MAMMALS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



75 



mal is in full flight on land. However, 

 there is no evidence to indicate that it 

 is ever used as a trowel, despite traditional 

 accounts to the contrary. 



So far as the records show, this was 

 never a species native to the park. At any 

 rate, we know that our present colonies 

 are the result of introductions made by 

 the California Division of Fish and Game 

 at sites very near our southern boundary. 

 Properly, golden beavers are denizens of 

 the lower drainages of the Sacramento 

 and San Joaquin Valleys, at elevations of 

 not more than 1,000 feet. 



In 1944, the above-mentioned agency 

 made two "plants" of golden beaver in 

 Big Creek, near Fish Camp. Dams and 

 other signs of activity may be seen from 

 the road just below South Entrance, and 

 have been noted well inside the park 

 boundary. Another site of activity is in 

 the stream by the golf course along the 

 Wawona Road.* 



The long-tcriled, or California harvest 

 mouse has been recorded in Yosemite 

 but once, in 1936, near Cascades. It is 

 very common at lower elevations outside 

 the park, in grassy or shrubby situations. 

 This form is easily mistaken for the 

 common house mouse, but the tail is not 

 nearly so scaly and the dark color of the 

 upper surface of the tail is clearly differ- 

 entiated from the dull white of the under 

 surface. Further, the upper incisors of 

 harvest mice have deep longitudinal 

 grooves which are absent in the house 

 mouse. 



White-footed mice are probably the 

 commonest type of mammal to be found 

 in Yosemite National Park. They live in 

 all suitable habitats from the lowest ele- 

 vations on the western boundary up to 

 at least 10,800 feet. The adults are quite 

 striking, with brownish-tan upperparts, 

 bright fawn flanks, white feet and un- 

 derpays and large lustrous eyes. The fact 

 that they keep themselves well-groomed 



*Sce Yosemite Nature Notes (27) 4:69-74, April 

 accounts of beavers. 



tboto by Anderson 

 Beaver tree on Big Creek. 



enhances their clean and attractive ap- 

 pearance. They do not warrant the tra- 

 ditional aversion generated by the term 

 "mice." 



The young are marked much like the 



from cast by M. \ . Ho -i 



Hind footprint of golden beaver. Six-inch pencil. 



948 -nd (30) 1 $-9, January 1951. for interesting 



