Mammals taken Along the Alaska Highway Part 2

_Remarks._--Specimens from extreme southwestern Yukon Territory appear to be referable to this subspecies. The one adult female (skull only, with body measurements) from the southwestern end of Dezadeash Lake has a shorter skull than does any adult female of _T. h.

columbiensis_. No skins of adults are in the series, but the skins of three subadults have darker upper parts, a darker tail and less olivaceous sides than _T. h. columbiensis_.

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus preblei A. H. Howell

Red Squirrel

_Tamiasciurus hudsonicus preblei_ A. H. Howell, Proc. Biol. Soc.

Was.h.i.+ngton, 49:133, August 22, 1936. (Type from Fort Simpson, Mackenzie District, Northwestern Territories.)

_Specimens examined._--Total 3, as follows: _Alaska_: Chatanika River, 700 ft., 14 mi. E and 25 mi. N Fairbanks, 1; N side Salcha River, 600 ft., 25 mi. S and 20 mi. E Fairbanks, 1; Yerrick Creek, 21 mi. W and 4 mi. N Tok Junction, 1.

_Remarks._--In comparison with specimens of _T. h. hudsonicus_ from Iskwasum Lake, District of the Pas, Manitoba, the squirrel from Yerrick Creek, an adult female, is larger and paler on the upper parts and tail.

The squirrel taken at Yerrick Creek was captured in a rat trap; Alcorn found these animals to be "fairly common" in that area. He obtained no evidence that the natives use them for food.

Marmota monax ochracea Swarth

Woodchuck

_Marmota ochracea_ Swarth, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 7:203, February 18, 1911. (Type from Forty-mile Creek, Alaska.)

_Marmota monax ochracea_ A. H. Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 37:34, April 7, 1915.

_Specimens examined._--Total 3, as follows: _British Columbia_: Hot Springs, 3 mi. WNW jct. Trout River and Liard River, 1; mi. S jct.

Trout River and Liard River, 2.

Citellus parryii plesius (Osgood)

Parry Ground Squirrel

_Spermophilis empetra plesius_ Osgood, N. Amer. Fauna, 19:29, October 6, 1900. (Type from Bennett City, head of Lake Bennett, British Columbia.)

_Citellus paryii plesius_ A. H. Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 56:97, May 18, 1938.

_Specimens examined._--Total 42, as follows: _Alaska_: Richardson Highway, 2000 ft., 32 mi. S and 4 mi. W Big Delta, 5. _Yukon Territory_: 6 mi. SW Kluane, 2550 ft., 1; McIntyre Creek, 2250 ft., 3 mi. NW Whitehorse, 1; 2 mi. NNW Whitehorse, 2100 ft., 1; 1 mi. NE Whitehorse, 1; mi. W Whitehorse, 2150 ft., 1; SW end Dezadeash Lake, 1; 2 mi. W Teslin River, 2400 ft., 16 mi. S and 56 mi. E Whitehorse, 7; 1 mi. E Tatshens.h.i.+ni River, 1 mi. S and 3 mi. E Dalton Post, 3. _British Columbia_: Stonehouse Creek, 5 mi. W jct.

Stonehouse Creek and Kelsall River, 14; W side Mt. Glave, 4000 ft., 14 mi. S and 2 mi. E Kelsall Lake, 7.

_Remarks._--The specimens vary much in color; most color variation is the result of wear and fading. In pallor of coloration the specimens taken on August 16 along the Richardson Highway, 32 miles south and 4 miles west of Big Delta, Alaska, show some resemblance to _C. p.

ablusus_, which occurs to the westward, although in other diagnostic characters these specimens are typically _C. p. plesius_.

Specimens in early stages of molt were taken on July 3, 4, and 14; another specimen in an advanced stage of molt was obtained on July 10.

One melanistic individual was taken one mile northeast of Whitehorse on July 11.

Alcorn found these ground squirrels locally abundant, especially in the vicinity of Whitehorse in Yukon Territory. A large population was observed along the highway west of the Teslin River; animals were seen for several miles along the road, princ.i.p.ally in open coniferous forests where there was little or no underbrush. Alcorn caught several animals near the city dump at Whitehorse. Along the Richardson Highway he observed these ground squirrels almost continuously for approximately ten miles. He comments that the animals appeared to be more numerous in the man-cleared areas along the highway than in "unmolested areas farther back from the highway." Specimens were taken with collecting gun and in rat traps baited with "chewed" rolled oats.

Eutamias minimus borealis (J. A. Allen)

Least Chipmunk

_Tamias asiaticus borealis_ J. A. Allen, Monogr. N. Amer. Rodentia, p. 793, August, 1877. (Type from Fort Liard, Mackenzie, Canada.)

_Eutamias minimus borealis_ A. H. Howell, Jour. Mamm., 3:183, August 4, 1922.

_Specimens examined._--Total 10, as follows: _British Columbia_: N side Muskwa River, 1200 ft., 4 mi. W Fort Nelson, 1; E side Minaker River, 1 mi. W Trutch, 5; Beatton River, 115 mi. S Fort Nelson, 1; 5 mi. W. and 3 mi. N Fort St. John, 1. _Alberta_: a.s.sineau River, 1920 ft., 10 mi. E and 1 mi. N Kinuso, 2.

_Remarks._--Specimens with worn pelage are conspicuously paler and grayer than those in fresh pelage. Chipmunks in early stages of molt with fresh pelage extending posteriorly to the middle of the dorsal part of the back were taken on June 19, 20, and 22; others in fresh pelage above, except for the hind quarters, were taken on June 15 and on September 2.

Alcorn found this species nowhere abundant; for example, in 187 museum special traps set near Charlie Lake, 5 miles west and 3 miles north of Fort St. John, in British Columbia, he took only one chipmunk.

Eutamias minimus caniceps Osgood

Least Chipmunk

_Eutamias caniceps_ Osgood, N. Amer. Fauna, 19:28, October 6, 1900.

(Type from Lake Lebarge, Yukon Territory.)

_Eutamias minimus caniceps_ A. H. Howell, Jour. Mamm., 3:184, August 4, 1922.

_Specimens examined._--Total 36, as follows: _Yukon Territory_: 6 mi.

SW Kluane, 2550 ft., 2; McIntyre Creek, 2250 ft., 3 mi. NW Whitehorse, 3; 2 mi. NNW Whitehorse, 2100 ft., 1; W side Lewes River, 2150 ft., 2 mi. S Whitehorse, 1; SW end Dezadeash Lake, 10; 5 mi. W Teslin River, 2400 ft., 16 mi. S and 53 mi. E Whitehorse, 1; W side Teslin River, 16 mi. S and 58 mi. E Whitehorse, 2; 1 mi. S and 3 mi. E Dalton Post, 2500 ft., 5. _British Columbia_: 1 mi. NW jct. Irons Creek and Liard River, 2; S side Toad River, 10 mi. S and 21 mi. E Muncho Lake, 6; Summit Pa.s.s, 4200 ft., 10 mi. S and 70 mi. W Fort Nelson, 3.

_Remarks._--Some of the specimens taken between Summit Pa.s.s and Toad River show evidence of intergradation between the paler and grayer _E.

m. caniceps_ and the brighter and browner _E. m. borealis_. Rand (1944:41) also found evidence of intergradation between these two subspecies in this area.

Along the highway, Alcorn found this species to be somewhat more abundant in the Yukon Territory than in British Columbia. He often found the animals occupying abandoned road camps; seemingly they were more numerous in these areas than in undisturbed natural habitat.

Glaucomys sabrinus zaphaeus (Osgood)

Flying Squirrel

_Sciuropterus alpinus zaphaeus_ Osgood, Proc. Biol. Soc.

Was.h.i.+ngton, 18:133, April 18, 1905. (Type from Helm Bay, Cleveland Peninsula, southeastern Alaska.)

_Glaucomys sabrinus zaphaeus_ A. H. Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 44:43, June 13, 1918.

_Specimens examined._--One from _Yukon Territory_: 1 mi. S and 3 mi. E Dalton Post, 2500 ft.

_Remarks._--Although comparative material is not available at this writing, descriptions in the literature indicate that this single adult female belongs to the coastal form, _G. s. zaphaeus_. In both color and in cranial and external measurements, this specimen appears to agree closely with descriptions given by Howell (1918:43) and by Cowan (1937:78 and 82), although its measurements are also in the range of those given for _G. s. alpinus_ by Cowan (_loc. cit._). It may be pointed out that Swarth (1936:402) regarded a specimen from 15 miles south of Atlin, British Columbia, as _G. s. alpinus_.

Measurements of Alcorn's specimen are as follows: total length, 331; tail, 143; hind foot, 42; ear from notch, 23; greatest length of skull, 41.7; zygomatic breadth, 25.7; mastoid breadth, 21.7; length of nasals, 12.2; length maxillary tooth-row, 8.2; interorbital constriction, 8.2; and pos...o...b..tal constriction, 9.0.