MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
163 
NOTE'S ON MICHIGAN MAMMALS. 1 
BY N. A WOOD. 
A number of Michigan mammal records that deserve notice have been 
received at the University of Michigan Museum during the past year. 
Badger, Taxidea taxis (Schreber). 
A large badger was caught near Base Lake, Washtenaw County, on 
February 15, 1911, by John Hayes; another, that subsequently escaped, 
was taken about a mile north of Ann Arbor on December 3, 1911, by 
Eugene Haas, and a third was secured at Chelsea on January 20, 1912, 
by Mr. T. Alber. 
Set on (Life Histories of North American Mammals, p. 997) gives 
only one Michigan record for this species— our tentative Porcupine 
Mountain record — and his map of distribution does not include the 
whole state but extends through central Wisconsin south around the 
end of Lake Michigan and across the southern end of the lower 
peninsula. The species is not of rare occurrence throughout the entire 
state but is seldom seen on account of its nocturnal and fossorial habits. 
It is equally at home in the dry oak openings of the south and on the 
sandy plains of the north. The writer has nearly sixty actual records 
for the state and twelve for Washtenaw County alone. 
Opossum, Didelphis virginiana Kerr. 
An immature female opossum was captured by Eugene Haas, Janu- 
ary 8, 1912, about a mile north of Ann Arbor. It was trapped under 
an old deserted house, on a very cold night, and the animal was dead 
when removed from the trap the next day. On the night of February 
5, 1912, another opossum was taken at the same deserted house by Mr. 
Haas. These animals no doubt lived in a burrow (probably made by 
a woodchuck) in the old cellar. These records are the eleventh and 
twelfth known to the writer from this county alone, and it is no doubt 
just as common throughout the southern part of the lower peninsula. 
We have records as far north as Ottawa, Genesee, and southern Isabella 
Counties. 
Owing to its omnivorous feeding habits, prolificness, and nocturnal 
habits, this species holds its own and even increases with civilization, 
and is restricted in its northern distribution mostly by temperature. 
However, it is also apparently able to withstand quite low tempera- 
tures. The above specimens were both caught on very severe nights, the 
thermometer registering 6° F. on January 18 and — 12° on February 5. 
One would expect that the species would not leave a warm home or nest 
on such nights. The raccoon certainly does not venture out in winter 
Wrom the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. 
