CHAPTER 5 

 Mammals of the Region 



In the area surrounding the Carlsbad Cavern and 

 extending about forty miles from the Pecos River at 

 four thousand feet altitude on the east, to the top of 

 the Guadalupe Mountains above nine thousand feet 

 on the west, three of the transcontinental life zones are 

 represented, each characterized by a considerable 

 variety of animal life. Above the valley floor to the 

 west, long limestone ridges and benches rise higher and 

 higher to the ragged crest of the range, and are deeply 

 cut through by numerous steep gulches and picturesque 

 canyons. Great numbers of small caves open in the 

 canyon walls, and many extensive caverns have been 

 discovered all occupied to some extent by the animal 

 life of the region. Some of the animals are dependent 

 upon the caves and many others are influenced by 

 them. 



No attempt has been made to obtain a complete list 

 of the mammals of this area, but about fifty species 

 are known to occur, and further study will add others. 

 The buffalo and Merriam elk, formerly abundant, and 

 the less common grizzly bear, are gone, but some of the 

 other large game animals are still found in numbers. 



BUFFALO 



Bison bison bison (Fig. 15) 



In 1540, Coronado had his first view of the Pecos 

 River and of the buffalo at about the same time and 



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