I FUR-BEARING. MAMMALS OF ~ TheirNatural History, Systematic Status, and Relations to Jv!an BY JOSEPH GRINNELL II . JOSEPH S. DIXON, AND JEANM. LINSDALE -<> CONTRIBUTION FROM THE MUSEUM OF VERTEBRATE ZOO~OGY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

IN Two VOLUMES' VOLUME I

CA"LIFORNIA RIVER OTTER (LEFT) CALIFORNIA MINK (RIGHT)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA' 1937 - CONTENTS

VOLUME I PAGE UNIVE'RSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS 1 BERK ELEY, CALI FORN IA Preface ...... History of Fur Trapping in California 5 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS II LONDON, ENGLAND Present-Day Fur Trapping in California Effects of Fur Mammals upon the Activities of Man 16 COPYRIGHT, 1937, BY THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERsITY OF CALIFOBNIA Effects of the Activities of Man upon Fur Mammals 22 Population Trends in the Fur Bearers of California 24­ Fur Farming in California 36 Plan of the Species Accounts 39 Definitions ..... 43 Systematic List of Species 45 Opossum 47 Bears 61 Coons 137 Ring-tailed Cats 166 Martens 184 Fisher. 211 Weasels 23 1 1" ...- • Mink . 235 Wolverine 25 1 River Otters 27 1 Sea Otter . 286 Spotted Skunks 293 Striped Skunks Badgers

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY SAMUELT. FARQUHAR, UNIVERSITY PRINTER

[VII ] c;, t'l nt'L~ l Ov( {q" Pine Marten I85 , ~rappers h~~e tO~,d us 0;, mart;,n pelts take~ in a single district that have been graded varlous~y as . hg.ht and dark. In the senes of 26 skins before us there is remark­ MARTENS able uniforIDlty m general tone of coloration. Two examples (nos. 38293,38294, Mono County, F~bruary 9 and II) were sent to us by the man who trapped the animals ~ SIERRA NEVADA PINE MARTEN A.. J. C:U-dlsky, as. representing the light and dark types oEcoloration to be obtained his reglOn. The d.i!ferenc: between them, while readily appreciable, is not as conspicu­ Martes caurina sierrae Grinnell and Storer ous as that found m a senes of pelts of, say, red fox. There is no indication of the exist- OTHER NANES.-Mustela americana; Mustela caurina, part; Martes americana; Manes caurina, part; Mustela caurina sierrae; American Sable; Marten, part; Northwestern EXTERNAL MEASUREMENTS (IN Mn.uMETERS) AND WEIGHTS OF Martes caurina sierrae FROM THE SIEIlRA NEVADA OF CALIFORNIA Pine Marten, part. . General characters.-Resembles roughly a small slender-bodied house cat. Length of head and body alone, 15 to 18 in.; of tail alone, 7 to 9 in;, or about half the length of head and body. Ears erect; face sharp-pointed, foxlike; tail cylindrical, rather bushy. No. S Age. Collector Date M.V.z. ex LocalitY Underfur long and lax; overhair sparse and fine. General coloration of animal, light golden brown, deepening to blackish brown on feet and end of tail; a broad patch of orange or yellowish color on throat and chest. (See PI. IV, facing p. 196.) 34163 a' ad. Warner Cr., 6600 h., nellJ Description.-Adults (prime winter pelts [cased} from the Sierra Nevada of Mono Las.en Peak, Shasta Co.... J. Dixon...... Sept. 28. 1923 670 240 90 32 1232 32808 a' sd. Virginia Lakeo, 10,000 h.. and Madera counties): General coloration of body snuff brown. There is a darkening Mono Co. ••.•.•..•...••. A. J. Gardisky Dec. 21, 1921 638" 210" 88" 28" toward mummy brown down middle of back, owing chiefly to black tippings of over­ 23043 a' ad. at 7800 h.. . •• Yosemite Park, Tuolumne hairs there. A darkening also takes place down the legs, reaching mummy brown on Co. W. P. Taylor.. Ott. 5, 1915 606 192 83 32 952 tops and sides of feet (but woolly soles of feet light drab). Claws tranSlucent yellowish 23040 a' ad. VogeisangLake,10,350 h., Yo white; color of tail at base is like that of body but it gradually darkens toward end until .emite Park, Maripo.a Co.. W.l'. Taylor.. Sept. 2, 1915 598 190 82 29 874 22112 a' ad. Lyell Canyon at 9800 ft., Yo blackish brown at tip; head paler than body, becoming light drab on face; muzzle (type) .emit. Park, Tuolumne Co. C. D. Holliger July 24, 1915 609 190 79 35 950 dusky drab; nose pad and whiskers black; back of ear fuscous, rim ecru-drab, inside 22113 a' ad. Lyell Canyon at 9800 h., Yo pale drab-gray; chin and jaws brownish drab; a broad area from throat down front of .emitePark,TuolumneCo. C. D. Holliger July 25,1915 576 170 85 37 929 22111 a' ad. Lyell Canyon at 9800 h., Yo- neck onto chest, and reaching irregularly to insides of forelegs, cinnamon-buff (even .emite Park,Tuolumne Co. C.l. Camp July 20, 1915 640 215 86 45 1195 approaching ochraceous-orange in places); the same light color extends in a narrow 22109 a' .uhad. Lyell Canyon at 9700 h., Yo semite Park, Tuolumne Co. G.F.Ferris July 19,1915 600 180 80 35 904 line, more or less interrupted in different specimens, from chest down middle of belly 24822 a' .uhad. Bullfrog Lake, 10,600 h.. to region of vent; in some specimens there is an unsymmetrical spotting of snuff brown Freono Co.. •• .. •...... •• J. Dixon Aug. 29, 1916 610 200 87 30 930 24823 a' .uhad. Bullfrog Lake, 10,600 h., on the light-colored chest area. . Freono Co. , H. G. White Aug. 31. 1916 590 185 90 29 929 Pelage everywhere copious, consisting chiefly of underfur; overhairs usually scanty, 38293 a' ad. Saddlehag Lake, 10,000 h., and short in relation to length of underfur. On middle of back of no. 33626, male, Mono Co. A. J. Gardisky Feb. 9,1927 730" 184" 83" 36574 a' ad. Whitney Meadnws, 9800 h., .... .• December 28, underfur 17 mm. deep, longest overhairs 31 mID. long; on top of head Tulare Co...... • .. ... J. C. Howe Dec. 5, 1926 610" 203" ... 42" 1136t between ears, pelage about 14 mID. deep; on back of ear 5 mID.; on chest, underfur 33626 a' .ubad. Deadman Pa&B, 10,200 ft., 15 mm., longest overhairs 27 mID.; on flank, underfur 23 mm., longest overhairs 40 Mono Co. •••..•••••••.•. A. J. Gardl.ky Dec. 28, 1923 620" 207" 95" 41" 1022t 8 23041 a' young Vogelsang Lake, 10,100 h., mID.; total diameter of "brush," about midway, including longest overhairs, 7 mm. Yo.emit< Park, Maripos, 1 (about 3 in.); longest hairs at end of tail, 90 mm.; whiskers up to 7 mID. long. Sole --I----t--+-Co-..-.-..-._"_"_'_"_"_'_"_'_"--/'_W_,_P_.T_a~y_Io_r -J.....S.::ep:..:t.=----::6:..:.1:.:.9:15J...:5:.::88=_ 194 85 35 746 - '-----1--- pads of toes very small, completely concealed by dense woolly furring of sale of foot; Average of 14 DlJl1es. . 620 197 85 34 983 the long, very sharp claws, however, protrude well beyond the fur; chord of each of the five claws on forefoot, close to 10 mID.; chord of longest claw (fifth) on hind foot, 34162 9 .uhad. Warner Cr., 6600 ft., near J..aa.. .en Peak, Shasta Co.. •.••. J. Dixon SepL 21, 1923 560 195 78 26 835 9 mm• 23042 9 ad. Tuolumne River at 8000 ft., Variations.-There is one complete annual molt in the Sierra Nevada pine marten, Yosemite Park, Tuolumne and this proceeds slowly through the autumn months. Evidences of its beginnings, in Co W. P. Taylor Ott. 3, 1915 551 177 76 33 809 22110 9 sd. Lyell Canyon at 9700 h., Yo­ the tail, are shown by a skin of date of August 29. There is no doubt that there is also .emite Park, Tuolumne Co. T.l. Storer July 19, 1915 557 180 70 43 639 a loss of hair in the spring months, for summer skins have less dense pelage than winter 33627 9 subad. Devils Postpile, 8500 h., Madera Co A. J. Gardisky Jan. 22, 1924 561" 196" 79" 40" 68It ones, but there is no renewal in the spring season. Summer and winter skins are closely alike in coloration (the former only slighdy the paler), there being nowhere near the amount of fading that there is in most other fur bearers-red fox, wolverine, and wild- • Chaaged from ,nches. cat, for example. t Changed from pound.. I,'h, II" ,II Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 186 Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia ence of two color "phases"; the extremes mentioned can be accounted for by ordinary Weights.-Twelve adult or nearly adult males from the Sierra Nevada average in weight about 35 oz., or :z% lb.; extremes,:z6 and 43 oz. Four females average :z6 oz.; individual variation, and are within rather narrow limits. The chief single feature of variation in our series is the extent of the yellowish white extremes, :z:z'lS. and :zg'lS. oz. For weights, in grams, of individual examples, see table or orange-tinged throat patch; in most specimens this is very wide and long, but in a on page 185' These figures lead us to believe that females are usually 75 per cent as few (notably no. 13767, from Siskiyou County) it is restricted to an irregular area on heavy as males. Skulls.-The general features of the marten's skull are shown by the accompanying drawing (fig. 66). Changes that take place with advancing years, from youth to old age, include the following: actual decrease ingross size of brain case; spreading of zygo­ matic arches; development (in males) of well-marked sagittal and lambdoidal ridges;

M:EASUREUENTS (IN MILUMETERS) OF SKULLS OF ADULT OR SunADULT Martes ctmrina sierrae FROM THE SIEIlRA NEVADA OF CALIFOIlNIA

,!, u 1, .d -:J ! '0 .§ -:J 8.fi "0 e .d .d "0 2 t, .d t, 1 'Ii " No. ~ t, 0 .d f ~ ..,'e Age Locality Ji ..!! .~ .., M.V.z. j Ji II ] '0 o u ... ~ ] -:J~ - E "0 = Ii "0= e '5 i~ = 5'~ i. ~.., IJ 5'" 'S Oi "u..o t5~ d" l'l I'< t!S' = l'l15 ..:: ~ :r::;; --" ------Mal.. 22112 ad. Lyell Canyon, Tuolumne Co...... 80.4 78.2 71.1 38.2 46.7 35.8 23.9 18.6 15.8 29.0 22113 ad. Lyell Canyon. Tuolumne Co...... 83.0 79.1 72.4 38.9 47.4 36.1 23.2 18.7 16.0 29.4 23040 ad. Vogelsang Lake, Mariposa Co...... 80.3 78.0 71.0 37.5 48.3 35.4 22.8 17.6 16.2 27.9 23043 ad. Tuolumne River, Tuolumne Co•.•••.•. 81.5 79.1 72.0 38.8 47.8 36.6 23.8 19.1 15.9 29.5 29792 ad. Yosemite Park, Mariposa Co...... 83.6 80.0 73.6 39.2 48.9 36.4 23.7 18.8 16.4 29.1 32808 ad. Virginia Lakes, Mono Co...... 82.8 79.8 72.7 37.9 49.1 36.9 23.2 19.1 16.3 29.1 34163 ad. Lassen Peak, Shasta Co. 82.4 78.6 71. 7 38.0 47.0 35.5 23.5 18.6 16.1 28.5 33552 8ubad. , Eldorado Co...... 83.8 81.4 .... 39.9 47.2 37.8 24.0 19.3 16.4 .... 22109 suhad. Lyell Canyon, Tuolumne Co..••..•. 79.4 76.2 69.8 37.0 47.5 35.9 22.6 18.4 16.2 29.4 24822 suhad. Bullfrog Lake. 28.6 Fig. 66. Skulls of pine marten, dorsal view. Top, drawn from Fresno Co...... ; .... 82.5 80.0 72.8 38.3 47.2 36.5 23.4 19.4 16.4 -'- -- subadult male of Maries cflUrina sierrae, no. 24822, Mus. Vert. ------Average 0110 males ••. 82.0 79.0 71.9 38.4 47.7 36. 3 23.4 18.7 16.2 29.0 Zoo!., trapped On August 29, 1916, at Bullfrog Lake, Fresno ------I------County. Bottom, drawn from subadult male of Maries caurina Females humboldtenm, type, no. 19158, Mus. Vert. Zool., obtained in Feb­ 22110 ad. Lyell Canyon, ruary, 1913, near Carlotta, Humboldt County. XI. Tuolumne Co. ••.•.•. 74.9 72.0 65.1 34.6 42.0 33.4 21.4 17.2 14.1 27.3 23042 ad. Tuolumne River, the lower throat and to detached spots and scattering white hairs on the middle of the Tuo1 umne Co...... 74.6 72.4 65.8 34.6 43.9 33.7 22.0 17.3 14.3 27.0 33627 subad. Devils P08tpile. breast. The intensity of the color of the throat patch varies in different individuals from Madera Co...... 72.0 69.6 63.1 31.8 40.6 32.8 18.9 15.6 13.3 26.1 dirty, dull, buffy white to (in an extreme example) zinc orange. .. 34162 suhad. Lassen Peak, Shasta Co. 73.4 70.8 64.3 33.4 38.8 31.7 20.0 16.1 13.1 28.8 37494 ad. Upper Velma Lake, We have seen no very young martens, and so are unable to say anythl.Og concermng Eldorado Co...... 75.4 71.2 65.0 34.7 42.0 33.0 19.9 16.5 14.0 25.6 the features in the earlier stages of growth. . 37495 ad. Upper Velma Lake, External measurements.-The following measurements were taken from unskinned Eldomdo Co...... 74.3 71.7 64.9 33.6 40.7 32.9 18.8 15.7 13.6 26.0 37493 ad. Upper Velma Lake, animals. Average dimensions, in inches, of 14 adult or nearly adult males from the Eldomdo Co...... 73.3 70.7 64.4 33.4 42.0 32.8 21.4 16.9 14.1 25.4 Sierra Nevada: total length, :Z4% (extremes :z:z'lS. and :z8%); tail, without hair, 7% 374m 8ubad. Upper Velma Lake. 16.0 13.3 27.9 and 8~); hind foot, 3% and 3%); height of ear from crown, 1% and Eldorado Co...... 73.0 70 .7 64.6 33.3 40.0 32.0 19.8 (6Ys (3Ys (IYs 35370 8ublld. Tioga, Mono Co...... 74.4 73.1 66.0 34.5 42.1 33.4 19.3 15 .8 14.0 26.1 1%). Average dimensions, in inch~, o~ 4 adult ?r nearly ~dult females from the same ------general region: total length, :z:z; tail Without hair, 7%; hind foot, 3; ear from crown, Average 019 females ..• 73.9 71.3 64.8 33.8 41.3 32.8 20.2 16.3 13 .7 26.7 1%. For detailed measurements, in millimeters, see table on page 185. "":gj\ r Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 188 Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia lengthening and narrowing of rostrum; development of prominent postorbital proc­ see table on page 187. This table indicates extremes as well as averages. It shows that esses; narrowing of postorbital constriction in cranium: Females apparentl~ never the proportions are remarkably uniform, and that females are easily distinguishable t well-marked sagittal ridges; for in that sex the opposIte, temporal muscle 1IDpr~ from males. ~ns, so far as available material shows, never quite reach one an00er, as th.ey do m Type locality.-Head of Lyell Canyon, at 9800-foot altitude, , males within the first year. In both sexes the sutures between the varlOUS cranial bones Tuolumne County, California (Grinnell and Storer, 1916, p. 2). Critical comment.-As compared with the northwestern pine marten (Martes cau­ become quickly closed. rina caurina) from the Puget Sound region, the Sierra Nevada pine romen (M. c. sierrae) averages decidedly paler in general tone of color, and has finer-textured pelage. ExTERNAL MEASUJl.J!MENTS (IN MtLuMETERS) OF ADULT AND SUBADULT Manes caurina sicrrae (NOT TYPICAL) FROM NORTHWESTI!RN CAUFORNlA, Au. CoLLECTED BY Furthermore, comparison of skulls shows the latter race to possess more widely spread­ AN!'''IE M. ALEXANDER AND LoUISE KE.LLOGG ing zygomatic arches, narrower rostrum, weaker sagittal crest, and more crowded molariform teeth. (For further comparative statements, see under Humboldt pine 0 " ~ marten, p. 207). In some of these respects, a slight tendency is shown towliU'd cfJurina ~ e g -'il 8 by specimens from the Trinity region of northwestern California; for this reason we No. Locality Date ] iJ 1 Sex Age .. ." J! present (in tables on p. 188) the measurements, both external and cranial, of the repre­ M.V.z. '3 0 ~ ~ '"E-o 1:S sentation at hand from that territory. ---- Distribution area in Cal1fornia.-ehiefly the high Sierra Nevada above the 6000­ --- Aug. 12, 1911 630 200 95 n ad. Head of Bear Creek. 6400 fL. Trinity Co••.••• 13773 cJ' Aug. 11, 1911 616 204 90 .. foot level. Occurs, not altogether continuously, north from the vicinity of Mineral King ad. Head of Bear Creek, 6400 fL, Trinity Co•...•• 13m cJ' June 18,1911 610 208 93 35 subad. Jackson Lake, 5900 fL. Siskiyou Co...... and Jordan Hot Springs, Tulare County, to , Siskiyou County; thence 13767 cJ' Aug. 1, 1911 590 205 95 .. subac!. Head of Rush Creek, 6400 fL, Siskiyou Co••••• west and northwest through the Trinity, Scott, and Salmon mountains, in Trinity and 13769 cJ' J uiy 29. 1911 612 198 94 .. 13768 cJ' subad. Head of Rush Creek, 6400 fL, Siskiyou Co•.... Siskiyou counties. (See map, fig. 67.) Stations of known occurrence extend, altitud­ Aug. 9. 1911 540 178 85 .. Q ad. Head of Bear Creek, 6400 fL, Trinity Co. inally, from 4000 feet (near Weed, Siskiyou County), up to 10,600 feet (Bullfrog Lake, 13771 Aug. 1, 1911 545 160 80 .. 13770 Q subad. Head of Rush Creek. 6400 fL, Siskiyou Co.•••. Fresno County). Life zones, mainly Hudsonian and Canadian, but also enters Tran­ I sition locally, especially when vagrant individuals cross from one high ridge to another. Lives in or closely adjacent to coniferous forests; in summer and faIl, commonly resorts MEAStJRl',MENTS (IN MILLIMETERS) OF SKULLS OF ADULT AND SUBADULT Maries caurina sierrae to rock slides and talus heaps. (NOT TYPICAL) FROM NORTHWESTERN CAUFORNIA Specimens examined from CalifOrnia.-Skins-with-skulls (some with complete skele­ I tons), or skulls-only, contained in the Museum of Vertebrate ZOOlogy unless otherwise .; ~ '"10 -5 -5 8 noted: Siskiyou County: Jackson Lake, 5900 ft., I; head of Rush Creek, 6400 ft., 3. 'li ." 8.~ ." 0 ] -5 .~ ~ ." ~ ~ £: "2 Trinity County: head of Bear Creek, 6400 ft., 3; Canyon Creek, I (U. S. Nat. Mus.); -a '"ii ~ -a ~ ~ ::l ] ~e '3 No. Locality ] 0 '".1:\ -" '"0" Grizzly Creek, 2 (U. S. Nat. Mus.). Shasta County: Warner Creek, 6600 ft., near Lassen Sex Age .g ..!l ~ ." 'li ~..!! M.v.z. 0 -5" ~ >. ~ :a a 'g -5 Peak, 2. Placer County: Summit, I (U. S. Nat. Mus.). Eldorado County: near Upper ." 0 g, '%] ;g 1'] \1'3 0 ::l ;; ~-e 1c ::t:~ (5~ ~ ~ ~ ~o ... i:t Velma Lake, 7000-8000 ft., 8; 4 mi. west of Emerald Bay, 8600 ft., I.Tuolumne County: d ------'" ---- Tuolumne River, 7800-8000 ft., 2; Lyell Canyon, 9700'-'9800 ft., 5.; "Mt. Lyell," I (U. S. Bear Creek, 13773 cJ' ad. 24.4 19.6 17.0 28.0 Nat. Mus.); Mount Unicorn, 3 (U. S. Nat. Mus.). Mariposa County: Vogelsang Lake, Trinity Co...... 83.4 80.6 73 .2 39.3 49.6 37.8 10,350 ft., 2; "Yosemite Park," I; Lake Tenaya, I (U. S. Nat. Mus.); "," 13772 cJ' ad. Bear Creek, 28.6 79.0 71.8 38.2 48.9 35.8 24.3 18.8 16.6 Trinity Co...... 83.0 I (U. S. Nat. Mus.). Mono County: Virginia Lakes, 10,000 ft., I; Ellery Lake, 9500 ft., Jackson Lake, 13767 cJ' subad. 23.1 18.9 16.4 29.6 Siskiyou Co...... 81.9 77.9 71.8 38.9 48.4 36.7 I; near Saddlebag Lake, 10,000 ft., I; near , 9500-10,000 ft., 4. Madera 13769 cJ' Bubad. Rush Creek, County: Deadman Pass, 10,200 ft., I; Devils Postpile, 8500 ft., I; Mount Raymond, 4 70.6 37.9 48.0 35.7 24.3 18.6 16.2 29.4 Siskiyou Co...... 80.4 77.0 (U. S. Nat. Mus.). Fresno County: "Fresno Co.," 2 (U. S, Nat. Mus.); Bullfrog Lake, Rush Creek, 13768 cJ' Bubad. 24.6 19.1 15.7 28.9 Siskiyou Co...... 82.5 78.6 71.4 39.7 47.1 36.0 10,600 ft., 2. Tulare County: Whitney Meadows, 9800 ft., I.Total, 56.

Bear Creek, 13771 Q ad. 21.1 16.1 14.6 26.5 The pine marten (often wrongly spelled "martin," which is the name of Trinity Co...... 75.3 70.8 64.3 34.0 43.0 33.3 Rush Creek. 13770 Q subad. 20.4 16.4 1U 27.3 a bird) or American sable reminds some persons of a small, slender-bodied Siskiyou Co...... 71.7 68.9 62.2 n.5 41.3 n.o house cat; others think it resembles a large pine squirrd, The total length of the adult animal is frOID22 to 29 inches, 7 to 9 inches of this being occu­ Cranial measurements.--Some average measurements, in inches, of adult or nearly pied by the tail, which is cylindrical in form and rather bushy. As in most adult male skulls are as follows: Greatest length of skull, 318: greatest breadth (~cross species in the family Mustdidae, the male is appreciably larger than the 'c arches) I 7/g' breadth of brain case (across mastOid processes), dlz; mter- zygomau , II, • mill' s~e orbital width, %. For detailed measurements of skulls of both sexes, 10 1IDete~s, female, weighing one-third more than does. Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 1 190 Fur-bearing Mammals of California 19 tion is subject to only a rather slight range of variation, leading not very A Sierra Nevada pine marten in normal winter coat is of a r~ch golden ddinitely to "light" and "dark" grading of pelts. brown color above, becoming paler about the face, ears, and SIdes of the . Trappers' guid~books. compare the marten with the Our impres­ neck. The color beneath is paler than that above, with an orange-co:ored or mink. SIon of a marten 15 that It resembles a cat in its agility and a fox cub in gen­ yellowish white patch of varying size on the throat and chest. ThIS often eral appearance; it has a thick, bushy tail, upright ears, and slender pointed face (see fig. 68). There is a striking air of lightness and action about the animal, remindful of a tree squirrel.

1. Maries c sierrae 2. Martes c. humboldtansls

a up to 5 o 5 to 10

e 11 to 20 o 21 to 30 • .,tler30

Fig. 68. Sierra Nevada pine marten. alive in a trap; caught August 29. 1916, at Bullfrog Lake, 10,600 feet altitude. Fresno County. Mus. Vert. ZOO!.. no. 2243. DISTRIBUTION MAP MUSEUM OF vERTEBRATE zOOL..OGV Two features of the pine marten are worthy of special notice. The first is the presence of a well-defin~d scent gland, on the center of the abdomen (see Hall, 1926c, p. 227). Externally this gland appears to be merely a thick. ening of the skin. However, examination of a freshly skinned animal shows p. 67 Distribution in California, of the pine martell, as based on reports oli trappers for the period. 19 9- 9 4. Varying numbets of marten captured. indicate prob,,?le centers of abun­ that the gland lies mostly between the dermis and the abdominal wall soy::; 1 1 2 dance at that time. Presumed general ranges of the two races, SIerra Nevada pme marten (1) and though the granular fatty tissue of which it consis~ seems to proliferat~ Humboldt pine marten (2), outlined. through the skin to the outside. In general structure it reminds one of the dorsal tail gland found in coyotes; wolves, and foxes, or of the granular vivid throatpatch is extended in some individuals in a narrow line down the "scent" gland that is on the back of kangaroo rats between the shoulders. middle of the belly. The feet are dark brown, as is also r,he tail, which be­ fn a male marten trapped (D.) September 28, 1923, on Warner Creek, comes gradually darker until it is almost black at the up. The claws are Shasta County, this gland was well defined and measured 1 inch in width pearly white, sharp, and well adapted to tree climbing. The general colora- Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 193 and 3 inches in length. In a female marten trapped at the same locality a ~e m:men~ with rock slides has been attested by observers at many points week earlier, the gland was Yz-inch in width and 3 inches in length. The m ~a1i£or01a. Martens were found (D.) about the rock slides ata 10,60o-foot gland was also present in martens trapped at Bullfrog Lake, in Fresno alUtude at B~I£rog Lake. near Kearsarge Pass, Fresno County, in Septem­ County, on August 26 and 31,1916. Apparendy, as a marten travels about, ber, 1916. Diligent trappmg at that time in the foxtail-pine forests away gliding along on rocks or branches and resting or hiding on limbs of trees, from ~e roc~ slides, failed to reveal the presence of any martens. In the this abdominal scent gland comes in contact with the rock surface or bark Yoserrute regIOn the addiction of the marten to the rock slides was very and leaves a deposit the presence of which may readily be detected through the sense of smell by any passing member of its kind. It has been our experi­ ence and that of many trappers as well that martens often follow each other about over well~efined "runs" or "roads," and that two, three, or even more martens will travel the same route along some invisible trail within a fortnight of one another. We believe it likely that the abdominal scent gland serves importandy in connection with this habit. A second peculiarity of the pine marten is that the front feet are more or less plantigrade. If a live marten be watched as it climbs about, it will be seen that the animal does not walk on its toes like a house cat; instead, a good deal of the sole of the front foot now and then comes in contact with the surface walked upon, and in this dle marten resembles the raccoon. Examination of the soles of the front feet of a marten shows that they are long and well padded with hair. The right front foot of a live female mar­ ten, as it came in contact with the ground in walking, was measured and found to be 35 millimeters wide and 50 millimeters long. The marten lives in the Boreal life zones of California pretty generally throughout their extent north of the Thirty-fifth Parallel. They are trapped regularly in the mountains of Trinity and Siskiyou counties, as well as in g . Fi ' 6.9•A typical summer habitat of Sierra Nevada pine marten among foxtail and lod I the region about Mount Shasta. They have been reported as occurring in pmes. plCtUie taken on June 9 1934 Wall C gepo e National Park. " near ace reek, on the upper , Sequoia the Warner Mountains of Modoc County, but we have no recent record­ Phowgraph by Wildlife Dillisioo; '._sy of lhe NaziotUd PIJt" 0_' n. • nor, indeed, any well-attested one-of their having been captured in that ~ .n::TTnC~. Llff'paf'tmen: of the lntenor. locality. Trappers' reports show that martens are taken every winter in suit­ apparent (G.). In the Lassen section in September, 1923, a pair of martens able localities along both slopes of the Sierra Nevada from Lassen Peak and was trappe~ at the base of a rock slide. Miss Louise Kellogg found that in Eagle Lake south through the Tahoe region to the vicinity of Mineral King, ~e mountams of Trinity and Siskiyou counties martens were partial to rock Tulare County. It is probable that they also occur somewhat to the southeast slides. Thus, she reports (MS, 19II) that at Bear Creek, at an altitude of of this point, nearly or quite to the brink of the Kern "gap." The known 6000 f~et, a marten was caught in a trap set in a grove of firs between two altitudinal range of the Sierra Nevada pine marten is from 4000 feet, near rock shdes. Others were trapped at Jackson Lake, 6000 feet, and at the head Weed, Siskiyou County, to IO,600 feet in the region. of R~h Creek, 6400 feet, in each pl3:ce at the foot of a rock slide. As indicated by its name, the pine marten is, over most of its general This preference of the California martens for rock slides during the sum­ range, a forest dweller (see 70); but our Sierran race has departed mer and fall months is not difficult to explain Like other ft_:__l figs. 69, • • CUJ..LUl

Fig, 70, Moraine Lake, in ; photographed on June IS. 1934.This is in the area on the Chagoopa Plateau in which pine.martens were formerly numerous. Phol

According to our experience in California, then, the marten is found most frequently during the summer months in rock slides or in the near-by red­ fir forests. In the fall when the rock slides become covered with snow, the activities of the conies and wood rats become restricted and they rarely appear above the snow. About this time the chipmunks and ground squir­ Fig, 71. Fir woods near Round Meadow, Sequoia National Park, as rels go into hibernation for the winter and are not accessible again until seen on January 12, 1935. The tnill of a marten over the snow at this spring. As winter advances the rock slides become more completely buried, place indicated that it had been stalking a chickaree, Pholoptlph by Wildlife V,'uirioo; eourIt!sy of the NatioooI PorI( Serrriee, and then the martens leave them and seek their food along the pine-clad Department of tire Interior. ridges. Chickarees remain active all winter and are regularly hunted out by ~ the lo~~ c.oun~y. In his experience, the only time they ever come down the hungry martens. (See fig. 71.) IS when m?lV1d~al~ cr?ss a canyon or valley in order to reach another range Some writers would have us believe that in the winter and spring the of mountams Within Sight on the other side. Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia [GRlNNtll, tmr.ON, LlN!iDAL!: FUR.~BEAJUNG M.U4MALs OP CI\LJPOBNlt\: pun: IV1 Similar testimony was given us by another observer of long experience, W. H.Parkinson, who said: "TheSierra pine marten is strictly a high moun­ tain animal, never in any concerted manner migrating to lower levels at any time of year. Its range in the central Sierra Nevada is from 7000 feet altitude to timber line. Occasionally an individual will come down to a lower level, as low as 6000 feet, but only as a side trip. It does not live there. Near timber line, along the timbered slopes of ridges and peaks that thrust their heads and crowns above timber line, is typical marten country." Martens are both diurnal and nocturnal, yet we have very few records of persons' having met with them in the wild. Doubtless this is because they are so adept at keeping under cover and out of sight. The marten can get into action quicker than any other fur bearer with which we have had first-hand acquaintance. The males often are stolid or phlegmatic, but certain females are continually "on the hair trigger," ready to jump at the slightest sound or movement. Half a dozen photographs were taken of a captive female marten (D.). A reflecting camera was used and the focal-plane shutter was speeded up;·but, in the fraction of a second that elapsed between the tripping of the mirror and the exposure of the plate, this marten always managed to move and spoil the picture. At Bull­ frog Lake, Fresno County, on August 29, 1916, a picture was taken of a captive marten that had been brought to bay in a rock pile; This photo­ graph (fig. 68) shows well the disposition of the animal, which proved to be just as vivacious as it looks; the black beady eyes were always alert, and the slender white teeth and sharp curved claws were kept ready for instant action. There is great individual variation in temperament. Some captive martens quiet down quickly, whereas others remain aggressive for a longtime. As far as we have been able to learn, in their wild, free state the martens are ordinarily silent animals. Trapped martens give voice to ear-piercing screams which can be heard for a distance of 100 yards or more. In early winter the foot pads of the marten grow a dense coating of hair which covers the toe and heel pads and protects them from contact with the snow and ice. Tracks made in the winter thus rarely show any imprint of the toe pads. Since the Sierran pine marten is lightly built, rarely weighing more than 2Y2 pounds, it can travel over slightly crusted snow without leav­ SIERRA NEVADA PINE MARTEN (ABOVE) ing any tracks at all. Tracks made by an average-sized male marten travel­ MOUNTAIN WEASEL, IN WINTER (BELOW, AT LEFt) ing at normal gait in freshly fallen loose snow at Saddlebag Lake, Mono MOUNTAIN WEASEL, IN SUMMER (BELOW, AT RIGHT) County, on January 6, 1923, were found by Gardisky to be from 18 to 30 inches apart, every other leap being a long one. At times marten tracks will Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 197 occur in which all four footprints are bunched in a small square. At other times the tracks will be more strung out. In the summer months the hair on the soles of the marten's feet becomes worn down so that in specimens taken in August the toe and heel pads are fully exposed, but even then it is difficult to find clear-c1it tracks of an animal which treads so lightly. The footprint of a male marten measures about 1 inch in width and IY4, inches in length. It is catlike in general outline, but has an extra pad showing be­ hind and outside the regular heel pad. In traveling on the ground or snow the marten jumps along just like the fisher, but instead of jumping 5 or 6 feet, its average jump is 32.inches. It walks or paces only when stopping to make an investigation of some object. While hunting, it often takes to the trees and travels great distances above the ground where the density of the forest will permit. To imagine one moving in this way, a person has only to call to mind a tree squirrel traveling in timber. There is practically no difference in methods used, except that the marten is faster and can leap over much wider gaps Cw, H. Parkinson, MS). Martens do not hibernate, even in the coldest winters. A. J. Gardisky, living on the Mono County side of the central Sierra, has discovered that some of the martens spend the cold nights of midwinter in hollow trees, gaining entrance near the tops. They may remain "holed up" for a day or two until warmer weather sets in, and then hunt again for pine squirrels. W, H. Parkinson said he had observed that martens do not den up except at the time of severe storms. Ifa storm is of long duration, they will do some hunting whenever there is a lull. In winter they are always fat. A curious fact is the unequal representation of the two sexes in the speci­ mens before us. Out of 39 individual~ represented by skulls, 2B are males and II\are females. Moreover, we have heard a similar apparent preponder­ ance of males commented upon by trappers. Yet there is no reason to sup­ pose that in this animal there is any marked departure from the usualSD-So ratio. In explanation it is suggested that males forage far more widely than do females and thus are more likely to be taken in some one of the settings in a far-flung trap line. To put it in another way, a female may venture but a relatively short distance away from her den, whether this be among rocks or in a hollow tree. It is possible, also, that the male may bring food to her during a part of the year, though, as noted below, some of our evidence seems to indicate that outside of the brief period of mating the male is not attentive to the female. Another explanation offered is that the female is inherently more suspicious and keen-witted than the male. Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 199

Martens in North America at large normally breed but once a year. The just losing its milk teeth at the time of capture. Yet this marten was 588 mil­ number of young in a litter is commonly declared to vary from one to four, limeters long and weighed 745.7 grams, being thus almost as large as fully and the time of birth is said to be in April. However, data for California are adult males from the same region. . few, and they do not setde certain questions regarding the life history of A remarkable opportunity to watch a family of pine martens once came this fur bearer, such as time of mating and period of gestation. Whether to W. H. Parkinson. The following account has been condensed from his martens in California mate in midsummer, yet do not give birth to young manuscript report of the circumstances and his observations. until the following spring, as has been indicated for martens in Alaska (see "In June, 1898, I left the old mining camp of Confidence, Tuolumne _WalkeE, ;[929. p. 206.), we do not know. But the following cited evidence is County, with a party of fishermen headed for Kennedy Lake on the head­ waters of the just west of Sonora Peak. We traveled over pertinent. Through the cooperation of trappers in California we have obtained and the (then abandoned) old Sonora and Mono Toll-road as far as Baker's examined the reproductive organs of several female martens which were Station, where we left our wagons and packed in to the lake, a distance of caught in the first week in January. A female trapped January 3, 1925, at a about ten miles. 7ooo-foot altitude, on the North Fork of the , Madera "This trip, to me, was like entering a different world. I had never been County, and another female taken January 6, 1925, near Granite Creek in high mountain country and every mile of our trip, going in, disclosed bridge, 6600 feet, Madera County, upon gross examination, showed no signs some animal or bird which to me was a perfect stranger and a source of of breeding. Out of 35 martens trapped in various parts of the State in the wonder, fascination and delight. The antics of the Douglas squirrel drew a months of October, November, December, and up to January 22, and exam­ lot of my attention and I never tired of watching one of them in the timber. ined for breeding evidence, not one of the females was found to contain em­ "It was while engaged in this last mentioned pastime that I saw my first bryos. Mr. Bartholomew (in a letter of January 5,1925) informs us that he pine marten. I was lying at the base of a big fir, keeping perfecdy still, when has shipped as many as 26 martens in one season, trapped between Novem­ suddenly there was a warning note, sounded by chipmunks and squirrels, ber 1 and March 1, and that not one of the females showed any signs of which I supposed was caused by a hawk. Then, straight out in the forest nursing. Mr. Gardisky found that none of the female martens which he before me and at nearly a right angle to my line of vision, came a very large took in December or January contained embryos. He caught three female brown 'squirrel' [pine martenI through the trees, going rapidly from one martens in the latter part of February, 1929, but was unable to discover to the next by running through the branches, jumping gaps of several feet, signs of pregnancy in any of them. going up in some trees and down in others, seeking out the least difficult The data given above might indicate that females do not mate until well line of travel but never reaching the ground. It soon disappeared in the beyond midwinter and that the period of gestation is consequendy rather forest. This was about June 20 and close to. 8000 feet altitude. short-3 to 4 months at most; or it might be taken to mean that young-of­ "Afew days later I found a family of young martens. The den was about the-year (hence nonbreeding) individuals are most numerous or most easily one-fourth mile from where I had seen the adult in the trees, and in the ~ite trapped in the winter, and that old and pregnantfemales have escaped trap­ direction it had been traveling:Tlle was in a big fir which had been ping or at least critical examination. Again, we simply have to point out the struck by lightning years before with a resulting strip of dead wood down insufliciency of appropriate facts. Failure to find embryos in these animals one side. About sixty feet up and just under a dead limb was a hole, prob­ may have resulted from the circumstance that the ova, although fertilized, ably an abandoned pileated woodpecker's nest. When I located the den, were not yet implanted and hence the embryos had not yet developed suf­ late one evening, the young martens, four in number, were out playing near ficiendy to be noticeable to the naked eye. this hole. We have found nothing to indicate definitely that the male parent assists "My attention was first drawn to the animals by the noise they made, a in any way with the care of the young. The young are about full grown by sort of squealing sound which fitted well with my notion of squirrels. They the end of summer. Thus a specimen (no. 23041) taken September 6,1915, played just as young gray squirrels might, chasing each other up and down at an altitude of 10,000 feet, onFletcher Creek, Yosemite National Park, was the body of the tree and out on limbs. Once all four gathered on one limb 200 Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifOrnia Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 201 at the same time, above and to one side of the nest, hut they were no.t quiet The following statements, written for us by W. H. Parkinson, were based for long. They would slap at each other just as cats do, but ~ways ~ fun. upon his many years of study of this animal in the central Sierra Nevada. The orange spot under the chin ;md on the throat showed p~ainly, but It was Winter and summer martens prey upon all the small rodents, and upon of a very pale, light color. The entire body was much paler m color than the birds and their eggs, not only the ground-nesting kinds but also those that adult I had seen. nest high in the trees. Parkinson sometimes walked from high in the moun­ "I kept expecting to see the mother hut she did not appear. Finally it be- tains to the foothills to get Steller jays and woodpeckers for inarten bait. came late and I decided to go to camp, so I made my presence known by The latter make the best bait. Parkinson thought that the martens go into yelling loudly. At the first sound the young animals made for the den and the trees after woodpeckers at night and eat more of them than of any other popped in like flashes. kind of bird. At tree sets the marten habitually reaches up with one foot "I have found several marten den trees in winter, but I have never had and pulls at the bait. Often when the tree trap is nailed to a tree and the another opportunity to watch the animals in summer." . trigger is baited, the marten is caught by one front leg. These observations Parkinson once trapped out a colony of martens around Iron Mountam strongly suggest that this procedure is the normal one used by foraging in Madera County. He caught five adult males, four adult females, :md.one martens, and further implies that a major part of the food of martens is half-grown female. This and other observations of a similar nature mdIcate obtained from cavities which are reached into with one front foot. that, in this species, the number of young which reach maturity each year A marten will cover a distance of ten or fifteen miles in one night. This is remarkably small. .... does not include the side trips and backtracking. In following a marten trail Reports from trappers indicate that m Califorma the chIef natural ene- the tracker will often find himself going in circles, zigzagging, back-trail­ mies of the marten are the horned owl and the golden eagle. F~shers. are ing, and tracing a pattern like a crazy quilt, but always making general said to capture martens by running them down, b~t we have re~eIved little progress along a definite course. In 1921, near the Mount Raymond Mine, first-hand confirmation of this theory. Mr. Gardl5ky reports (m a letter) a marten was caught and crippled, but it escaped. Five days later the same that occasionally in extremely cold weather, when food is at a minimum, animal was trapped at the head of Grizzly Creek at least ten miles away in one marten has devoured another marten caught fast in a trap; but he adds: an air line from the point of first capture. It was thought that the animal "They have to be very hungry to do this." had traveled a distance much greater than ten miles to reach the place where W. H. Parkinson was convinced that the fisher preys upon the marten. it was finally caught. . At least two martens were taken from his traps and eaten by fishers. On one Martens occupy certain hunting grounds in groups, usually of from occasion he found evidence that a fisher had caught and eaten a free marten twelve to fifteen members. They seem to cover this range at the same hour in the woods. nightly, splitting up and coming together at a certain point such as a saddle Gardisky, trapping winter after winter along the crest of ~e Sierra Ne- in a high ridge, and then separating again. To quote from Parkinson;s man­ vada between and the headwaters of the San Joaqum, has found uscript: "I said, they seem to travel together. It is possible they do not and that martens are well supplied with food in the summer, fall, and early that they follow at intervals during the night. I have never been able to get winter. They then devour marmots, chipmunks, squirrels, conies, wood. positive information on this point." They have several hunting grounds and rats mice and birds. When the snow becomes deep, most of the rodents may cover one range for four or five consecutive nights, then entirely dis­ hib~rnate: though some, such as the pine squirrels, remain active all winte~. appear for a week or more, after which they will sudden!y come back. In midwinter, mice for the most part travel under the snow, and there 15 A marten often hunts in rock slides, but when a track is found leading then very little for the martens to eat. Mr. o. Bartholomew, a snow and into a slide, a search always will reveal the place where the aillmal came out stream gauger, after winteringfor five years in marten country on the head­ and passed on, all in the same hour. In winter the marten sticks to the tim­ waters of the San Joaquin River, reported that he had observed martens ber and does most of its hunting there. It sleeps in an old, dead or partly eating mice, birds, and pine squirrels, and also scraps of cheese, potato, dead lir tree, either in a squirrel den which it has appropriated or in an bread, and even the humble bean, which he had thrown out as garbage. abandoned pileated woodpecker's nest, usually high in the tree. 202 Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 203 In the winter of 1913-14, at Red Top Camp, Parkinson made observations came int? camp, removed the lid of the tin pan without awakening anyone, concerning the marten's trait of not hunting near the den. In an old fir tree and earned all the fish away. The second night, a trap set at the same place standing about one mile west of Parkinson's cabin, on the plateau between and baited with fish heads caught a marten. It is probable that this marten Patterson Mountain and Hall Mountain, was a den occupied by two mar­ had made a practice of living on food scraps left at this much-frequented tens. A mile or more of almost level country separated this tree from either place by campers. mountain. This flat area (plateau) was heavily timbered and was inhabited Few men have actually seen a marten in the act of capturing its prey. The by a great number of Douglas squirrels. Each evening the two martens left following observation by Mr. Bartholomew is therefore of interest. The their den and traveled side by side straight to one or the other of the moun­ country that he was trapping over, that season (1923-24), lay in the upper tain slopes, never stopping to investigate anything on the way. Parkinson San Joaquin.River basin, for the most part above the Booo-foot level. It was followed them a dozen times and they did not vary this procedure. As soon an unu~uall~ w:rrm winter and at the end of November the grasshoppers as they reached the mountain slopes they began to hunt in the red-fir forest were s~ actlve m the long grass. However, when the chill of evening came there, and their game was usually Douglas squirrels (chickarees). on, these msects would edge out onto the warm rocks. Whilefollowing along Martens are not so plentiful in the Sierra Nevada as one would believe the margin of a Pleadow one evening at dusk, Bartholomew detected move­ when first going over their range in winter. They do much seemingly un­ ment .ahead of him, which upon investigation proved to be a marten in the necessary running about in a crisscross manner,. and this at first decdves the act of catching grasshoppers. The insects were not yet completely chilled observer attempting to estimate their numbers inany given locality. A dozen and could still make short low flights; the marten in capturing them was martens will leave a countless number of trails in a night's run, and it takes going through all the antics of a cat chasing a moth. This diet of grasshop­ lots of patience and great tracking ability to follow anyone individual for pers may be unusual for a marten, but this individual seemed to be familiar any great distance. Its length of jump must be exactly measured and its with the procedure it was following. . track carefully studied until the observer is able to distinguish it from any Another observer's account of a marten seen in action in the daytime has other track. been reported by C. P. Russell (1926, p. 94). On the Vernal Falls trail about Another series of observations made by Parkinson shows how erratic is three-fourths of a milefrom Happy Isles, in Yosemite National Park, Ranger the occurrence of the marten. From September 1 to September 6, 1924, he Clyde Boothe watched a marten pounce upon a California ground squirrel. made a trip to the high country at the headwaters of Cow Creek east of The attacking animal was so absorbed in killing its prey that it did not re­ Baldy Lookout Station, in Fresno County. There he found several "marten spond to the approach ofa man until he was nearly upon it. Then it released runs" in as typical marten country as exists anywhere in the Sierra. He saw the squirrel and sprang lightly to the top of a large boulder at the trailside. tracks in great numbers and planned a winter trip there at the first oppor­ From this perch it watched the human intruder for a moment and then dis­ tunity. Accordingly, late in the fall of the following year (1925) he re­ appeared in a rock pile. The crippled ground squirrel dragged itself off in turned to the place. He was favored with wonderful tracking snows but, another direction. although he spent two weeks there, he failed to find one marten track. The The stomach of a female marten taken at a 6600-foot altitude on Warner animal had simply vanished from that part of the mountains. The food Creek in Shasta County, on September 21, 1923, was found (D.) to contain supply was abundant and other conditions were perfect, as far as he could the remains (weighing 38 grams) of a golden-mantled ground squirrel determine, but the martens were gone. (Callospermophilus). The capture of this diurnal squirrel might be cited That martens always shun human association, as is sometimes stated, is as proof that the marten had done some hunting abroad in the daytime. not borne out by the following experience. In 1916, while we (D.) Were at However, this marten (which had been observed while it was still alive) Bullfrog Lake near Kearsarge Pass in the southern Sierra Nevada, our camp c?uld squeeze .thr~ugh a hole two inches in diameter, which is roughly the was pitched close to the lake shore and not far distant from a rock slide. SIZe of the sqUIrrel s burrow. It is therefore possible that the marten had en­ Several freshly caught trout were placed in a covered pan on the ground for tered the underground home of the squirrel and killed it while it slept. the night. While we were sleeping within six feet of the fish, some animal Nevertheless, martens elsewhere have been seen (D.) hunting by daylight. Fur~bearing Mammals ofCalifornia Sierra Nevada Pine Marten 205 204 Stomach examinations made by the trappers of California who gave us rodents, and of these 70 per cent were mice and rats. No game birds were information showed that mice, wood rats, chipmunks, squirrels, and a few found in any of the stomachs examined. With respect to the food it eats, the birds are regularly eaten by martens. A snow bird [junco], a small gray marten may be thought of as beneficial to man's interests. Furthermore, hawk [sharp-shinned], and a camp robber [Clark nutcracker] were the good marten pelts are at this writing (1925) worth their weight in gold. For three species of birds reported as eaten. The nutcracker had been used for softness, warmth, and beauty, marten pelts rank high among furs. The bait. The food most frequently eaten was mice, which were found in more average value to the trapper of marten pelts in California for the 5-year than half of the 34 stomachs examined. There were squirrels in 5 stomachs, period, 1920-1924> was $15.71. The highest average price for anyone year chipmunks in 2, and wood rat in 1. Rodents were found in 84 per cent of was .$25.08, and the lowest $6.51. the stomachs examined. Ten marten stomachs examined in the laboratory At least three-fourths of the martens trapped in California are taken by (D.) gave similar results. The amount eaten at a meal 'varies, but 38 grams, a few professional trappers who specialize in this animal. Henry Duval or a little less than 1Yz ounces, constitute a large meal for a female marten. heads the list, having trapped ¢ martens in a single season. A. J. Gardisky The number of martens in a given unit of good marten country is esti­ is second, with an annual catch for four seasons of 42, 28, 35, and 35, a total mated by some trappers to be as high as one to each square mile and by of 140 in four years. Another trapper operating in the best marten country others to be as low as one to every three square miles. The following account to be found in the State outside of the national parks, reported his annual regarding the population density of martens is condensed from letters of catch for five successive years as 20, 7, 18, 10, 25. o. Bartholomew, who for five years traveled once each month, both winter The trapper who specializes in marten usually spends some time in the and summer, over much of the upper drainage of the San Joaquin River in fall "prospecting" the country he expects to trap. He is thus able to become Madera County. Bartholomew's report, which is considered by us to be familiar with it before the snow comes. He picks out his winter headquar­ thoroughly reliable, is essentially as follows: "In this section during the win­ ters, which often is some unoccupied summer cabin, and then packs in food, ter martens travel over what we term a 'run.' This run is usually more or traps, and supplies for the entire winter, before the heavy snows cut off less circular in course, and varies in length from five to thirty miles. Under transportation. After he has fixed up his quarters and obtained his winter's favorable conditions the martens will travel around this run about one mile supply of wood, he waits for the first good fall of snow before starting his per day, though during bad storms they travel little, if any. About 90 per trapping. A favorite procedure is to lay the trap line in the form of a cirde, cent ofthe martens in the neighborhood of a run will follow it, traveling in and this is made large enough so that the trapper can travel the entire cir­ groups. Sometimes two groups travel over the same run. At times, the lead­ cuit in two or three days. In this way the trapper avoids traveling over the ing group pauses long enough to allow the 'rear guard' to catch up. From same section of trap line at too frequent intervals, and at the same time a the number of tracks in the snow at such points, it might appear to a novice maximum of territory is covered with a minimum of travel. Temporary or that the woods were full of martens. Their summer activities are obscured overnight camps are established and provisioned at suitable places along the by the fact that the soil in this region makes it diffic~t to. track s~ ligh~ an trap line, so that the trapper on his trips will be hampered by luggage as animal except in snow." Thus, any given square mile Ollght be inhablted little as possible. by a large number of martens, but only for two or three days a month. This In severe winter storms the snowfall may be so heavy that it completely shows that we can compute the marten population of a given square mile covers the."blazes"-the marks which the trapper makes in the fall as high only as a factor of the whole territory. Bartholomew estimates the number up on the trunks of the trees as he can reach. If this occurs, he is no longer of martens throughout the San Joaquin and basins to be 32 to able to follow his trap line through the forest. At such times the snow is from 8 to 14 feet deep on the level and of course deeper in the drifts. The each 100 square miles. In considering the economic status of the pine marten, we find that there marten trapper may thus be cut off from all communication with the out­ is very little to be said against the species and a good deal to be said in its side world for weeks at a time. During such periods he is wholly dependent favor. The marten is of small size and.1ives far away from poultry farms. upon his own efforts, and if he falls ill, meets with an accident, or becomes More than 75 per cent of the food found in marten stomachs consisted of lost, there is no one to give him aid. The occupation is a hazardous one. 206 Fur~bearing Mammals ofCalifornia Humboldt Pine Marten

As to methods of trapping, it is obvious that the traps for martens must The rapid depletion of the marten population of California and a re­ be set where they will not be buried by falling snow. To accomplish this, cer­ ported similar reduction in its numbers elsewhere, together with the high tain kinds of traps are made which can be nailed directly to tree trunks well quality of the fur and its uniform popularity, lead us to believe that the price above the snow. These traps are more humane than ordinary steel traps be­ of marten pelts will continue to increase as the years go by. Already it has cause the animal caught in one of them is struck a hard blow over the head been found necessary to give a year-round closed season to the marten in which kills it instantly. It is unfortunate that these traps are not adapted to Alaska. Similar treatment in California would probably be justified by the a wider use; but a wiser animal, such as the red fox, will detect and avoid continuing production of this valuable fur bearer. such bulky, uncovered traps. A second method of trapping the marten is to choose a pine or fir trunk HUMBOLDT PINE MARTEN that has been hollowed at the base by fire. A few large dead limbs are stuck Martes caurina humboldtensis Grinnell and Dixon up in the snow and the upper ends leaned against the burned-out tree trunk. OTHER NAMES.-Mustela caurina, part; Martes caurina, part; Martes caurina sierrae, Slabs of bark are then placed over the dead sticks so that the whole forms part; Mustela caur£na humboldtensis; Marten, part; Northwestern Pine Marten, part. General characters.-Similar to the Sierra Nevada pine marten (for which see p. a shelter which will keep out the snow and within which the trap and bait 184), but slighdy smaller, coloration darker, especially on under surface, and tone of can be put. The marten in going in after the bait will step into the trap. brown more golden. .Yet another method is as follows: A tree with dense foliage and drooping Description.-The two pdts that came first to hand (nos. 35369, 35372) are female branches, preferably with a forking trunk, is chosen; through its branch­ and male of dates of December 23 and January 14, and are in prime condition. These agree in features of coloration down to very small details. They contrast with prime work or crotch a dead sapling is leaned at a 45-degree angle and the heavy EX1"ERNAL MEASUREMENTS (IN Mn.LIMETERS) OF Manes caunna humboltItcnIis end is thrust into the snow. In this way the smaller end of the sapling, FROr;,: NOR'i"HWlOSTERN CALIFORNIA to which the set trap is wired face up, is several feet above the level of the ~ u snow. Furthermore, the trap is protected from falling snow by the drooping ::! No. ~ ~ § branches of the tree. To one of these branches above the trap the bait is wired. Sex Age Locality Collector a M.V.z. Date ..§ ti.. ~ .g '5 ""~ The marten is one of the easiest of the fur bearers to trap because it usually ~ ~ ::a ~ --- walks boldly into an uncovered trap. It strikes the scent of the bait, and fol­ 35372 ---- <3' ael. Near Requa, Del Norte Co•••• Eo Lewis Jan. 14, 1926 603 210 84 35 38869 <3' subael. Near Carlotta, Humboldt Co•. H. Eo Wilder Dec. 8, 1927 567 ISO 80 .. lows it up the sapling. When the marten arrives at the end of the pole, it 38868 young <3' Near Carlotta, Humboldt Co•• H.E: Wilder Dec. 8, 1927 5n ISO 88 .. finds the bait just out of reach above its head. Standing up in an effort to 374072 9 ad. Near Carlotta, Humboldt Co•. H.E.Wilder January, 1927 513 165 70 .. obtain the bait, it steps into the trap and is caught. An advantage of this 38885 \l subael. Near Carlotta, Humboldt Co•. . H.E. Wilder Dec. 22, 1927 530 175 76 .. method to the trapper is that the trapped animal is suspended well out of pelts of the Sierran race in the following respects: There is a distincdy darker, more reach of other animals that might devour it. sooty "overwash," apparendy pertaining to the overhairs; the underfur, especially Reports of the trappers of California show a marked decline, amounting along the sides, shows through as of a richer, golden brown tone; the feet and legs are to fully 75 per cent, in the number of martens trapped in a 4-year period. more extensively blackish brown; the tail is black at the end, but this blackness extends farther toward the base than in the Sierran animal. There is far less orange-ydlow The reported catch for each of these years is as follows: 1920, 452; 1921, color on the throat and chest, and the usual area of this color is much broken up b}'­ 227; 1923, 137; 1924, 12I. This decrease is not believed to be part of any coarse spots and marblings of body brown. That these two individuals were not excep­ natural periodic fluctuation such as has been reported of this 'and other tional forthe coastal area is indicated by the statements of trappers who have told us mammals elsewhere, because the data at hand indicate that the number of that pelts from Mendocino County "grade dark." Four additional pelts have reached the Museum since the writing of the description martens living in a general area in California usually does not vary much given above, and they bear it out. One (no. 37472), a female, is the palest of the six, from year to year; on the contrary, it is probably caused by overtrapping. especially about the head, and in this respect duplicates certain examples of the Sierran If this species continues to decline in numbers, and if efforts are not made race, but the throat and chest are heavily marbled with brown as in the other specimens to give it more adequate protection, in a short time it will be scarce or en­ from HumboldtandDel Norte counties; its darkness ofcoloration is otherwise apparent. C. Hart Merriam (I89ob, p. 27) describes a young female, less than half-grown, tirely absent in the State except in such protected areas as national parks. collected June 19, 1889, at Crescent City, which is doubdess of this race. He says it is Humboldt Pine Marten 208 Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia 209 "very woolly and the color is a uniform light seal brown, somewhat paler below, and from the Trinity Mountains region is not quite typical of sierrae nor, as might have interrupted on the throat by a yellowish patch." been expec;ed, intermediate between it and humboldtensis; the tendency is rather to­ Measurements.-The external measurements, in inches, of our one relatively old ward caurma of .the Puget Sound region. Probably geographic intergradation takes adult male (no. 35372), from Del Norte County, January 14, 1926, are: Total length, plac~ to .the ?orth of ~alifor~a b~tween each of these subspecies, separately, andcaurina. 23*; tail, without hairs, 8Y4; hind foot, 3%; height of ear above crown, x%. The .Dz:trtbutzon area In Calzfornza.-The narrow northwest humid coast strip, chiefly largest female of which measurements are available, gives the following figures, in Within the redwood belt, from the Oregon line south---at least, .formerly-as far as old inches, for the first three dimensions: 21,7, and 3. All available measurements are pre­ Fort Ross, Sonoma County. (See map, fig. 6].) Altitudinal range, from near sea level sented, in millimeters, in the accompanying table (p. 207). up to about 3000 ft. Life zones, Transition and Canadian. Speci."!e~s examined from California.-Thirteen sku1ls-only and 4 skins-with-skulls MEASUREMENTS (IN MiLLIMETERS) OF SKULLS OF Martes caU17na humboldtensis fr?m VIClIDty of Cuddeback .and Carlotta, Humboldt County; 2 skins-with-skulls (one FROM HUMBOLDT AND DEL NORTE CoUNTIES, CAUFORNIA WIth complete skeleton) from near head of ''Terwak'' (=Terwer on U. S. G. S. Preston Peak quadrangle) Creek, some 10 mi. northeast of Requa, Del Norte County. Total, 19. 10 ..c '0 .;; [~ of! 8 ~ ..c ] of! ." 0:, ..c ~ ~ ." :~ .~ .. Only as we extended the study of marten skulls to include the few No. .. 0:, .c S "j! MV.Z. Sex Age Date ] .. ] u j '3 e .c .c ] ~ specimens from Humboldt County at .first contained in the Museum of ..9 ." ." h '0 'Ou ~ ~ ..!!! .. of!~ ~~ .. .. .~ 8 '09 "'5 of! 5=' -g .~ g, ." , Vertebrate Zoology, did we come to realize the now evident fact that two ~J1 ~:c 1 .!f..5 ~~ <3 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~13 ..:: ~ :1:::;; ------well-marked races occur within the State. The narrow redwood belt of the 19158' ci' 8ubad. February, 1913 79.4 76.2 69.6 36.8 44.9 35.4 20.9 16.5 15.0 28.4 ~orthw:stern co~st is occu~ie~ by a subspecies of marten separate from that 19103 lci'j .ubad. January, 1913 n.5 74.9 68.2 36.4 41.7 34.2 19.3 16.4 14.1 27.7 19157 ci' young January, 1913 74.2 72.1 65.5 35.0 42.2 33.7 20.8 17.4 15.0 28.8 m the SIerra. ThIS subspeCIes IS now of rather sparse occurrence, though in 37471 ci' ad. December, 1926 81.2 78.9 71.8 37.4 45.0 35.5 21.3 17.5 15.5 28.4 ( 37464 Ici'J ad. December, 1926 79.5 76.4 69.9 36.9 46.7 35.4 20.7 17.7 15.3 28.3 earlier years it was more generally distributed and fairly numerous. The 37465 ci' suhad. December, 1926 80.2 78.7 71.8 37.8 46.1 35.7 22.0 17.5 14.9 28.8 37468 ci' .ubad. December, 1926 79.5 77.5 70.8 37.1 ·45.6 35.9 22.0 17.5 IS .3 29.1 southernmost report which, in our opinion, concerns the Humboldt pine 38869 ci' subad. December 8,1927 77.3 74.9 67.3 35.0 45.5 34.7 21.4 16.9 15.5 29.2 marten is from the neighborhood of Fort Ross, Sonoma County (C. L. 38868 ci' young December 8,1927 76.8 74.2 67.4 35.9 43.4 36.8 21.8 18.0 15.2 30.2 ------.-- Camp, MS). In 1914 an old trapper there said that he had taken pelts of Averageof9 males 74.8 76.0 69.1 36.5 44.6 35.2 21.1 17.3 15.1 28.8 ------( this animal in pre,;ious years. The next southernmost records are of recent 19104 IQI ad. January, 1913 72.5 69.4 62.6 32.4 38.3 31.0 17.8 14.9 13.2 25.1 37472 Q ad. January, 1927 70.4 ...... 32.4 40.4 .... 20.0 16.1 13 .5 26.3 \ c~ptures, and come from points in Mendocino County-Westport, Ten Mile 37463 Q ad. December, 1926 70.1 68.1 61.0 31.7 39.8 31.1 19.5 15.2 13.1 25.2 37470 [Q] ad. December, 1926 72.0 69.9 63.5 32.9 38.6 31.2 20.4 16.3 13.3 25.8 \..RlVer, and Longvale. Thence northward, trappers' stations are more nu- 37467 Q ad. December, 1926 72.2 69.7 62.9 32.8 39.9 31.9 18.9 15.3 13.5 26.4 merous, as indicated on the accompanying map (fig. 6]). 37469 Q 8ubad. December, 1926 71.0 68.5 61.5 32.4 39.6 31.4 18.9 14.9 13 .5 25.3 35369 Q 8ubad. December 23, 1925 69.4 67.0 60.4 30.8 38.5 30.2 19.2 16.1 13.0 26.4 Practically the only field knowledge we have concerning this race comes 37466 Q 8ubad. December, 1926 70.9 68.2 61.3 32.3 38.9 31.5 19.2 15.9 13.0 26.3 38885 Q .ubad. December 22, 1927 70.2 67.1 61.4 31.2 38.0 31.1 18.7 15.4 12.8 27.4 from Mr. Harry E. Wilder, long-time resident near Carlotta (formerly ------'------Averageof9females 71.0 68.5 61.8 32.1 39.1 31.2 19.21 15 .6 13.2 26.0 Cuddeback Post Office), Humboldt County, and it was through him that nearly all the specimens reached the Museum. There follows the summary • Type specimen, of a letter written by him under date of December 10, 1925. "I cannot feel Weights.-Only one weight is available, that of the male, no. 35372, which is 755 sure there is now a marten left in this part of the country. I never caught one gm.'(27 oz.) and thus less than the average weight of males of sierra<:. But this animal was unusually lean for a marten, perhaps because of an evident deformity of the head, myself, though I have always been on the lookout for them. In the winter which appeared to have been injured in early life. For the same reason the dimensions of 1913 a youngfellow who was staying at a shingle mill in the woods above of this animal's skull are not included in the accompanying table of measurements. Carlotta caught seven martens on the mountain back from the Van Duzen ~__ Skulls.-In characters of the skull, the subspecies humboldtensis is rather sharply River, probably at an altitude of from 1000 to 3000 feet. Some of the skulls different from sierrae. The skull of the former is smaller and narrower, with a notably I slenderer rostrum, and the teeth are somewhat smaller, especially the carnassials and of these animals were the ones I sent you. [See table on page 208.j A year L-,molars. For dimensions of the skulls at hand at this writing, see the table on this page. or two later several other martens were taken in the same general locality, Type locality.-Ridge about 5 miles northeast of Cuddeback [= Carlotta], Humboldt but I did not learn of this unti1long afterward. In recent years I occasionally County, California (Grinnell and Dixon, 1926, p. 4II).. hear of one being trapped within 20 miles of here, but I have not been able Critical comment.-We have seen no specimens truly intermediate between hum­ boldtensis and sierra<:. As stated elsewhere (p. 188), a good representation of martens to trace such reports. ••> 210 Fur-bearing Mammals ofCalifornia

"Some years ago one of the creeping redwood fires, that burn slowly and do little damage to the large trees but destroy the cover and drive out or destroy the smaller animals, burned over the forest for miles in this section, FISHER leaving litde chance for such animals as martens to remain. Martes pennanti (Erxleben) "All trappers agree that, although martens have been taken along streams 0n:ER NAM.ES.-Mustela pennanti; Mustela canadensis pacifica; Mustela pennanti well down toward sea level, they are found mostly on the high ridges. This padfica,' Martes pennanti pacifica; Pekan; Pennant Marten' Pennant Cat· Black Cat. makes the trapping of them difficult, as the climb in winter is heart-break­ Fisher Cat; Pacific Fisher. '" ~nd ing, owing to the wet tangle of brush and down timber, higher than one's General charaeters.-In size appearance somewhat like a gray fox, but legs shorter, ears sho~er and not pomted, and coloration very much darker. Body mod. head, up steep, slippery hillsides.... There may therefore be places where erately slender; tail long and bushy, but tapering from base; ears broad and low (semi- martens are left,though, if at all common, individuals ought to stray to lower levels within reach of the roads along the stream courses, and one now and then be taken. These animals presumably leave but little sign. "The sort of places where martens have been found about here seems mostly the fir [spruce] timber country above the redwoods, or where the redwoods give way to fir and hardwoods back from the coast. However, [ old-timers say they used to be found in the redwoods proper. I have heard of several taken years ago at but a few hundred feet altitude. There are still some martens trapped each winter along the lower Klamath River. "The common saying among trappers is that martens eat red squirrels (chickarees), which they can catch readily, as well as mice and birds. Old hunters say they will not live where there are fishers." Under date of April I, 1926, Mr. Wilder offered further information: ''Trappers tell of taking martens in recent years on the ridges above the Eel and Mattole rivers, and I think there may be some left there now. A few

years ago an Indian took 35 in a litde pocket that had been left untrapped ~ig. 72 • Fish,:,", face. view of freshly trapped specimen (adult male, no. 23668, Mus. Vert. several miles east of Big Lagoon.... Old-timers tell of one trapper catching Zoo!.); from Chinquapm, Yosemite National Park. Mus. Vert. Zoo!., no. 2008. Shows shape of nose pad and of ears, and distribution of vibrissae. 50 in one winter a few miles east of Loleta." circul~); In other, later communications, Wilder informed us that two trappers face broad between smallish eyes, but muzzle sharp, foxlike. (See figs. 72, from Fort Bragg spent the trapping seasons of 1926 and 1927 on the ridges 73·) S~ of males: head and body alone, about 2 ft. long; tail without hairs, I6 in. within ten miles of Carlotta. In those seasons the two men caught 25 mar­ long. Size of females: body up to 20 in. long, tail 15 in. long. Weight of males up to IO lb., of females up to 5Yz lb. Fur thick and long. Coloration dark brown becoming tens. Commenting upon the total catch of these trappers, Wilder said it was m~re ~r les.s grayish on head and fore part of body, and blackish on rump, legs, and "a remarkable record for this section, but was made in a region so difficult tail; tail ~ol:dly black at end, no white tip. (See PI. V, facing p. 228.) that no one else would work in it, and included the use of 400 traps over Descrtptzon.-~dults (prime winter pelts from the Yosemite region): No sharply set-off color markings anywhere, save for occasional, irregularly placed white spots on lines many miles in length." It was from these trappers that Wilder ob­ lower surface; a gradual change in color tone is apparent, from rather ashy grayish tained the last members of the series of Humboldt pine marten now in the ?rown o~ head to nearly black on legs and tail. The muzzle, including the whiskers, Museum. IS dark blster; nose pad, black; hair on rim and inside of ear, buffy white. Backs of s fr~m A total of 43 marten skins was definitely reported by trappers in the ea: , head cheeks and between ears backward, sides of neck and shoulders, a gnzzled grayIsh or buffy white; this because overhairs are black terminally white or 191~1924, 5-year period from the part of the State we consider to lie within buffy white subterminally, and dark mummy brown basally. This same pai:t;rn of hair the range of this race. color extends back along sides of body to Banks, but there the terminal black tips be-

e211 J