Numerous and Varied Animals (continued)

RODENTS OF THE MONUMENT

Of all the rodents, COTTONTAILS (Sylvilagus sp.) are probably commonest throughout the monument from the lowest levels of the desert at 2,600 feet to the densely wooded top of Mica Mountain at 8,590 feet. Cosmopolitan in their habits, they find food and shelter under almost any condition, and augment the water they obtain from springs and seeps by moisture derived from the sap of vegetation. The larger hares, or JACKRABBITS, of which there are two species in the monument (Lepus californica and L. alleni), remain at the lower levels where they are a common sight amid the cactuses.

Jackrabbit and a Gambel's quail.

PORCUPINES (Erethizon epixanthum) are rarely seen, but they leave characteristic scars on pinyons and ponderosa pines recording their feeding habits at higher elevations in the monument. They are also active in the chaparral belt, and an individual occasionally wanders down into the desert where it samples the bark of ocotillos and other Lower Sonoran Zone shrubs and trees including the mesquite bean.

Several species of ground squirrels are abundant. At the lower levels, especially in creosotebush flats, the ARIZONA ROUND-TAILED GROUND SQUIRREL (Citellus tereticaudus arizonae) finds suitable living conditions while the HARRIS GROUND SQUIRREL (Citellus harrisi) ranges from the Cactus Forest into the grassland and chaparral belt. At this elevation and upward through the pinyons and junipers, the ROCK SQUIRREL (Citellus variegatus) makes its burrows in rocky ledges and brushy canyons. Chipmunks of several species enliven the chaparral and forested parts of the monument with their quick movements and cheerful chatter. The CLIFF CHIPMUNK (Eutamias dorsalis) occupies the oak and pinyon-juniper woodlands where it harvests grass seeds, pinyon nuts, fruits, and berries.

The shy Harris ground squirrel. This tame fellow is having lunch.

KANGAROO RATS (Diodomys sp.) honeycomb the soil with their burrows ranging from the Cactus Forest up to the pinyon-juniper belt. Remaining underground during the day, they are frequently seen at night. One species at least requires no water, obtaining adequate moisture from a chemical process within its body during the digestion of its food, consisting principally of dry seeds. WOODRATS (Neotoma sp.), famous in song and story as pack rats or trade rats because of their inclination to carry away objects of human use leaving something else in their place, are found throughout the monument at all elevations. The parasitic CONENOSE (Triatoma sp.), an insect that may bite humans with unpleasant and sometimes serious effects, lives in the nests of the woodrats.

Kangaroo rats are among the most numerous of the nocturnal rodents of the desert and grasslands.

Woodrat.

Others of the rat family common in the monument include the GRASSHOPPER MOUSE (Onychomys sp.), DEER MOUSE (Peromyscus sp.), and the POCKET GOPHER (Thomomys bottae).

HOOFED MAMMALS

Two species of deer find suitable conditions in the monument. The DESERT MULE DEER (Odocoileus hemionus) subsists in winter on cactus fruits, ephemerals, and other Lower Sonoran vegetation. In summer they find abundant browse in the higher chaparral and pinyon-juniper belts. The forested areas along the crest of the Rincons support a sizable population of the smaller ARIZONA WHITETAIL DEER (Odocoileus virginianus couesi). These graceful animals browse on aspen, buckbrush, and other shrubs and small trees. When snow flies they descend to the protective cover of the pinyon-juniper woodlands and the chaparral belt. They are particularly fond of acorns.

Desert mule deer frequently come to the waterhole behind the Visitor Center.

The PECCARY (Pecari angulatus) is believed to be increasing in numbers in the monument, and is one of the animals characteristic of the deserts of the Southwest. These wild pigs usually travel in herds of from 3 to as many as 50 animals. They wander through the groves of mesquites along desert washes, and root among beds of prickly pear. Cactus fruits are a favorite item in their summer and autumn diet. In summer, peccaries are often found in the chaparral belt where they remain to harvest fallen acorns before returning to the desert to winter. In addition to the moisture obtained from succulent stems and fruits, peccaries require considerable water, hence they frequent springs and seeps. Small bands of these animals occasionally visit the waterhole near monument headquarters where they are excitedly watched by visitors fortunate enough to be in the lobby of the adjacent Visitor Center at the time.

Peccaries in the monument are becoming accustomed to humans.

PREDATORS

Saguaro National Monument has a large number of predatory animals—those which kill other animals for food. Many of these, popularly believed to be exclusively meat-eaters, actually also eat a lot of vegetable matter. But, the predators do play an important part in preventing serious overpopulation of the prolific rodents.

Chief among the predators is the COYOTE (Canis latrans) which ranges throughout the entire monument. In winter, coyotes are found principally below 6,000 feet where hunting is easier, and where rodents remain longer out of hibernation. However, they are also known to roam the forested heights of the Rincons and Tanque Verdes. Studies of the coyotes in the monument made by Biologist Lowell Sumner in January 1951 showed that their winter diet consisted of 77.8 percent fruits and seeds, 10.7 percent small rodents, 7.4 percent deer, 3.73 percent birds, reptiles, insects, and carrion, and 1 percent debris. The coyote is one of the principal wild creatures associated with the history of the West, and its continuing presence in the monument brings a thrill of pleasure to visitors who hear the voices of the pack during the calm of evening, or catch a glimpse of one of these small gray canines trotting through open stands of saguaros. WILD CATS (Lynx rufus) range over much the same territory as coyotes, subsisting principally on rodents, birds, and insects.

The wildcat, considered a ferocious predator, looks like a large domestic housecat.

The ARIZONA GRAY FOX (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is another fairly common inhabitant of the cactus desert and the higher chaparral brushlands, and is also known to roam the forested uplands. It is usually seen at night and depends upon rodents for its principal source of food. It also preys on birds and reptiles and eats considerable vegetable matter. The smaller and rather rare KIT FOX (Vulpes macrotis) is also a night hunter, and prefers the desert to the uplands. Kangaroo rats are a favorite item in the kit fox diet, but these small predators also eat grasshoppers and other insects.

Arizona gray fox searches the thickets for unsuspecting rodents.

Skunks, which are members of the weasel family, are relatively common in the monument, several species being known to inhabit part of the area where water is available. They are usually active at night. The HOG-NOSED SKUNK (Conepatus mesoleucus) is a desert dweller recognizable by its solid-white back. It roots in the ground for insect larvae. It also eats cactus fruits, bird eggs, and nestlings. The STRIPED SKUNK (Mephitis sp.) ranges throughout the monument and the CANYON SPOTTED SKUNK (Spilogale gracilis) is found at all elevations, usually among the rocks. Insects, rodents, and fruits are its main food.

The ringtail is not often seen in daylight. It inhabits rocky canyons from the Lower Sonoran to the Transition Life Zones.

Hognosed skunk eating the fruits of a barrel cactus.

Another member of the weasel family is the BADGER (Taxidea taxus). He is occasionally seen in the desert although by no means limited to that habitat. The badger feeds mainly on rodents which it digs from their burrows with its strong forelegs armed with heavy claws.

The RACCOON (Procyon lotor) is longer-legged than the badger, and readily recognized by its gray fur, black mask, and ambling gait. It inhabits brushy canyons with permanent water in both the Lower and Upper Sonoran Life Zones. Raccoons sometimes wander up into the pine belt in summer. Amphibians, scarce as they are, and other water creatures are among the preferred foods of raccoons, but they also eat small rodents and vegetable products including berries, acorns, and other fruits. The RINGTAIL (Bassariscus astutus), a smaller relative of the raccoon, is somewhat similar in habitat preference and nocturnal habits. It is sometimes called ringtailed cat because of its size and a slight resemblance to the domestic cat. Its large eyes and ears and its long, bushy tail ringed with alternating dark and light bands make it both conspicuous and attractive. It sometimes takes up residence in little-used or abandoned buildings where small rodents, its principal source of food, are usually abundant.

Raccoon.

COUGARS (Felis concolor), also known less accurately as mountain lions, undoubtedly wander into the Rincons from time to time, and BLACK BEARS (Ursus americanus) have been reported. Little is known about the comings and goings of these large mammals of the higher and less accessible parts of the monument.