DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS 537 



occupied by a deciduous forest, and southern and eastern United States 

 by a coastal-plain forest, which includes both coniferous and deciduous 

 trees. West of the forest region is the region of the prairies and plains, 

 extending from Alberta to central Texas and the Great Basin; and the 

 southern desert region, which occupies the interior basin between the 

 Pacific coast states and the Rocky Mountains and extends southw^ard 

 far into Mexico. Finally, there is a tropical and subtropical forest region, 

 which is the same as the tropical region of Merriam. 



At present there is a strong tendency to bring the faunal regions into 

 agreement with the floral regions just outHned. Each of these regions 

 has characteristic animal types, some of which may be mentioned. 

 The prairies and plains comprise the ranges of the pronghorn, the bison, 

 several ground squirrels, prairie hares or jack rabbits, the prairie chicken, 

 and the burrowing owl. The deciduous forest harbors the Virginia 

 deer, the opossum, the gray fox, the fox squirrel, the cardinal, the Carolina 

 wren, and the yellow-breasted chat. The northern coniferous forest 

 has the moose, the snowshoe rabbit, the pine marten, the northern 

 jumping mouse, the three-toed woodpecker, and the spruce grouse. The 

 region of tundra and snow is the range of the musk ox and caribou and 

 in summer is the home of a host of water and shore birds. 



