550 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



pocket-gopher (Thomomys talpoides ru- 

 fescens), Kansas pocket-mouse (Perog- 

 nathus hispidus paradoxus), harvest- 

 mouse {Reithrodontomys megalotis 

 dychei), prairie deer-mouse (Peromyscus 

 maniculatus hairdii), and white-tailed 

 jackrabbit {Lepus toivnsendii campa- 

 nius). The bison (Bison b. bison), elk 

 (Cervus c. canadensis) and pronghorn 

 antelope (Antilocapra americana) for- 

 merly occured. — L. R. D. 



b. Short grass plains or steppe. The 

 dry plains of the western part of the 

 state were covered by a short grass sod 

 in which grama grass {Bouteloua oligo- 

 stachTja) and buffalo grass {Bulbilis 

 dactyloides) are dominant. Many xero- 

 phytic herbaceous plants as loco {Ara- 

 gallus lambertii), Artemisia frigida and 

 Chrysopsis villosa are mingled with the 

 short grass sod. Small remnants of the 

 short grass vegetation persist in the 

 badlands. 



The western mixed prairie or steppe 

 is probably the home of the long-tailed 

 weasel, black-footed ferret {Mustelani- 

 gripes), badger, swift fox {Vulpes velox), 

 plains coyote (Canis n. nebracensis), 

 prairie-dog (Cynomtjs I. ludoviciamis), 

 striped ground-squirrel {Citellus tri- 

 decemlineatus subsp.), sage pocket- 

 gopher (Thomomys talpoides bullatus), 

 pocket-mice (Perognathus spp.), kan- 

 garoo-rat (Dipodomys ordii subsp.), 

 white-tailed jackrabbit, Wyoming cot- 

 tontail rabbit (Sylvilagus audubonii 

 baileiji), and others. The gray wolf, 

 bison, mule deer (Odocoileus h. hemionus) 

 and pronghorn antelope formerly oc- 

 curred, but are now rare or extinct in 

 the region. — L. R. D. 



The flora of the Bad Lands and the 

 uplands to the south includes about 

 200 flowering plants consisting mostly 

 of grasses, sedges, and weeds. Few 

 trees are found in this area. The fauna 

 includes about a score of mammals, of 

 which the largest are the wolf, coyote, 

 fox, porcupine and panther (deer and 

 antelope are rare); while the birds 

 number over 150 species.^ 



'Over, W. H., and Thorns, C. S. Birds of South 

 Dakota. S. D. Geol. and Nat. Hist. Surv.. Bull no 

 9, 142 pp., 1921. 



B. Partially wooded areas 



a. Fringing forest. Strips of decidu- 

 ous forest follow all the streams of 

 eastern South Dakota and thin out 

 westwardly until only scattered decidu- 

 ous trees follow stream courses. Silver 

 maple and box-elder (Acer saccharinum 

 and A. negundo), elm (Ulmus ameri- 

 cana), white ash (Fraxinus americana), 

 hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), and 

 willows are most important in the 

 fringing forest. 



The southeastern wooded river bot- 

 toms were likely originally inhabited 

 by the prairie spotted skunk (Spilogale 

 interrupta), striped skunk (Mephitis 

 sp.), red fox (Vulpes fulva), fox squirrel 

 (Sci■ur^ls niger rufiventer), eastern chip- 

 munk (Tamias striatus griseus), eastern 

 deer-mouse (Peromyscus leucopus novebo- 

 racensis), Nebraska cottontail rabbit 

 (Sylvilagus floridanus similis), black- 

 tailed deer and others. The black bear 

 (Ursus americanus subsp.) probably 

 occurred here natively. — L. R. D. 



h. Black Hills Forest. The plant life 

 of the Black Hills'^ is a combination of 

 eastern and western — deciduous trees 

 from the eastern forest and coniferous 

 trees from the west — western yellow 

 pine (Pinus scopulorum) and red cedar 

 (Jimiperus scopulorum). Many plants 

 with beautiful flowers and foliage and 

 useful fruits abound. 



In the coniferous forests of the Black 

 Hills are found the Black Hills marmot 

 (Marmota flaviventris dacota), a western 

 chipmunk (Eutamias sp.), red squirrel 

 (Sciurus hudsonicus dakotensis), Black 

 Hills pocket-gopher (Thomomys tal- 

 poides nebulosus), woodrat (Neotoma 

 cinerea rupicola). Black Hills cottontail 

 rabbit (Sylvilagus nuttallii grangeri), 

 and other species. — L. R. D. 



III. ANIMAL ECOLOGY OF THE NORTHERN 

 GREAT PLAINS (s. S. V.) 



The Northern Great Plains extend 

 from the High Plains of Kansas to 

 central Alberta and from the prairies of 



' Harvey, L. H. Floral Succession in the Prairie- 

 grass Formation of southeastern South Dakota. 

 Bot. Qaz., 46: 81-108; 277-298. 1908. 



