1936] 



MAMMALS OF OREGON 



317 



crest. Color of upper parts light buffy gray, darker along the back where 

 the brown underfur is heavily overlaid with black-tipped hairs; sides clearer 

 gray; lower parts light buffy gray; face with the usual black mask and 

 whitish markings; ears gray with black patches at posterior base; throat 

 patch dark brown ; hind legs grayish with brown patches near heels ; tail with 

 six black bands and black tip, alternating with broader buffy rings. 



Measurements. No body measurements available. Skull of type: Greatest 

 length, 136.5 mm ; zygomatic breadth, 89 ; interorbital constriction, 30 ; alveolar 

 length of upper molar series, 37. Other skulls from eastern Oregon and 

 southern Idaho are larger than any seen from Minnesota or North Dakota, 

 where the raccoons run large, and where fat individuals weighing 24 to 30% 

 pounds have been recorded. 



Distribution and habitat. These large raccoons are common only 

 locally along some of the streams of eastern Oregon, southern Idaho, 

 and northern Nevada, where they find ideal conditions in some of 

 the deep lava-rock canyons (fig. 78). The canyon walls, full of clefts, 

 cracks, and small caves afford the safest kind of shelter and protection 

 close to the water where an abundant supply of food is generally 

 available on the brushy bottoms or in the water along the edges of 

 streams and ponds. In such places along the Snake Kiver and its 

 branches they are found in considerable abundance and are so close 

 to safe retreats that many individuals reach full maturity or very 

 old age. This is evidenced by some of the skulls that show excessive 

 development of ridges, processes, and massive bony structure as well 

 as much worn teeth. 



Food habits. Abundance of crayfish, frogs, minnows, mussels, and 

 other small water life attracts them to the river banks, while numer- 

 ous mice and small rodents, berries, and grapes afford a variety of 

 foods along the canyon bottoms. In favorite spots the raccoon tracks 

 are seen on every sandbar and mud flat, and the droppings scattered 

 along the trails show the nature of their food. 



Economic status. Most of the range of these big raccoons is away 

 from settlements, and little damage to crops or poultry is charged 

 to them, but where cornfields are accessible these are likely to be 

 raided for the juicy ears, and poultry is never safe from them if left 

 within their reach. They are not inclined to come about ranches, 

 however, especially where there are dogs, and their value for fur 

 "reeps their numbers reduced to a safe minimum. 



In recent years many choice dark varieties of raccoons have been 

 raised for their fur, which is beautiful and brings high prices when 

 the black and gray strains are properly blended. 



Family BASSARISCIDAE : Cacomistles 



BASSARISCUS ASTUTUS RAPTOR (BAIRD) 



RINGTAIL ; CACOMISTLE ; CIVET CAT 



tassaris raptor Baird, Mammals, Mex. Boundary Survey, p. 19, 1859. 

 Bassariscus flaws oregonus Rhoads, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Proc. 1893 : 416, 1894. 

 Type from Grants Pass, Oreg. 



Type. From California. A captive animal found on the street of Washing- 

 ton, D. C., in 1852 and supposed by Baird to have been brought from California. 

 Later identified by J. A. Allen and by Merriam as the form occupying California 

 ind Oregon. A comparison of the more ample material now available clearly 

 >roves this view to be correct. 



General characters. Size of a small house cat but slenderer, with larger ears, 

 ind very long bushy tail, marked with black and white crossbars. Skull light, 

 iparatively flattened with widely separated sagittal ridges and 40 teeth. 



