86 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YO SEMITE 



the animal started to dig into the ground, throwing up the earth at a lively 

 rate; it would then turn over on its back and wallow in the cool earth, 

 putting its feet into the air while doing so. Twice the wolverine sat up 

 on its haunches with the forefeet against its breast after the manner of a 

 bear. When approached very closely it made a lunge at the aggressor, 

 uttering hoarse growls somewhat like those of a badger, and wrinkled up 

 its nose, exhibiting its blunt teeth. The iris of this wolverine looked black ; 

 but when the pupil was dilated, the aqueous humor of the eyeball made 

 the eye look green at certain angles. 



In several other places, as at Vogelsang Lake and Fletcher Lake, tracks 

 were seen which, chiefly through a process of elimination, were ascribed to 

 the wolverine. The only other large carnivore in the high mountains is the 

 Mountain Coyote. But the wolverine's track is not dog-like; the sole pad 

 on the forefoot is divided up into small units, whereas the sole pad of the 

 coyote is a single unit. The badger, which also has a relatively large track, 

 has an elongated triangular foot pad. 



Mountain Weasel. Mustela arizonensis (Mearns)'^ 



Field characters.— Body about as long as that of California Ground Squirrel, but 

 much more slender (fig. 9b) ; tail about half length of head and body. Head and body 

 81/3-101/2 inches (211-269 mm.), tail 514-61/3 inches (132-160 mm.), ear %-l inch 

 (21-26 mm.), weight 7I/2-I214 ounces (212-345 grams); among adults, males are 

 larger than females. Coloration in summer uniform brown above, under surface rich 

 creamy yellow; in winter, solidly white above and below; end of tail black at all 

 seasons. 



Occurrence. — Moderately common in Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian zones on 

 both slopes of Sierra Nevada. Eecorded from Merced Grove Big Trees and Chinquapin 

 eastward to Walker Lake and Mono Lake Post Office. Common on floor of Yosemite 

 Valley. Lives around rock piles and old logs and under buildings. Solitary. 



The weasel is a fearless animal, and active at all seasons of the year. 

 Visitors to the Yosemite region therefore frequently see it, sometimes at 

 very close range, both in the Valley and in the higher mountains. 



The weasel is one of the most bloodthirsty of all of its tribe; the wild 

 birds and mammals know this as thoroughly as do naturalists, for the 

 presence of a weasel in any locality is immediately announced by cries 

 of alarm from the native denizens. The weasel's body is extremely slender 

 (fig. 9&) ; so small is the girth that it can easily make its way into the 

 retreat of a ground squirrel or even into the burrow of a pocket gopher; 

 and it readily enters the nests of those rodents which live among rocks or 



7 Another species, the California or Yellow-cheeked Weasel, with whitish patches on 

 the nose and cheeks, common in the Lower and Upper Sonoran zones of southern and 

 central California, probably occurs in the lowland and foothill districts of the Yosemite 

 region, though we obtained no specimens. We were told of a weasel having been seen 

 at Snclling; presumably it was of this lowland species, Miostela xanthogenys Gray. 



