WEST VIRGINIA MAMMALS — KELLOGG 453 



MUSTELA VISON VISON Schreber 



Mountain, or Black, Mink 



Surber (1909, p. 55) says that this mink occurs only in the black- 

 spruce belt. Black minks have been trapped by Frank Houchin 

 in the spruce belt in the vicinitj^ of Cranberry Glades (Brooks, 1911, 

 p. 25). Trappers along the "Williams River reported that pelts of this 

 mink brought a much higher price than those of the lowland mink. 

 Minks were reported to be plentiful along Williams River, Cran- 

 berry River, Cheat River, and Shavers River in the eastern part of 

 the State during 1936, but no specimens were procured by the Museum 

 party. 



MUSTELA VISON MINK Peale and Beanvois 



Common, or Brown, Mink 



This mink occurs in hilly regions and lowlands in all parts of the 

 State. Trappers reported that they w^ere fairly plentiful on Peters 

 Creek in Nicholas County in the summer of 1936. No specimens of 

 this common fur bearer have been received from West Virginia by 

 the National Museum. 



LUTRA CANADENSIS CANADENSIS (Schreber) 

 Otter 



A. B. Brooks (1929, p. 541) says that the otter "is still found along 

 certain streams in the less populous counties." Arthur A. Wood, 

 forest supervisor, thinks, however, that there is no evidence that 

 otters now- occur in the Monongahela National Forest. Nevertheless, 

 otters w^ere trapped along most of the major streams of the State 

 before the Civil War. An otter (U. S. N. M. no. il), collected by A. 

 Brakeley at Rowdesburg in Preston County, w^as received in the flesh 

 at the Smithsonian Institution during January'- 1857. This specimen 

 probably was mounted by C. Drexler for the exhibition series. No 

 record of its subsequent disposition has been found. 



SPILOGALE PUTORIUS (Linnaeus) 



Spotted Skunk 



A. B. Brooks (1929, p. 541) whites that the spotted skunk occurs 

 "at low elevations in southern and eastern counties." Fred E. 

 Brooks (1911, p. 25) reports that a few skins are received each year 

 by a fur dealer in Huntington from the valley of Big Sandy River and 

 that skins have been seen in stores at Frankhn in Pendleton County. 

 Trappers say that this skunk is found along the valley of the south 

 branch of the Potomac River. Howell (1906, p. 17) records one from 

 WTiite Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County. There are no speci- 

 mens collected in West Virginia in the National Museum. 



