538 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



head Lake in the northwest covers 190 

 sq. mi. There are hundreds of mountain 

 lakes covering areas from a few acres 

 to many sq. mi. 



II. ORIGINAL BIOTA 



1. Forests region 



The Northern Coniferous Forest 

 (Canadian and Hudsonian Zones of 

 Merriam) includes the larger portion of 

 the western forested area. 



It is dense on the slopes of the western 

 mountains, the timber line at about 

 9500 in the south, 6000 to 7000 ft. in the 

 north with alpine slopes and meadows, 

 or snow banks, above this elevation. 

 The central portion may be included in 

 the arid Coniferous Forest, the moun- 

 tain slopes, small ranges, and foothills 

 having dry climate and scant forest. 



a. Montane and subalpine forest. The 

 number of species of animals is relatively 

 large in view of the fact that coniferous 

 forests in general have little animal life. 

 One may travel for a day in almost silent 

 dense woods where the sun scarcely 

 reaches the earth. 



The montane forests are inhabited by 

 the grizzly bear (Ursus sp.), black bear, 

 marten (Maries americana abietinoides} , 

 weasel (Mustela sp.), striped skunk 

 (Mephitis hudsonica], chipmunk (Euta- 

 mias sp.), pine squirrel, flying-squirrel 

 (Glaucomys sabrinus subspp.), sagebrush 

 deer-mouse, wood-rat (Neotoma cinerea 

 subspp.), bog-lemming (Phenacomys oro- 

 philus), red-backed vole (Evotomys ida- 

 hoensis}, Merriam vole (Microtus m. 

 mordax), Rocky Mountain jumping- 

 mouse (Zapus p. princeps), snowshoe 

 hare (Lepus b. bairdii), and deer. 

 L. R. D. 



The subalpine forest region is the 

 habitat of the navigator shrew (Neosorex 

 n. navigator], grizzly bear, hoary marmot 

 (Marmota caligata nivaria}, Columbian 

 ground-squirrel, chipmunk (Eutamia 

 sp.), sagebrush deer-mouse, red-backed 

 vole, pika (Ochotona princeps subspp.), 

 snowshoe hare, deer, bighorn sheep 

 (Ovis c. canadensis), and Rocky Moun- 



tain goat (Oreamnos montanus mis- 

 soulae). L. R. D. 



b. Arid Coniferous Forest. In the 

 yellow pine forests occur the black bear 

 (Ursus americanus') , coyote (Canis sp.), 

 cougar (Felis oregonensis hippolestes) , 

 yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flavi- 

 ventris nosophora), Columbian ground- 

 squirrel, chipmunk (Eutamias sp.), pine 

 squirrel (Sciurus hudsonicus richard- 

 sonii), sagebrush deer-mouse, and deer 

 (Odocoileus sp.). L. R. D. 



2. Alpine tundra 



For list of plants see British Co- 

 lumbia account (page 150). 



The alpine summits have apparently 

 few characteristic mammals, but the 

 hoary marmot, pika, deer, bighorn 

 sheep, and Rocky Mountain goat live 

 close to timberline or at times wander 

 above it. L. R. D. 



8. The grassland 



The grassland characteristic of the 

 Great Plains extends far into the state 

 on the east and southeast. 



Mammals. In the mixed prairie of 

 eastern Montana are presumed to have 

 occurred originally such mammals as the 

 weasel (Mustela sp.), badger (Taxidea 

 taxus subsp.), coyote (Canis n. nebra- 

 scensis), gray wolf (Canis nubilus), 

 striped ground-squirrel (Citellus tride- 

 cemlineatus pallidus}, prairie dog (Cyno- 

 mys I. ludovicianus) , sage pocket-gopher 

 (Thomomys talpoides bullatus}, pocket- 

 mouse (Perognathus sp.), Osgood deer- 

 mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus osgoodi), 

 white-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus town- 

 sendii campanius}, cottontail rabbits 

 (Sylvilagus nuttallii grangeri and S. 

 audubonii baileyi). The bison (Bison 

 b. bison}, formerly abundant, is now 

 extinct in the wild state. 



The bunchgrass prairies of western 

 Montana are known to be the home of 

 the coyote (Canis lestes), Columbian 

 ground-squirrel (Citellus c. columbianus) 

 brown pocket-gopher (Thomomys fuscus 

 fuscus), sagebrush deer-mouse (Pero- 

 myscus maniculatus artemisiae), gray 



