90 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YO SEMITE 



Occurrence. — Eecorded definitely only at Merced Lake (altitude 7500 feet), but 

 likely to be found on any of the streams up to this altitude. Inhabits streams and 

 ponds and their margins. 



The Pacific Mink was collected in only one place in the Yosemite region ; 

 but, to judge from other information at hand, it is certainly of more wide- 

 spread occurrence than this record would indicate. In Yosemite Valley 

 above the Pohono bridge an animal which was believed to be a mink was 

 seen swimming in the river November 26, 1914. The species was reported 

 to us as occurring in the neighborhood of Mount Bullion and on the South 

 Fork of the Merced River. On one occasion while at the Farrington Ranch 

 east of the Sierras, near Williams Butte, Mr. Dixon saw tracks of a mink 

 along a creek, and a few days later a resident of the vicinity saw one of 

 the animals in a pasture. 



The mink has a moderately slender body and uniform general colora- 

 tion, both of which features indicate its relationship to the weasels and 

 the marten. It is, however, closely restricted to the vicinity of water. As 

 may be expected from such a choice of habitat, its diet consists largely, if 

 not exclusively, of fish. Were it abundant in the Sierra Nevada we might 

 look upon it with concern as an enemy of the trout, but the species is 

 present in such small numbers that no fear need be felt on this score. The 

 animal is evidently nocturnal in its habits, else we should have more 

 frequent reports of it from the many fishermen who patrol the banks of 

 the Sierran waters where trout abound. 



At Merced Lake three specimens of mink were taken on August 23, 25, 

 and 28, 1915, all being obtained within 20 feet of running water. The bait 

 in each case included heads and entrails of trout. One individual, probably 

 just caught, when approached in the trap w^as very lively. It gave a series 

 of loud, shrill, rasping cries, and w'hen threatened showed its teeth and 

 grinned cat-like. 



California Spotted Skunk. Spilogale phenax phenax Merriam 



Field characters. — Size slightly less than that of California Ground Squirrel; tail 

 slightly over half the length of head and body. Head and body 9 to 12 inches (232-300 

 mm.), tail Sy^ to GVi inches (135-160 mm.), ear about % inch (15-26 mm.), weight 

 10 to 21 ounces (276-600 grams). Coloration of body black, with spots and irregular 

 short stripes of white; end of tail white. 'Skunky' odor, same as that of Striped Skunk. 



Occurrence. — Common resident in Lower and Upper Sonoran zones, and sparingly 

 in Transition Zone, on western slope of Sierra Nevada. Recorded from Snelling and 

 Lagrange eastward to floor of Yosemite Valley. Seeks shelter in burrows of other 

 mammals and under piles of logs or rocks ; forages in open at dusk and during the night. 



The Little Spotted Skunk, not infrequently referred to as " hydrophobia 

 skunk," and known to most trappers as "civet cat," is a common resident 

 of the lower western portion of the Yosemite region, and, in small numbers, 



