452 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



THE MAMMALS 



Introduction 



Very few local lists of the mammals occurring in the different 

 counties of Indiana have ever been published ; even brief published 

 notes and references are rare, and as a consequence, the geographic 

 distribution within the State of the species found within its borders 

 has not been carefully worked out. Indeed, data are wanting for 

 the correct identification of several of the forms inhabiting the 

 State. 



During the survey of Lake Maxinkuckee no special effort was 

 made to collect or study the mammals native to the region, any ob- 

 servations made or notes taken having been entirely incidental to 

 the regular work of the survey, except with those species whose 

 habits bring them in relations more or less direct with the life of 

 the lake. Among these are, of course, the muskrats, minks, otters 

 and coons ; and observation of the habits of these naturally led 

 to recording any chance observations concerning the other species 

 of the region. No trapping was done by us, except on one occasion 

 when a few deer mice were caught. The present list is therefore 

 far from complete, especially as to the bats and mice and others 

 of the less conspicuous species, but it is believed it may prove use- 

 ful and interesting. It will serve as a nucleus around which addi- 

 tional data may be gathered and it will prove helpful to the cot- 

 tagers about the lake who take an interest in nature and who wish 

 to know the animals that they meet. 



Great changes have doubtless taken place as regards the abund- 

 ance and species of mammals of this region since the country was 

 first settled. The deer, wolf, wildcat, fox, otter, and beaver were 

 doubtless then abundant, and most of the species were more com- 

 mon than now. Many of these are now practically exterminated, 

 and others, as the wolf and otter, are found only very rarely and 

 in the wilder region west of Maxinkuckee and in the Kankakee 

 marshes. Such species as the muskrat, rabbit and coon have 

 probably not been seriously affected by civilization, albeit they are 

 hunted and trapped incessantly. 



Besides the 30 native species listed in this paper, at least 2 in- 

 troduced species — the common rat {Epimys norvegicus) and the 

 house mouse (Mus musculus) are all too common. 



None of the native mammals is so abundant as to be a pest and 

 none should be killed except the rabbit for food, the muskrat for 

 its fur, and the mink and weasel for their fur and in the interest 

 of the poultry yard. The bats, moles, and shrews, are useful and 



