MAMMALS OF THE REGION 93 



country, killing cattle and game. There are some old 

 and indefinite records of their occurrence in the Sacra- 

 mento Mountain region, and Carl B. Livingston told 

 me that about four years earlier (in 1920) a hunter 

 brought a fresh skin of one into Carlsbad and sold it 

 at one of the stores. He saw the skin but unfortunately 

 did not learn just where the animal was killed, although 

 probably it was at no great distance. 



GRAY MOUNTAIN LION 



Felis couguar aztecus 



Mountain lions, also called panthers and cougars, 

 have been in past years numerous and very troublesome 

 to the stockmen of the Guadalupe Mountain region, but 

 now are scarce and rarely found. A few still roam over 

 the rough canyon country. One was killed in the 

 mouth of the Carlsbad Cave a few years ago, and last 

 winter another got into a coyote trap near the cave and 

 carried it away on its foot. In April, 1924, in a branch 

 of Walnut Canyon about four miles from the cave I 

 found a dead colt, freshly killed and about one-fourth- 

 eaten, evidently by a cougar. Traps, dogs, and poison 

 have so reduced these animals that they are almost 

 harmless. A few may be considered desirable as 

 affording some spice of large carnivore life to the 

 country. Just the thought that one might see a big, 

 long-tailed, yellow cat out in the hills is worth 

 something. 



The numerous caves have been not only strongholds 

 for these cats, but in some cases have doubtless served 



