HERPETOLOGY OF ZUNI MOUNTAINS — GEHLBACH 253 



with good forage at about 8000 feet near Ft. Wingate and noted that 

 fir covered surrounding hillsides. Woodlands are now much thicker 

 in some places and thinner or nonexistant in others because of grazing 

 and logging, respectively (Castetter, 1956, pp. 272, 277), Correlated 

 changes in horpetofaunal distribution may be siu-mized. 



Surface water was more abundant prior to the twentieth century, 

 Whipple (1856, pp. 14, 63) noted that the Zuni Indians cultivated 

 without hrigation and described Agua Fria as a permanent spring. 

 Kennerly (1856, pp. 9-10) observed the Zuni River as a small, clear 

 stream in which fishes were secm'cd at several localities. He also 

 noted maay frogs along the Rio Pescado ia November. Coues 

 (1875, pp. 614-615) found Thamnophis elegans in the Zuni River, 

 "wherever this stream spread into sluggish lagoons." While seasonal 

 changes influenced differences of opinion as to the abundance of 

 water (e.g., in September, Sitgreaves, 1854, p. 5, described the Zuni 

 River as a mere rivulet), it is noteworthy that Agua Fria and the 

 lower Rio Pescado and Zuni are presently intermittent. Zuni Indians 

 now irrigate; streams in the vicinity of their pueblo are extensively 

 controlled. 



As suggested by extensive arroyo cutting, which began in the late 

 1880's (Bryan, 1925, 1928), drought may account for the disappear- 

 ance of surface water not purposely diverted by man. When this 

 study was initiated, the Zuni region, indeed the entire Southwest, was 

 m the midst of severe drought. Breeding amphibians were not 

 collected until July 1954 and remained uncommon until 1957. Diado- 

 phis punctatus was not discovered at a previously worked locality 

 (Cottonwood Gulch) until August 1959. The drought ended locally 

 in 1957 when the Colorado Plateau Section of New Mexico received 

 146 percent of average annual moisture (U.S. Dept. Comm., 1945- 

 1957). Profound changes in the neighboiing Texas herpetofauna 

 were linked to this drought (Blair, 1957; Milstead, 1960). 



Iq 1960 the Bureau of Sport Fisheries exterminated all native 

 aquatic organisms in the upper Zuni River (R. R, Miller, in litt.). 

 Not a single aquatic animal depending on dissolved oxygen was left; 

 an apparently undescribed fish, genus Pantosteus, was among the forms 

 eliminated. Such wanton destruction probably will continue as the 

 human population continues to increase. Grants experienced a 

 354 percent rise in population between 1950 and 1960 (Grants Cham- 

 ber of Commerce, in litt.). Fortunately, however, small portions of 

 Zuni grassland and piny on- juniper association are preserved in EI 

 Morro National Monument and hopefully will be preserved in the 

 proposed Manuelito National Monument. 



