett County. The occurrence of these
ground squirrels in Rich, Summit and Daggett counties suggests
that they occur along the entire northern piedmont of the Uinta
Mountains.

Citellus lateralis trepidus (Taylor). Golden-mantled Ground
Squirrel.—Durrant (1952:126) estimated that practically all of the
area in Utah that is within the Great Basin might be included in
the range of this subspecies. Actually, he had specimens from only
the Raft River Mountains in northwestern Boxelder County. He
included sight records from the Deep Creek Mountains and from
the Oquirrh Mountains. Subsequently two specimens, numbers
7469A and 7470A, were obtained from the Deep Creek Mountains.
To date neither specimens nor subsequent sight records have been
obtained from the Oquirrh Mountains, and we are of the opinion
that Durrant erred, and that the golden-mantled ground squirrel
does not inhabit these mountains. Therefore, it seems at this writing
that this subspecies, in Utah, occurs only in the extreme western
and northwestern parts of the state in the Deep Creek and Raft
River mountains, and not within the basin of Pleistocene Lake
Bonneville as formerly supposed.

Eutamias umbrinus umbrinus (J. A. Allen). Uinta Chipmunk.—Two
specimens, numbers 10,236 and 10,237, from the junction of
Argyle and Minnie Maud creeks, Carbon County, prove that members
of this subspecies occur on the West Tavaputs Plateau, which
is outside the range ascribed to this subspecies by White (1953:572)
and by Durrant (1952:142). The grayish color of these specimens
and the reduction of ochraceous pigments constitute basis for referring
the specimens to E. u. umbrinus, and not to E. u. adsitus or[Pg 75]
E. u. montanus. E. u. umbrinus on the West Tavaputs Plateau is
separated from E. u. montanus on the East Tavaputs Plateau by the
Green River and its deep chasm.

Perognathus formosus incolatus Hall. Long-tailed Pocket Mouse.—Prior
to the description of this subspecies by Hall (1941:56),
animals of this species had not been reported from within the basin
of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. When Durrant (1952) prepared
his manuscript he had but a single specimen from western Millard
County and one nearby record (Fautin, 1946:280). Additional
specimens are known from the following localities: junction of
Trout Creek and Birch Creek, Deep Creek Mountains, Tooele
County; six miles north of Ibapah, Tooele County; five miles south
of Timpie, Tooele County; north end of Newfoundland Mountains,
Boxelder County; and Groome, Boxelder County. These occurrences
show that the species is not restricted to the extreme western
part of the state, but occurs in suitable habitats throughout the
basin of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. The known range is extended
approximately 150 miles north and 40 miles east.

Perognathus parvus trumbullensis Benson. Great Basin Pocket
Mouse.—Durrant (1952:477), suspecting that this mouse occurred
in Utah, included the subspecies P. p. trumbullensis in his hypothetical
list. Numerous specimens are now available from the following
localities: Pine Valley Mountains, Enterprise Reservoir,
and 19 miles west of Enterprise, Washington County; Bown's Reservoir,
Snow Ranch, Hall Ranch, Steep Creek, Garfield County;
Aquarius Guard Station, Aquarius Plateau, Wayne County. Insofar
as we are aware, these occurrences are the first to be recorded
from Utah, and extend the known range of this subspecies 150 miles
northward.

The specimens from Washington County are paler than those
from Garfield County, and this pallor indicates intergradation with
the subspecies P. p. olivaceus. Of animals from the Aquarius Plateau,
those from the eastern and southern localities are pale and
have a marked suffusion of ochraceous in the upper parts, whereas
those from the western and northern localities are extremely dark
owing to a heavy suffusion of black in the upper parts. The skulls
of animals from the Aquarius Plateau resemble those of P. p. trumbullensis
in the majority of diagnostic characters. In some few
characters, nevertheless, the skulls resemble those of P. p. olivaceus,
and in other characters are intermediate between these two named
subspecies. In shape and size of the interparietal, in slightly longer[Pg 76]
nasals, and in slightly greater alveolar length of upper molariform
teeth, animals from the Aquarius Plateau differ from either of the
aforementioned subspecies. All characters considered, we deem it
best to refer these specimens to the subspecies P. p. trumbullensis.

Thomomys talpoides bridgeri Merriam. Northern Pocket Gopher.—An
adult female, Catalogue No. 25667 of the Museum of Natural
History of the University of Kansas, skin with skull, was trapped,
on 30 June 1948, 14 miles south and 2 miles east of Robertson, 9,300
feet, in Summit County, Utah, by James O. Lonnquist (original
number 146). This is the first record of this subspecies from Utah,
and raises to 37 the named kinds of pocket gophers known from
Utah.

Reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis (Baird). Western Harvest
Mouse.—Durrant (1952:295) reported no harvest mice from the
Uinta Basin in northeastern Utah. One specimen, No. 10,239, was
obtained from two miles east of Duchesne, Duchesne County. This
specimen extends the known range in Utah 50 miles northward,
and indicates that the harvest mouse of the subspecies R. m. megalotis
occurs throughout the Uinta Basin.

Onychomys leucogaster pallescens Merriam. Northern Grasshopper
Mouse.—Hansen obtained specimens (in alcohol) from Kennedys
Hole, junction of the White and Green rivers, Uintah County.
The northernmost specimens available to Durrant (1952:328) were
from one mile east of Greenriver, Grand County. These specimens
from Uintah County extend the known range 80 miles to the north,
and substantiate Durrant's conclusion that this subspecies occurs
east of the Green and Colorado rivers.

Clethrionomys gapperi uintaensis Doutt. Red-backed Mouse.—Previously,
the red-backed mouse in Utah was known only from the
Uinta and Wasatch mountains. The southernmost localities from
which specimens were available were in northern Wasatch County
and southern Salt Lake County. Durrant (1952:355) supposed that
the species ranged southward to Mount Timpanogos in Utah
County. One specimen, No. 10,075, from the summit, 18 miles
east of Mayfield, Sanpete County, and 4 from Ephraim Canyon,
15 miles east of Ephraim, Sanpete County, show that this subspecies
occurs also on the Wasatch Plateau of central Utah. These latter
specimens extend the known range of the red-backed mouse in
Utah approximately 100 miles southward. Owing to the practically
continuous nature of the central mountain ranges of Utah,
students of mammals of Utah usually suspect that most montane[Pg 77]
mammals occur throughout these mountain ranges. The red-backed
mouse has been sought for in vain in the mountains south of the
Wasatch Plateau. Suitable habitats for this mouse occur throughout
the Fishlake Mountains, Thousand Lake Mountains and the
Aquarius Plateau, but despite intensive collecting, none has been
obtained from these areas.

Phenacomys intermedius intermedius Merriam. Heather Vole.—The
heather vole, while not rare, is uncommon in Utah. Durrant
(1952:360) had but eight specimens from various localities in Summit,
Wasatch, Salt Lake and Utah counties and supposed that the
species was restricted to the western Uinta Mountains and southern
Wasatch Mountains. In the summers of 1952 and 1953, intensive
collecting of mammals was carried out on Boulder Mountain and the
Aquarius Plateau, in Wayne and Garfield counties. Two specimens,
nos. 8956 and 9074, were obtained from Spectacle Lake, Boulder
Mountain, Garfield County. These specimens extend the known area
of occurrence 175 miles southward in Utah. No specimens are known
from the areas between Mount Timpanogos in Utah County, and
Boulder Mountain in Garfield County. We suspect, however, that
when this intervening area has been thoroughly studied, the heather
vole, like many other montane mammals, will be found throughout
the entire length of the central mountain ranges.

Microtus pennsylvanicus modestus (Baird). Pennsylvanian
Meadow Mouse.—In Utah this mouse was known only from wet
meadows in valleys immediately west of the Wasatch Mountains,
as far south as a place 2 miles south of Provo (Hall and Cockrum,
1953:410). Norman V. Chamberlain collected several specimens
"near" Koosharem Reservoir, Sevier County. These extend the
known range of this subspecies 110 miles southward, and suggest
that Pennsylvanian meadow mice occur, in suitable habitat, all
along the eastern margin of the Great Basin in Utah, at least as
far south as Sevier County. All northern specimens are from the
drainages of Utah Lake and Great Salt Lake, but these specimens
from Sevier County are from the Sevier River Drainage. This
species requires a fairly moist environment, and such habitat exists
between the aforementioned drainages which are practically interconnected
by Mona Reservoir and its adjacent areas of springs.

Zapus princeps utahensis Hall. Big Jumping Mouse.—Durrant
(1952:388) reported a specimen from Puffer Lake, Beaver Mountains,
Beaver County. He supposed that this mouse occurred also
at high elevations still farther south in Utah. Subsequently, two[Pg 78]
specimens were obtained from Garfield County; No. 9006 from
Steep Creek, 12 miles north of Boulder and No. 9071 from East
Fork of Boulder Creek, 10 miles north of Boulder. These two specimens
extend the known range of jumping mice in Utah 75 miles
southeastward. Several specimens have been obtained also from
the Fishlake Plateau, and further bear out Durrant's supposition that
these mammals occur on all of the high mountains of central Utah,
at least as far south as the Aquarius Plateau.

Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii Mearns. Gray Fox.—One skull,
No. 10,240, from mouth of Birch Creek, Deep Creek Mountains,
Juab County, extends the known geographic range 50 miles east
from Cherry Creek Canyon, Nevada (see Hall, 1946:241). This
record indicates that the species occurs in the mountainous areas
on the western margins of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, and extends
the known range in Utah approximately 150 miles northward. Furthermore,
this record proves that the gray fox occurs as far north
in western Utah as it does in eastern Nevada, but to date none has
been obtained from the mountains within the basin of the ancient
lake, even though some of them are not far removed from the
Deep Creek Mountains.

Lutra canadensis nexa Goldman. River Otter.—River otters are
rare in a semi-arid state like Utah, and few have been preserved as
scientific specimens. Durrant (1952:436) had access to but one
skull from an immature animal from the Raft River Mountain area
in northwestern Boxelder County. At present there are two complete
specimens (skins, skulls and skeletons) in the collection of
the University of Utah. They were trapped by an employee of the
Utah State Fish and Game Department, and were donated to the
University of Utah by J. Perry Egan, Director of the above mentioned
department. They are nos. 8854 and 8855, and are from
the Raft River, 2 miles south of the Utah-Idaho border, Boxelder
County.

Alces americanus shirasi Nelson. Moose.—The moose is rare in
Utah, and to date records of its occurrence have been based solely
upon sight records. There are, nevertheless, two specimens preserved.
One is a young bull (skull only) from Farmington Canyon,
Davis County, in the collection of Weber College, Ogden, Utah.
The other is one antler (No. 10,745) of a young bull from Henrys
Fork, 16 miles south of the Utah-Wyoming border, Summit County,
and it is in the collection of the University of Utah. This large cervid
apparently is increasing in numbers in the state. Dale Jones of the[Pg 79]
Utah State Fish and Game Department reported to us that a herd
of 25 animals was observed in 1954, in the vicinity of Haydens
Peak, Bear River Drainage, Summit County. A cow and a calf
were seen in the vicinity of Strawberry Reservoir, Wasatch County,
in 1951, by employees of the same department. This latter locality
is the most southern and eastern point of their known occurrence in
Utah.

Ovis canadensis canadensis Shaw. Mountain Sheep.—Formerly,
the mountain sheep was not known to occur in the La Sal Mountains
in Grand and San Juan counties. On October 23, 1954, a two
year old ram, No. 10,906, was killed by a deer hunter at a locality
1-1/2 miles north of La Sal, La Sal Mountains, San Juan County. This
constitutes the first complete specimen (skin and skull) of a mountain
sheep from Utah. According to Harold Crane, of the Utah
State Fish and Game Department, this ram was running with a herd
of mule deer, and was the only mountain sheep that was seen. The
ram was confiscated and given to the Department of Zoology, University
of Utah, for preservation as a scientific specimen.

[Pg 80]

LITERATURE CITED

Transmitted April 16, 1955.

25-8618

Transcriber's Notes

Page 72: Changed northermost to northernmost

(Western Pipistrelle.—Heretofore, the northermost known specimens)