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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



wood rat, pocket gohpers, pocket mice, 

 white-footed mice, skunks of the genera 

 {Mephitis, Spilogale, and Conepatus), 

 badger, (Taxidea), and several species 

 of bats, representing the smaller forms. 

 The larger predators are represented 

 by the fox, coyotes, {Canis mearnsi) 

 and others, and the wildcat or "bob- 

 cat," (Lynx). Peccaries, once abun- 

 dant (southern Arizona only) are now 

 scarce, and the mule deer (locally black- 

 tail) are still to be found in the desert. 

 Antelope in times past occurred plenti- 

 fully, but are now practically wiped 

 out of the desert portion of their former 

 range. The mountain sheep of the 

 desert ranges of the most arid southwest 

 portions of the state also belongs to 

 this fauna. 



Turning to the reptiles we find as the 

 most conspicuous or interesting lizards 

 several species of Sceloporus, Cnemido- 

 phorus, and Phrynosoma, and the Gila 

 Monster, Heloderma suspectum. While 

 there is a considerable number of species 

 of snakes, many are comparatively 

 seldom seen, the commonest being the 

 racers, Zamenis, the Bull snake, Pitu- 

 ophis, and the Western Diamond Rattle- 

 snake, Crotalus atrox B. and G. The 

 "side winder" or horned rattlesnake, 

 C. cerastes Hall, occurs in appropriately 

 sandy portions of this zone. Another 

 interest-exciting reptile of this region 

 is the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii 

 Cooper. 



3. List of mammals and birds (Lower 

 Sonoran Zone). The lower Sonoran 

 Zone is essentially synonymous with the 

 Desert area as described by Shreve. 

 The following is a partial list of the 

 present characteristic mammals and 

 birds of the zone. 



a. Mammals^ (A. E. G.). Pipisirel- 

 lus hesperus hesperus, western bat; 

 Antrozoxis pallidus pallidus, big-eared 

 pale bat; Vulpes macrotis neomexicana, 

 New Mexican desert fox; Citellus tereti- 

 caudus arizonae, Arizona ground squir- 



' Among species of mammals excluded are a 

 number such as the coyote, badger, and mountain 

 lion which range in all zones. Some of the species 

 of mammals and birds included occur extensively 

 in two zones as indicated. 



rel; Ammospermophilus harrisii har- 

 risii, Harris' ground squirrel. Cynomys 

 ludovicianus arizonensis, Arizona prairie 

 dog; Thomomys fulvus toltecus, Toltec 

 pocket gopher; Thomomys perpallidus 

 chrysonotus, yellow-backed pocket 

 gopher; Perognathus intermedins inter- 

 medins, intermediate pocket mouse; 

 Perognathus intermedins phasma, Gila 

 pocket mouse; Dipodomys deserti deserti, 

 desert kangaroo rat; Dipodomys specta- 

 bilis spectabilis, banner-tailed kangaroo 

 rat (also Upper Sonoran); Dipodomys 

 ynerriami merriami, Merriam's kangaroo 

 rat; Onychomys torridus torridus, desert 

 grasshopper mouse; Peromyscus eremi- 

 cus eremicus, desert mouse; Peromyscns 

 manicnlat^is sonoriensis, Sonora white- 

 footed mouse (also Upper Sonoran) ; 

 Sigmodon hispidus eremicus, Colorado 

 Valley cotton rat; Sigmodon hispidus 

 arizonae, Arizona cotton rat; Sigmodon 

 hispidus confinis, Gila cotton rat; 

 Ncotoma albignla albigula, white- 

 throated wood rat (also Upper Sonoran) ; 

 Lepus californicus eremicus, Arizona 

 jackrabbit; Lepus californicus deserti- 

 cola, Colorado desert jackrabbit; Sylvi- 

 lagns audubonii arizonae, Arizona cot- 

 tontail (also Upper Sonoran) ; Pecari 

 angulatns sonoriensis, Sonora peccary; 

 Ovis canadensis gailliardi Gailliard's 

 mountain sheep (also Upper Sonoran). 

 b. Birds {E. A. G., and C. T. V.). 

 Gambel's partridge, white-winged dove, 

 mourning dove, Mexican ground dove, 

 Inca dove, elf owl, western horned 

 owl, road-runner, red-tailed hawk, 

 Texas night hawk, Texan woodpecker, 

 Gila woodpecker, gilded flicker, Arizona 

 crested flycatcher, ash-throated fly- 

 catcher, vermilion flycatcher, Sonora 

 redwing, Arizona hooded oriole, Bul- 

 lock's oriole, house finch, western lark 

 sparrow, desert sparrow, desert song 

 sparrow. Abort's towhee, Arizona 

 cardinal, Arizona pyrrhuloxia. Cooper's 

 tanager, phainopepla, Arizona vireo, 

 Lucy's warbler, Sonora yellow warbler, 

 western mockingbird, cactus wren, 

 verdin, gnatcatcher, Cassin's king bird. 

 Palmer's thrasher, Arizona hooded 

 oriole, canyon towhee. 



