60 NORTH AMERICAN FAUXA 60. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



PROCYOX LOTOK KXCKLSUS Xklson and Goldman 



Snake River \'aixev Raccoon 



Prociinn lotor e.rcelsiif: Xelsoii and Goldinaii, Jour. MainmaL 11 (4): 458, Xov. 11, 

 1980. 



Type locality. — Owyhee River, Oreg.. 10 miles west of Faiiylawn, 

 Owyhee County, Idaho. 



Type. — Xo. 236214, old male adult, skin and skull, I'nited States 

 National Museum (Biological Surveys collection); collected by J. W. 

 Fisk, April 15, 1920. 



Disifribution. — Snake River drainage in southeastern Washington, 

 eastern Oregon, and southern Idaho, the Humboldt River Valley, 

 Nev.. and river valleys of northeastern California. Mainly Upper 

 Sonoran Zone. 



General characters. — Size largest of the group: color rather pale, 

 similar in color to P. I. psiora of California, but usually paler, and much 

 larger, with skull differing in detail. Closely allied to P. I. pacijicus 

 of Washington, but much larger, decidedly paler, top of head much 

 grayer, and cranial characters distinctive. 



Color. — Upper parts of body in general very light buffy grayish, 

 with a light ochraceous buffy suffusion along median dorsal area, 

 becoming pronounced on nape, moderately overlaid with black: sides 

 clearer gray, the overlying black-tipped hairs less numerous than on 

 dorsum: top of head a gi'izzled mixture of black and gray: face with the 

 usual black mask and white markings: under parts in general thinly 

 overlaid with buffy grayish, the light brownish undertone showing 

 through; throat patch dark brownish: ears grayish with black patches 

 at posterior base: limbs grayish, the hind legs with small, unmixed 

 brownish areas on outer sides near heels; tail above with about six 

 black annulations and a black tip, alternating with somewhat broader, 

 light buffy rings, the dark rings usually becoming indistinct below. 



Cranial characters. — Skull similar to that of P. I. psora, but larger 

 and more angular; frontal region broader, generally flattened, and 

 postorbital processes well developed, as in psora. Compared with 

 that of P. I. pacijicus the skull is larger, with brain case relatively 

 more elongated; frontal region broad as in pacijicus. 



Measurements. — X^o skin measurements available. Skull: Type: Greatest 

 length, 136.5 mm.; condylobasal length, 125.8: zygomatic breadth, 89.1: inter- 

 orbital breadth, 30.1: least width of palatal shelf, 17.2: maxillary tooth row 

 (alveoli), 47; upper carnassial, crown length, 9, crown width, 10.6. 



Remarks. — The present form is easily distinguished from all others 

 of the gi'oup by the large size and massive development of the skull. 

 No close cranial comparisons with forms east of the Rocky Moimtains 

 are necessary as this race differs notably in the much larger size, and 



