University of Kansas Publications
Museum of Natural History

Vol. 19, No. 5, pp. 361-393, 8 figs.
January 18, 1971

University of Kansas
Lawrence
1971


University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History

Editors of this issue:
Frank B. Cross, Philip S. Humphrey, William E. Duellman


Volume 19, No. 5, pp. 361-393, 8 figs.
Published January 18, 1971


University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas


PRINTED BY
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PRINTING SERVICE
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
1971

[Pg 363]

The mammal population of western Dakotas and nearby Montana is not very well understood. There are only a few published studies about mammals in this part of the Northern Great Plains, and none focused on a specific area in detail. This report summarizes information collected in Harding County, northwestern South Dakota, and includes details on over 50 species of mammals that are known to live there.

Harding County covers about 2,700 square miles (Fig. 1). The county was first organized in 1881, but its current boundaries weren't established until 1908. Geographically, it’s part of the Missouri Plateau often referred to as the "Cretaceous Table Lands." The landscape features rolling hills and flat areas—mostly grasslands with short grasses and sage—interspersed with striking buttes and hills that rise 400 to 600 feet or more above the surrounding plains. These isolated hills are "... part of a system of Tertiary erosional remnants standing above the Late Cretaceous rocks of northwestern South Dakota…," according to Lillegraven (1970:832), who added: "The tops of the buttes are flat and covered with grass. The western sides are being actively eroded, with the landscape below the western cliffs being uneven with sparse vegetation. In contrast, the eastern sides of the tables are less steep and less eroded and are generally well-covered with coniferous and deciduous trees." Slim Buttes, the North and South Cave Hills, the East and West Short Pine Hills, and the Long Pine Hills, which barely extend into the county north of Camp Crook, make up the pine-covered buttes; other elevations like Table Mountain and Sheep Buttes have little to no coniferous cover. The highest point in the county, "Harding Peak," rises to 4,019 feet above sea level.

Sediments beneath northwestern South Dakota consist of rocks from the Pierre (shale), Fox Hills (sand), and Hell Creek formations from the Cretaceous period, as well as the Ludlow and Tongue River formations from the Paleocene. These rocks can be found at the surface but are generally covered by relatively thin soils mainly formed from them. The best soil for farming in the county is the loessal sandy or silty loam located in the northeastern[Pg 364] quarter, which comes from Tongue River sediments (Baker, 1952).

The climate of northwestern South Dakota is typical of the northern part of the interior grasslands of North America, meaning winters are cold and summers are hot and dry. Weather data from 1896 to 1967 at Camp Crook reflects what's collected at several stations in the county. At Camp Crook, the average temperature in January is 17.3°F, while in July it’s 71.2°F; precipitation averages 13.17 inches a year, with most of it occurring from April to September; snowfall averages 33.2 inches annually and is recorded from September through May (Climatogeography of the United States, no. 20-39, Camp Crook, South Dakota, 1969).

Major surface drainage systems in Harding County include the Little Missouri River, which flows north through most of the [Pg 365] western part of the county, the South Fork of the Grand River, which starts in the east-central part of the county and generally flows east, and the North Fork of the Moreau River, which begins in the south and drains southeast. Permanent standing surface water was almost nonexistent before the creation of artificial ponds.

The vegetation in the grassland areas of the county is typical of what you find across the semi-arid Northern Great Plains. Vegetation on upland soils, especially those that are heavy in clay, is usually sparse; areas near watercourses and well-irrigated spots tend to have thicker stands of grasses like bluestem (Andropogon). The main grasses found upland include gramma, buffalo grass, wheat grass, stipa, and tickle grass. Sage (Artemisia) and many flowering plants are also common in various spots. These grasslands are widely used for grazing sheep and cattle.[Pg 366]

[Pg 367]

[Pg 368]

[Pg 369]

The wooded buttes mentioned earlier are partly within the boundaries of Custer National Forest and are home to western yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa) and various junipers (Juniperus sp.). In some ravines and other sheltered areas, there are groves of deciduous trees like cottonwood, aspen, boxelder, ash, hackberry, elm, dogwood, and hawthorn, typically found alongside shrubs such as buckbrush, chokeberry, plum, currant, and gooseberry. These groves are often near small springs, like the one in Deer Draw of the Slim Buttes. The major water courses and their tributaries are mostly treeless, although you might find occasional clusters of cottonwoods and other deciduous trees and shrubs in certain areas—for example, along the Little Missouri near Camp Crook. Some representative habitats in Harding County are shown in Figs. 2-8.

Our interest in Harding County began in August 1960, when one of us (Jones) and Robert R. Patterson made a brief visit to the area and collected a small number of mammals. After that, field teams from the Museum of Natural History gathered mammals in the county during the following periods: June 14-30, 1961; March 23-April 11, 1963; July 5-7, 1965; and May 13-June 11, 1968. Additional collection also took place in the far western part of the county from June 29 to July 24, 1970, when a group was mainly working in the Long Pine Hills of nearby Carter County, Montana.

There are few published references to mammals in Harding County. Visher (1914), in an early biological survey of the area, listed 40 species of mammals, but his accounts are mainly of historical value. Later publications by Bailey (1915), Young (1944), Goldman (1944), Over and Churchill (1945), Jones and Genoways (1967), and Henderson et al. (1969) have documented mammals from the county.

Fifty-three species of mammals known to be present in Harding County, South Dakota, are covered in the following accounts. At the end, there’s a brief discussion of 10 additional species that might be found there. In most accounts, the examined specimens (a total of 644) are listed in a concise format before the remarks; localities are organized from north to south in these lists. Unless stated otherwise, specimens are kept in the Museum of Natural History. All measurements are in millimeters (with embryo measurements being crown-rump lengths) and weights are in grams.

Myotis evotis evotis (H. Allen, 1864)

Long-eared Myotis Bat

Specimens examined (20).—NW 1/4 sec. 15, R. 5 E, T. 22 N, 2; 5 miles N, 2 miles W of Camp Crook, 1; 10 miles S, 5 miles W of Reva, 16; 7 miles S, 4.5 miles E of Harding, 1.

The long-eared myotis isn’t rare in and around wooded buttes.[Pg 370] This species is mostly found in those areas; a dead individual of unknown sex discovered in a small stream southeast of Harding (a few miles south of the East Short Pine Hills) is the only specimen that wasn’t collected in that environment. North of Camp Crook, on the eastern edge of the Long Pine Hills, several M. evotis used an abandoned shed as a night roost in the summer of 1970; one was captured in a bat trap set at one of the entrances to the shed.

Females collected on May 29 and June 17 and 19 carried single embryos that measured 3, 14, and 15, respectively. A male cub taken on August 6 was almost adult size. The testes of two males caught in May measured 4 and 2, while those of one captured on July 17 and another on August 3 measured 6.0 and 7.5, respectively.

Of the seven adults collected between August 3 and 6, three females and two of the four males had fresh fur; the two remaining males were nearly done molting. A male captured in mid-July was in the early stages of molting. The new fur is a light yellowish-brown, in contrast to the golden-brown fur of specimens collected in May and June.

Chiggers, Leptotrombidium myotis (Ewing), were discovered on the ears of a long-eared myotis.

Myotis leibii ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886)

Small-footed bat

Eight males of this rock-dwelling species were shot or caught while they foraged over a small artificial pond in the wooded Deer Draw in the Slim Buttes, 10 miles south and 5 miles west of Reva—six in late June and two in early August. This bat will likely be found in rocky areas elsewhere in the county. One specimen collected on June 23 was molting over much of its body.

Myotis lucifugus carissima Thomas, 1904

Little Brown Bat

Specimens examined (27).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 1; NW 1/4 of section 15, R. 5 E, T. 22 N, 4; NE 1/4 of section 24, R. 8 E, T. 21 N, 20; 4 miles south, 7 miles west of Ladner, 1; 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 1.

This bat is commonly found in northwestern South Dakota and was the only species of Myotis mentioned by Visher (1914:91) in his early natural history survey of Harding County. We collected specimens from several wooded buttes and also from areas far from trees; one was shot, for example, while it was foraging over the Little Missouri River in the far western part of the county. On May 28, 1968, we found a barn where a new maternal colony (several hundred adult females) roosted between double rafters supporting a metal roof. The barn's owner, Robert Parks of Ralph, said that bats have used this location as a summer roost for several years. The barn is next to the almost treeless Big Nasty Creek, which flows through the hilly northeastern section of the county.

Fourteen out of 20 female subjects taken from the colony each had a single embryo (crown-rump lengths ranged from 2 to 11, averaging 5.4). The other six didn’t appear to be pregnant upon examination but had enlarged uteri, which could suggest recent implantation. Among the remaining females from Harding County, three collected on May 29 showed enlarged uteri, while two collected in late June showed no visible signs of reproductive activity. A male captured on May 29 had testes measuring 4.[Pg 371]

Ectoparasites collected from this species include chiggers, Leptotrombidium myotis (Ewing), a tick, Ornithodoros kelleyi Cooley and Kohls, fleas, Myodopsylla gentilis Jordan and Rothschild and M. insignis (Rothschild), and an unidentified mite species.

Myotis volans interior Miller, 1914

Long-legged Myotis bat

Specimens examined (43).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 4; northwest quarter of section 15, range 5 east, township 22 north, 12; 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 27.

The long-legged myotis is one of the most common bats in the wooded hills, making up nearly half of all bats found in these areas. Most of our specimens were shot while they were foraging among trees and over water in the evening; a few were caught in mist nets.

Uteri from eight females collected between May 23 and 31 were enlarged. Two females captured on June 29 were carrying single embryos that measured 20 and 22. A lactating female was captured on August 3, but three other adult females taken earlier in the same month showed no signs of reproductive activity. Testes measured between 2 and 4 in three males collected in May and 4 in each of the two from June.

Two males captured on June 16 and 23 were shedding their fur, as shown by the new hairs growing underneath the old coat on most of their bodies.

Myotis volans that we looked at for ectoparasites carried chiggers, Leptotrombidium myotis (Ewing), and fleas, Myodopsylla gentilis Jordan and Rothschild.

Lasionycteris noctivagans (LeConte, 1831)

Gray-haired Bat

A single female bat, which had two embryos that measured 4, is the only recorded instance of a silver-haired bat in Harding County. This specimen was shot at dusk on June 1, 1968, while it was foraging over a small pond in Deer Draw of the Slim Buttes (10 miles south and 5 miles west of Reva). Several other bats thought to be this species were spotted in the same location that evening. Initially, we assumed these were late migrants, but recent findings suggest that this species is a common summer resident of the Long Pine Hills in nearby Carter County, Montana, and likely a resident in preferred areas of Harding County as well.

Eptesicus fuscus pallidus Young, 1908

Big Brown Bat

Specimens examined (11).—NW 1/4 sec. 15, R. 5 E, T. 22 N, 3; 7 mi. N, 2 mi. W Camp Crook, 3300 ft., 2; 10 mi. S, 5 mi. W Reva, 6.

The big brown bat is a common resident of the Slim Buttes and North Cave Hills, where individuals were shot or caught in nets while they searched for food over water or among trees late at night.

Two females collected in May had enlarged uteri, and one taken on July 8 was nursing. The testes of a male collected in May measured 5, while those of a male obtained in early July measured 9. One of two males shot on August 4 was a juvenile; the other adult male was in fresh fur, just like an adult male shot on July 8. The nursing female taken in July and three specimens collected in June had old fur. Several specimens had chiggers, Leptotrombidium myotis (Ewing), on their ears.[Pg 372]

Lasiurus cinereus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796)

Hoary Bat

The hoary bat appears to be a rare summer resident of Harding County, with only one specimen, a non-pregnant female, recorded there. This bat was shot on the evening of June 22, 1961, in the Slim Buttes while it was foraging over a small pond in Deer Draw (10 miles south and 5 miles west of Reva).

Plecotus townsendii pallescens (Miller, 1897)

Townsend's big-eared bat

Specimens examined (4).—2 miles south, 3.25 miles west of Ludlow (Ludlow Cave), 2 (1 SDSU); 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 2.

This big-eared bat is clearly rare in northwestern South Dakota. Of the four specimens examined, two were collected at Ludlow Cave and two were found in June in the southern part of Slim Buttes—a female shot while it was foraging over a pond in Deer Draw and another female caught in a net over a water tank at Summit Spring, about half a mile south of Deer Draw.

Ludlow Cave, located in the caprock on the southeastern edge of the North Cave Hills, was created by water erosion, leading to many pockets and crevices in the ceiling and walls. The cave faces northwest, and its opening is about 10 feet wide. Just a few feet from the entrance, the cave narrows, and around 50 feet in, it shrinks to about three feet in diameter, although for the first 30 feet or so, the ceiling height ranges from 10 to 15 feet. A thorough search of this cave on June 18, 1961, revealed one bat, a male Plecotus, which was shot from the ceiling about 15 feet from the entrance. No bats were found during visits on May 16 and again on June 4, 1968. Visher (1914:92) reported that several Plecotus were discovered there in early September 1912. It’s likely that Ludlow Cave, along with several abandoned coal mines in the county, acts as a hibernation site for some bat species.

Lepus townsendii campanius Hollister, 1915

White-tailed Jackrabbit

Specimens examined (15).—NW 1/4 sec. 23, R. 1 E, T. 23 N, 1; sec. 24, R. 1 E, T. 22 N, 1; 2 miles N, 2 miles E of Ladner, 1; 4 miles S, 7 miles W of Ladner, 2; 10 miles S of Ladner, 1; 6 miles N, 2.5 miles W of Camp Crook, 1; 2 miles N of Buffalo, 1; sec. 30, R. 3 E, T. 19 N, 1; SW 1/4 sec. 26, R. 2 E, T. 19 N, 1; 10 miles S, 5 miles W of Reva, 3; 12 miles S, 5 miles W of Reva, 1; 17 miles S, 4 miles W of Reva, 1.

This jackrabbit is common in the short grass areas of the county, and you can sometimes find them on the grassy slopes of buttes. The large amount of suitable habitat and the lack of natural predators due to control efforts are likely the main reasons for the high numbers of this hare observed by all our field teams.

A female examined on May 21 was found to be carrying five fetuses, and each of two others examined later in May had six; all the fetuses were nearly the same size (110 to 120) and were completely covered in hair. A female collected on May 31 seemed to have recently weaned her young, and females examined on June 5 and 17 were lactating. A female shot on June 28 and another captured[Pg 373] on July 12 were about half grown, even though young of the year collected on June 16, 26, and 28 were nearly adult size.

In late March of 1963, white-tailed jackrabbits were shedding their winter white fur for their summer coat.

Sylvilagus audubonii baileyi (Merriam, 1897)

Desert Cottontail Rabbit

Specimens examined (12).—2 miles North, 5 miles West of Ludlow, 2; 10 miles South, 4 miles West of Ladner, 1; 7 miles North, 2.5 miles West of Camp Crook, 3300 ft., 1; 5 miles West of Buffalo, 1; 10 miles South, 5 miles West of Reva, 7.

The desert cottontail is a common resident of the uplands in Harding County, especially where there is diverse terrain and, in some cases, brushy vegetation that provides good cover. A female shot on May 26 in a thick stand of pines in the North Cave Hills had five embryos measuring 75. Another one taken on July 4 was pregnant with six embryos measuring 18. Two females collected on June 16 and another on June 24 had seven embryos that measured 32, 40, and 45, respectively. Two subadults collected in late June and two collected in early August were almost fully grown. The testes of an adult male obtained on March 28 measured 50.

The male mentioned earlier was fully in winter fur. Adults captured on June 16, 23, and 24 had almost finished their transition to summer fur, but each still showed some signs of active hair loss, usually on the shoulders; a pregnant female caught on July 4 had only partially transitioned to summer fur. An adult female in summer fur that was captured on August 4 was strangely molting on the sides and shoulders.

A female taken in May was infested with fleas, Cediopsylla inaequalis (Baker).

Sylvilagus floridanus similis Nelson, 1907

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Specimens examined (2).—4 miles south, 7 miles west of Ladner, 1; 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 1.

This rabbit is rare in northwestern South Dakota and seems to be closely tied to riverbank habitats. The only samples we collected were along the Little Missouri River, where there were lots of thickets and small cottonwood trees, and at the edge of a thicket in the spring-fed Deer Draw of the Slim Buttes.

A female captured on June 26 had eight embryos that measured 26, and was in the midst of a seasonal molt. The testes of a male shot on May 20 measured 35.

Eutamias minimus pallidus (J. A. Allen, 1874)

Least Chipmunk

Specimens examined (31).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 15; NW 1/4 section 15, R. 5 E, T. 22 N, 2; 2 miles south, 3.25 miles west of Ludlow, 2; NW 1/4 section 32, R. 1 E, T. 20 N, 1; 9 miles south, 7 miles west of Reva, 1; 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 9; NE 1/4 section 8, R. 8 E, T. 16 N, 1.

The least chipmunk is commonly found in the buttes and the surrounding badlands[Pg 374], where it usually lives in rocky areas. Visher (1914:88) reported E. minimus from Harding County ("abundant in badlands"), but most later researchers have overlooked his findings. Also, Visher's mention of a chipmunk at the mouth of the Moreau River in north-central South Dakota seems to be mistaken, as does the report by Over and Churchill (1945:28) of Eutamias living in "... thickets along the Little Missouri River of Harding County."

Females clearly have only one litter each year (in late May) in northwestern South Dakota, and the young are weaned by the end of June. Females captured on May 15 and 19 were pregnant (five embryos were 30 mm and three embryos were 28 mm, respectively). A nursing female with five placental scars was collected on May 24, but eight adult females taken after June 23 had already weaned their young. Juveniles were collected on June 24 and 25. The testes of two adult males captured in mid-May measured 11 mm and 18 mm, but males caught in the summer had much smaller testes.

In late spring, most adult least chipmunks shed their old, dull gray fur from winter and grow in a brighter, tawny summer coat. However, in some females, this process—possibly delayed due to breeding activities—continues well into the summer months. Of the seven specimens collected between May 15 and 24, two (one male and one nursing female) were in the early stages of shedding, while the rest still had their winter fur. Nine specimens (four females and five males) collected in mid- and late June were molting, but two of the females were still in their winter coats, and three animals—two males and one female—had fully transitioned to summer fur. One adult female collected on August 5 had yet to finish shedding her winter coat. In our samples, the first signs of shedding from winter to summer fur appear on the top of the head and cheeks. After that, molting continues down the shoulders and along the back and sides in an even pattern. In two specimens, small patches of fur loss occurred before the general molting line. Shedding on the belly seems to start after the back fur is nearly all replaced, but we couldn't identify a specific pattern; in four specimens, hair on the belly was being replaced in scattered patches.

An August-born young animal that was going through its post-juvenile molt had new adult fur in a blurry hourglass pattern on its back, cheeks, and the front of its head. It was actively shedding fur on the top of its head, between its ears, over its shoulders, on the sides behind its front legs, and along its flanks, while the fur on its back end was old. On the underside, the new adult fur was only noticeable along the midline.

One adult male examined for ectoparasites had a tick, Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, and fleas, Monopsyllus eumolpi Rothschild.

Spermophilus tridecemlineatus pallidus J. A. Allen, 1874

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

Specimens examined (22).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 5; 19 miles north, 1 mile east of Camp Crook, 2; 2 miles south, 2 miles west of Ladner, 1; 6.5 miles north, 2 miles west of Camp Crook, 1; 0.5 miles west of Reva, 3; 4 miles south, 0.5 miles west of Reva, 1; 6 miles west of Reva, 7; 15 miles south, 4 miles west of Reva, 1; 7 miles south, 4.5 miles east of Harding, 1.

Ground squirrels are often found in regions with short grass; we noticed them most often along roads and fence lines in otherwise overgrazed fields.[Pg 375] Many of our specimens were shot or caught in break-back traps baited with rolled oats in these same environments.

Young from the first litters of the year were above ground by late June and made up the largest part of the population at that time; for example, only three out of 17 individuals collected from June 20 to 27 were adults. Adult females collected on June 20 and July 7 had enlarged mammary glands but were no longer nursing.

Time of coming out of hibernation in northwestern South Dakota is unknown, but many ground squirrels were active in the last week of March 1963. A male collected on March 28 had testes that measured 27 and was in full winter fur, which is easily distinguished from the shorter, darker fur of summer.

Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815)

Black-tailed prairie dog

Specimens examined (5).—Sec. 25, R. 3 E, T. 22 N, 2; 1.5 miles W of Buffalo, 1; 0.5 miles W of Camp Crook, 3200 ft., 2.

The wide open flatlands of short grasses on relatively deep soils create the perfect habitat for the black-tailed prairie dog in Harding County. Visher (1914:89) noted large colonies along the "flats" of streams and reported one "town" west of the Little Missouri River that spanned several sections and another "on the table of the West Short Pine Hills." Recently, efforts to control the population of prairie dogs in the area have reduced many once-large colonies to small, isolated groups. According to Robert Kriege (personal communication, 1968), a "town" of about 3000 acres, located roughly five miles east of the Little Missouri River (in R. 2 E, T. 21 N), is the largest remaining in the county. Thirteen other colonies known to him at that time varied in size from approximately 25 to 300 acres.

White prairie dogs aren’t actually that rare in some parts of the county, and local residents have reported several sightings of them. One "town" located 7.5 miles north and 12 miles west of Ladner, in the northwestern corner of the county, had at least six families of white prairie dogs hanging out together at the edge of the colony in the spring of 1968. A group of our field researchers also saw white prairie dogs in 1963 in a "town" that used to be 7.5 miles west of Buffalo.

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus dakotensis (J. A. Allen, 1894)

Red Squirrel

Visher (1914:88) reported that he caught a red squirrel in the Long Pine Hills, near the western border of Harding County, in July 1910, and mentioned that he had also heard of the species being found in the West Short Pine Hills. It seems that Visher's record has been missed by later cataloguers (see, for example, Hall and Kelson, 1959: map 257). As far as we can tell, T. hudsonicus is no longer found in any of the pine-covered buttes and ridges of the county, even though the species exists in relatively dense stands of ponderosa pine in the Long Pine Hills of nearby Carter County, Montana, just a few miles west of the South Dakota border. It’s likely that some individuals wander into the relatively small and sparsely wooded areas of the Long Pine Hills that stretch eastward from the north of Camp Crook.

On the basis of color, the specimens we examined from the Long Pines[Pg 376] can clearly be classified as T. h. dakotensis rather than T. h. baileyi, supporting in part the distribution statement of dakotensis published by Miller and Kellogg (1955:263).

Thomomys talpoides bullatus Bailey, 1914

Northern Pocket Gopher

Specimens examined (22).—NE 1/4 sec. 22, R. 1 E, T. 23 N, 1; 7 miles N, 2.5 miles W of Camp Crook, 3300 ft., 3; Camp Crook, 1; 10 miles S, 5 miles W of Reva, 10; 10 miles S, 4 miles W of Reva, 4; 2 miles S, 5 miles E of Harding, 2; Crow Buttes, 1 (USNM).

The northern pocket gopher is likely found in most parts of northwestern South Dakota where the soil is deep enough for digging burrows, but we frequently found it in the lower grassy slopes of hills and in relatively sandy areas along some of the major rivers.

A female caught on June 20 had two embryos that measured 3. The testes of an adult male captured on May 18 measured 19, and those from one taken on July 6 measured 9. Juveniles were collected in both May and June.

Bailey (1915:102) identified a specimen from Crow Buttes as T. t. bullatus, but Swenk (1941:3), in the original description of T. t. pierreicolus, suggested that this same specimen "probably" belonged to the latter because he assumed it came from Pierre series soils. However, Baker (1952:8) included Crow Buttes in the Hell Creek formation, and regardless, one of us (Jones) examined the specimen in question and found it clearly belonged to the subspecies bullatus. Over and Churchill (1945:32) incorrectly classified pocket gophers from northwestern South Dakota into two different subspecies (bullatus and clusius), referring at least one individual from Harding County to T. t. clusius.

Fleas, Dactylopsylla ignota (Baker), were found on one individual examined. Molting adults were collected every month from May to August.

Perognathus fasciatus fasciatus Wied-Neuwied, 1839

Olive-backed Pocket Mouse

Specimens examined (16).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 3; 4 miles south, 7 miles west of Ladner, 9; 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 1; 14 miles south, 4 miles west of Reva, 2; 15 miles south, 4 miles west of Reva, 1.

This pocket mouse is fairly common in regions with short grass and sage in Harding County. None of the five adult females collected in late June were pregnant or nursing, but three had enlarged mammary glands suggesting they were reproductively active earlier in the spring, which is also supported by the various sizes of young in our sample. We noted active molting in adults caught on June 19, 26, and 28.

Our specimens are intergrades between Perognathus fasciatus fasciatus and the lighter P. f. olivaceogriseus. The average external measurements of seven adults (two males and five females) are: total length, 138.0 (130-150); length of tail, 65.3 (59-74); length of hind foot, 17.1 (15-18.5); length of ear (measured in six specimens only), 6.8 (6-7); weight in grams (measured in five specimens only), 12.9 (11.2-14.6). Selected cranial measurements of the two males and two of the females are, respectively, as follows: occipitonasal length, 24.0, 23.2, 23.5, 22.3; interorbital breadth, 4.9, 5.2, 5.0, 5.0; mastoid breadth, 13.0, 13.1, 12.2, 11.9; length of maxillary toothrow, 3.3, 3.3, 3.1, 3.4.[Pg 377]

Perognathus hispidus paradoxus Merriam, 1889

Hispid Pocket Mouse

An adult female, which was not reproducing, was caught in an area with sparse vegetation to the southwest of Slim Buttes (14 mi. S and 4 mi. W of Reva) on July 19, 1961. This is the only recorded specimen of the hispid pocket mouse from Harding County. Other small mammals found in the same or nearby traps included Perognathus fasciatus, Dipodomys ordii, Reithrodontomys megalotis, Peromyscus maniculatus, and Onychomys leucogaster.

A single person reported from Wade, Grant Co., North Dakota, by Bailey (1927:123), about 100 miles to the northeast, is the only specimen known from a more northern location.

Dipodomys ordii terrosus Hoffmester, 1942

Ord's Kangaroo Rat

Specimens examined (13).—NE 1/4 sec. 22, R. 1 E, T. 23 N, 6; 2 miles N, 5 miles W of Ludlow, 1; 2 miles S, 11 miles W of Reva, 1; 14 miles S, 4 miles W of Reva, 4; 15 miles S, 4 miles W of Reva, 1.

Ord's kangaroo rat is found in sparsely vegetated flatlands across Harding County, but it seems to be rare except in areas with relatively sandy soils. Out of seven specimens collected from June 18 to 24, 1961, five were young of the year, as were three of six individuals caught on May 31, 1968. One adult female (81.1 grams) captured on May 31 was lactating and had four placental scars, while another that weighed 67.2 grams showed no recent signs of reproduction. An adult male (67.9 grams) collected on May 31 had testes measuring 9; a subadult male (46.5 grams) taken on the same date had testes measuring only 6.

The two adult females captured in May were still fully in their winter fur, but the adult male trapped at the same time was in the process of molting. An adult male (57.2 grams) caught on June 22 had finished molting except for a small patch between the ears and just behind the head.

Castor canadensis missouriensis Bailey, 1919

Beaver

Specimens examined (2).—Sec. 22, R. 1 E, T. 20 N, 1; 32 miles SE of Buffalo, 1.

According to local residents, beavers are common in many waterways throughout the county. One of our two specimens came from a tributary of the Little Missouri River north of Camp Crook, while the other was collected from a tributary of the Moreau River in the southeastern part of the county. Robert Kriege from Buffalo informed us that beavers aren't limited to forested areas; they often live in streams and fairly permanent ponds surrounded by grassland. In these locations, they are said to build bank dens and primarily eat sage and forbs.

Visher (1914:89) reported this species near the Little Missouri River, Boxelder Creek, the forks of Grand River, Bull Creek, and "Devil's Gulch" in the North Cave Hills, and illustrated (pl. 6) a dam on Rabbit Creek. We have seen signs of beaver activity along the Little Missouri River southwest[Pg 378] of Ladner and along aspen-lined stream banks in the Short Pine Hills, where a lot of evidence was found in the spring of 1963.

Reithrodontomys megalotis dychei J. A. Allen, 1895

Western Harvest Mouse

Specimens examined (27).—NE 1/4 sec. 22, R. 1 E, T. 23 N, 1; 4 miles S, 7 miles W of Ladner, 3; 2 miles N, 5 miles W of Ludlow, 7; 1/2 mile W of Reva, 14; 10 miles S, 5 miles W of Reva, 1; 14 miles S, 4 miles W of Reva, 1.

The western harvest mouse was commonly found in tall grasses and wildflowers, especially along roads and fences. Occasionally, individuals were caught in areas with a mix of shrubs and grasses. Four pregnant females captured in late June carried these numbers of embryos (crown-rump lengths in parentheses): seven (4), six (5), six (10), five (4). Three adult males caught during the same time had testicles that measured 7, 7, and 8, while those of two males caught in May measured 12 and 6.

Molt from winter to summer fur was happening, moving from front to back, on both the back and belly of many animals captured in May and June. Some individuals had fully finished molting or only had a small patch of winter fur left on their back by the last week of June.

Reithrodontomys montanus albescens Cary, 1903

Plains Harvest Mouse

Specimens examined (3).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 2; 1/2 mile west of Reva, 1.

This harvest mouse is rare in northwestern South Dakota, though the species likely exists in small numbers in upland grassy areas across Harding County. Our specimens, along with one in the collections of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, which hasn’t been reported before, from 11 miles south of Mandan, Morton County, North Dakota, represent the northernmost known sightings of this mouse.

A young adult female, captured on June 21, carried three embryos that measured 17 and was in summer fur; an adult male taken on June 27 was still in a worn winter coat.

At the location 1/2 mile west of Reva, where traps were set in sparse to fairly lush grassy areas along South Dakota Highway 20, the following small mammals were captured in the same trapline (or nearby lines) where one plains harvest mouse was caught: Spermophilus tridecemlineatus pallidus, Reithrodontomys megalotis dychei, Peromyscus maniculatus nebrascensis, Microtus ochrogaster haydenii, and Microtus pennsylvanicus insperatus.

Peromyscus leucopus aridulus Osgood, 1909

White-footed mouse

Seven adult woodland inhabitants were caught along the shrub-covered banks of the spring-fed stream and small pond in Deer Draw of the Slim Buttes (10 miles south and 5 miles west of Reva). Deciduous trees grew at the bottom of the draw, while the slopes above were home to ponderosa pine and juniper. No white-footed mice were found along the mostly treeless tributaries of the Moreau and Grand rivers to the east of Slim Buttes, nor were these mice present along the Little Missouri River or in seemingly suitable habitats in the North Cave Hills. The P. leucopus in Deer Draw likely represents an[Pg 379] isolated part of what was once a much more widely distributed population of white-footed mice on the Northern Great Plains after the Wisconsin era. Other similar populations may exist in Slim Buttes and possibly elsewhere in the county. Zapus hudsonius and Microtus pennsylvanicus were caught in Deer Draw alongside the white-footed mice.

Females collected on June 15 and August 7 were nursing, and one collected on June 20 contained six embryos that measured 15. Two males captured on June 2 had testes measuring 12 and 15. These two males and a nursing female collected on June 15 were still in winter fur, while a non-breeding female obtained on June 15 and a male and female (pregnant) trapped on June 20 were in summer fur or an advanced stage of shedding to that coat. A nursing female taken on August 7 had summer fur, except for what appeared to be new winter fur on her head, cheeks, and below the ears, and molting was noticeable around these areas.

Selected average (and extreme) measurements of the seven adults from Deer Draw are: total length, 184.4 (175-199); tail length, 77.4 (70-88); hind foot length, 21.1 (20-22); ear length, 16.7 (16-18); greatest skull length, 27.8 (27.0-28.4); zygomatic breadth, 14.6 (14.0-14.9); least interorbital width, 4.1 (4.0-4.3); length of maxillary toothrow, 4.2 (4.0-4.4). Three males and two non-pregnant females weighed 34.9, 34.6, 30.5, 32.2, and 31.4 grams, respectively.

Peromyscus maniculatus nebrascensis (Coues, 1877)

Deer Mouse

Specimens examined (214).—19 miles north, 1 mile east of Camp Crook, 5; 18 miles north of Camp Crook, 2; 2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 58; 4 miles south, 7 miles west of Ladner, 14; 9 miles north, 3 miles west of Camp Crook, 3400 ft., 3; 7 miles north, 2.5 miles west of Camp Crook, 3300 ft., 2; NW 1/4 sec. 32, R. 1 E, T. 20 N, 4; 1/2 mile west of Reva, 2; SW 1/4 sec. 30, R. 7 E, T. 18 N, 5; 9 miles south, 7 miles west of Reva, 3; 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 64; 14-15 miles south, 4 miles west of Reva, 33; 2 miles south, 5 miles east of Harding, 16; 7 miles south, 4.5 miles east of Harding, 3.

The deer mouse is the most common and widely distributed small mammal in northwestern South Dakota. We collected specimens from all types of land habitats, but this species was most prevalent in upland areas like grassy fencerows, rocky spots, and hillsides with shrubs, juniper, or pine.

Adult mice in reproductive condition were captured each month from May to August, although most of our data is from May and June. In the second half of May, seven pregnant females had an average of 5.0 (ranging from 4 to 6) embryos, with crown-rump lengths between 2 and 10; three others collected during the same time had six, six, and three recent placental scars, and one was lactating. Twenty-three males caught in late May had testes measuring between 5 to 15 (averaging 10.2). In the second half of June, 19 females carried an average of 4.9 (ranging from 2 to 7) embryos, with sizes between 3 and 30 in crown-rump length, and two more were lactating; seven males collected between June 15-25 had testes averaging 8.7 (ranging from 8 to 10).

Additionally, we collected lactating females on July 6, July 7, and August 7, along with two individuals that had recent placental scars on August 5. Twenty adult males gathered between July 6 and 18 had an average testis size of 9.3 (ranging from 6 to 11.5), while the testes of two collected on August 4 and 5 measured 10 and 12, respectively. Young animals in juvenile fur were captured each month from May[Pg 380] to August, with the earliest one being caught on May 20. The first female young of the year found carrying embryos was trapped on June 16.

Molt from winter to summer fur is noticeable in some specimens collected as early as late May, but most individuals from that time and the beginning of June still had their winter fur. By the second half of June, some mice had finished (or were close to finishing) the seasonal molt, but many still had at least some worn winter fur going into the first week of July.

Two unique types of developmental fur can be observed in our samples—juvenile and post-juvenile or subadult, which usually resembles the adult fur (of the season) in texture but is less vibrant in color. Collins (1918) for P. maniculatus, Hoffmeister (1951) for P. truei, and Brown (1963) for P. boylii, among others, have described developmental furs and the sequence of molting similar to what we see in our specimens.

Deer mice from Harding County clearly belong to P. m. nebrascensis (instead of the smaller and lighter P. m. luteus found to the east and southeast), even though adults are generally a bit lighter than those from typical populations of that subspecies. A tick from the Ixodes ochotonae-angustus complex was collected from one specimen.

Onychomys leucogaster missouriensis (Audubon and Bachman, 1851)

Northern Grasshopper Mouse

Specimens examined (4).—NE 1/4 sec. 22, R. 1 E, T. 22 N, 2; 2 mi. N, 5 mi. W Ludlow, 1; 14 mi. S, 4 mi. W Reva, 1.

We found the grasshopper mouse to be rare in Harding County. All four of the mice we examined were caught in areas with sage and short grasses, featuring relatively little ground cover.

Three of our four specimens are not fully grown—two males collected on May 31 (testes 10, 12) and a female collected on June 25. An adult male caught on June 18 had winter fur, but was shedding on the top of his head, between the ears, and on the upper back and shoulders.

Neotoma cinerea rupicola J. A. Allen, 1894

Bushy-tailed Wood Rat

Specimens examined (8).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 5; 12 miles north of Buffalo, 1 (USNM); 7 miles north, 2.5 miles west of Camp Crook, 3300 ft., 1; 2 miles south, 5 miles east of Harding, 1.

This woodrat is relatively rare but found in various places throughout northwestern South Dakota. The species likely lives in the rocky areas of the hills and buttes in Harding County, and it often hangs around abandoned or rarely-used buildings and livestock feed stations. All of our specimens were caught in rocky habitats, but in many of these locations, we tried to capture Neotoma cinerea without success, even though signs of its presence were often visible. Five out of our seven specimens (all caught in late June or early July) were young, showing grayish fur. An adult male caught on July 14 had testes measuring 14.

Over and Churchill (1945:40) mentioned a specimen that they identified as the subspecies N. c. cinerea, which "probably came from the Slim Butte area of Harding County." Visher (1914:89) noted the species as "plentiful and common" in the county.[Pg 381]

Microtus ochrogaster haydenii (Baird, 1858)

Prairie Vole

Specimens examined (40).—NE 1/4 sec. 22, R. 1 E, T. 23 N, 1; NW 1/4 sec. 15, R. 5 E, T. 22 N, 1; 2 miles N, 5 miles W of Ludlow, 4; 4 miles S, 7 miles W of Ladner, 19; 1/2 mile W of Reva, 2; SW 1/4 sec. 30, R. 7 E, T. 18 N, 3; 10 miles S, 5 miles W of Reva, 10.

The prairie vole is the most common of the three microtines found in Harding County. Most of our specimens were collected from areas with fairly dense grasses, like those in stream bottoms and along fencerows. We trapped Microtus ochrogaster and the meadow vole, M. pennsylvanicus, together at two locations: along a fencerow 1/2 mile west of Reva and in Deer Draw, 10 miles south and 5 miles west of Reva.

Nine females captured in late May and June had an average of 4.4 (3-6) embryos, which averaged 14.8 (4-25) in crown-rump length. Each of the two nursing females captured in late May had six placental scars. The testes of seven adult males taken in May and June averaged 13.1 (12-16) in length.

Microtus pennsylvanicus insperatus (J. A. Allen, 1894)

Meadow Vole

Specimens examined (14).—0.5 mi. W of Reva, 1; 10 mi. S, 5 mi. W of Reva, 12; 7 mi. S, 4.5 mi. E of Harding, 1.

This vole is clearly restricted in Harding County to areas with thick grass and flowering plants near water. We were unable to trap this species in some spots that seemed suitable for it.

Two females, collected on May 15 and June 2, had three and six embryos, respectively, that measured 15. One female with five placental scars (May 15) and two with six (May 16, June 2) were also trapped, and a lactating female was captured on June 20. The testes of two adult males taken in the spring (May 18 and June 2) measured 15, and those of one weighing 45.6 grams, captured early in June, measured 17.

Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus (Hollister, 1910)

Muskrat

The muskrat is common in Harding County. Fifty years ago, Visher (1914:89) observed that it was "Fairly plentiful along the streams having deep permanent 'holes'."

Seven adults, all in their winter coats, were taken late in March from a pond on the west side of Slim Buttes (5 miles south and 14 miles east of Buffalo). The testes of three adult males measured 17, 19, and 22; none of the three females showed any signs of reproductive activity.

House mouse Linnaeus, 1758

House Mouse

The house mouse is clearly rare in rural areas of northwestern South Dakota. A young female was caught along a "weedy" fencerow, 2 miles north and 5 miles west of Ludlow.[Pg 382]

Zapus hudsonius campestris Preble, 1899

Meadow Jumping Mouse

Eleven specimens of this jumping mouse were collected from a remnant population living in a shrub-grass habitat next to a small spring-fed stream and pond in Deer Draw (10 miles south and 5 miles west of Reva). Similar isolated populations might exist in a few other suitable wet habitats in Harding County, but we have trapped extensively without success for Zapus in those areas; however, specimens are known to exist from the Long Pine Hills and along the Little Missouri River in nearby Carter County, Montana. Interestingly, there is also a remnant population of Peromyscus leucopus in Deer Draw.

The testes of two adult males collected on June 3 measured 7, while those of one taken on May 16 measured 16. A molting female caught on June 16 was carrying seven embryos (measuring 8 in crown-rump length). Our specimens of Zapus, currently being studied by Paul B. Robertson, seem to be hybrids between the subspecies campestris and intermedius, but look more like the former than the latter.

Erethizon dorsatum bruneri Swenk, 1916

Porcupine

Specimens examined (11).—NW 1/4 sec. 15, R. 5 E, T. 22 N, 1; 2 miles N, 5 miles W of Ludlow, 3; 4 miles S, 7 miles W of Ladner, 1; 10 miles S, 4 miles W of Reva, 1; 10 miles S, 5 miles W of Reva, 4; 2 miles S, 5 miles E of Harding, 1.

The porcupine is a common inhabitant of the pine-covered hills of Harding County, and we occasionally spotted them some distance away from the pines. We noted porcupines almost every night in June 1961 along the road that runs parallel to the Slim Buttes to the east, and we found several that had been hit by cars along this and other roads in or near wooded areas. Visher (1914:90) previously reported Erethizon from Harding County.

Canis latrans latrans Say, 1823

Coyote

Specimens examined (8).—North Cave Hills, 1; N of Slim Buttes, 1; N end Slim Buttes, 1; 6 miles N, 4 miles W of Camp Crook, 2; W of East Short Pine Hills, 1; E of Short Pine Hills, 1; Sheep Mountain, 1.

The coyote population in Harding County and nearby areas is low due to an active predator control program backed by local ranchers and state and federal agencies. Our field teams neither saw nor heard coyotes, although tracks were found in a couple of places in March 1963. According to Robert Kriege (personal communication), the few coyotes that do live in the area take refuge in the most rugged parts of the hills and buttes. Visher (1914:90) noted that this carnivore was "generally considered as abundant." All of our specimens are skulls of individuals killed by a federal trapper during the winter of 1961-62.

Canis lupus nubilus Say, 1823

Gray Wolf

Visher (1914:90) mentioned that wolves were "quite plentiful" in the early 1900s; he cited figures for a two-month period in 1910 when a government trapper captured five adults and 25 pups near the Short Pine Hills and two adults and 11 pups in the broader area of the Cave Hills. Local residents said that wolves were common in Harding County during the 1920s. One wolf, known as "Three Toes," was trapped 20 miles NW of Buffalo in July 1925 after evading capture for over 13 years, during which time it caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to livestock (Young, 1944:259, 277). It seems likely that the skull of this animal, housed in the U.S. National Museum, is the one mentioned by Goldman (1944:445).

Wolves seemed to have become rare by around 1930. The last known wolf killed in northwestern South Dakota was on January 27, 1945, near Red Elm, Ziebach County (Carl Cornell, personal communication). We have seen a photo of this wolf, which was mounted and is now on display in Deadwood, South Dakota.

As mentioned by Goldman (1944:442), the subspecies nubilus is likely extinct.

Vulpes vulpes regalis Merriam, 1900

Red Fox

Specimens examined (6).—1 mile south, 5 miles east of Ladner, 3; 3 miles south, 12 miles east of Ludlow, 1; 2 miles west of Camp Crook, 3200 ft., 1; 4 miles south, 1 mile east of Buffalo, 1.

This fox was present, although not very common, in Harding County in the early part of this century (Visher, 1914:90). He mentioned knowing about "two or three" that had been trapped in the county and also noted a report that red foxes were "not rare along the Lone Pines." It seems Hall and Kelson (1959: map 447) overlooked Visher's paper, as they did not include the western half of South Dakota in the species’ distribution. The only foxes our field teams observed were two seen in July 1970—one was a young animal held captive in Camp Crook, and the remains of another had been killed on a county road about 18 miles north of that place. Five specimens killed by hunters were collected in March 1963, and an isolated skull was found west of Camp Crook in 1970.

There is an ongoing request from sheep ranchers in the county for fox populations to be controlled, yet this species seems to maintain significantly higher numbers than coyotes. According to federal trapper Robert Kriege (personal communication), dens of red foxes have mostly been located in the badlands and certain grassland areas, but rarely in the buttes themselves. Records maintained by Mr. Kriege show that litters are born in mid-March in Harding County. He estimated that over the past few years, he has checked whelps from about 50 dens a year, but more than 170 dens were found in the spring of 1963.

American black bear Pallas, 1780

Black Bear

Visher (1914:91) reported that a black bear "was spotted near the Cave Hills in July 1910." He also mentioned: "Bears have been recently killed in the Long Pine and Ekalaka forests [in nearby Montana], but their days are numbered." We are not aware of any other reports of this predator from the area.[Pg 384]

Grizzly bear Ord, 1815

Grizzly Bear

According to Visher (1914:91), a grizzly bear was killed in the early 1890s, not far southwest of Camp Crook.

Procyon lotor hirtus Nelson and Goldman, 1930

Raccoon

Specimens examined (10).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 4; 1/2 mile west of Reva, 1; 4 miles east of Reva, 2; NW 1/4 sec. 32, R. 1 E, T. 20 N, 3.

The raccoon is clearly one of the most common carnivores in Harding County. On June 24, 1961, a den with three young (average total length, 429) was discovered in one of the many pockets eroded from the caprock of the North Cave Hills, and on May 21, 1968, another den, this one containing five young (average total length of three, 271), was found in a similar situation on the east edge of the Long Pine Hills. A female trapped on June 20, 1961, was lactating.

Three people who had been killed at Ralph, along the almost treeless Big Nasty Creek, were examined on May 28, 1968.

Mustela frenata longicauda Bonaparte, 1838

Long-tailed weasel

This mustelid seems rare in northwestern South Dakota. The only recent reports from Harding County that we know of are about a female and four or five young that were discovered in a haystack "a few years before 1963" (Robert Kriege, personal communication), and several individuals spotted by a rancher in a hay field along the Little Missouri about 7 miles north of Camp Crook during mowing in July 1970. Visher (1914:91) considered the species "quite common," and mentioned that "4 or 5 dead ones" were seen along roads in the summer of 1910.

Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)

Black-footed ferret

In a recent summary of the natural history of this species in South Dakota, Henderson et al. (1969) identified seven locations in Harding County (all in prairie dog "towns") where ferrets had been spotted or captured, as follows (dates in parentheses): near Ladner (March, 1963); 17 miles north of Camp Crook (around 1956 or 1957); T. 20 N, R. 3 E (1964); T. 20 N, R. 4 E (winter, 1964); T. 19 N, R. 1 E (late November, 1966); T. 17 N, R. 8 E (summer, 1965); T. 15 N, R. 1 E (winter, 1963). These authors also noted a specimen in the U.S. National Museum (no. 243990) that was collected at Govert on November 1, 1923. Additionally, Wesley Broer, who was the local game warden at the time, informed one of our groups that a ferret was sighted on February 27, 1963, about 7 miles north and 16 miles west of Buffalo.

Visher (1914) did not mention this species in his report on the natural history of Harding County.

Mustela vison letifera Hollister, 1913

Mink fur

Tracks of a mink were spotted by a member of one of our field teams (T. H. Swearingen) in late March 1963 at a pond 5 miles south and 14 miles east [Pg 385] of Buffalo. One was also reported to have been trapped in the same area the winter before. Local residents have reported that mink can be found along the Little Missouri River and streams on the north side of the North Cave Hills. Visher (1914:91) mentioned that the species was uncommon, but he was aware of one being trapped in February 1911 on Bull Creek.

Taxidea taxus taxus (Schreber, 1778)

Badger

Specimens examined (4).—Sec. 25, R. 3 E, T. 22 N, 1; NE 1/4 sec. 28, R. 4 E, T. 19 N, 1; 4 miles east of Reva, 1; 10 miles south, 2 miles west of Buffalo, 1.

Local residents considered the badger to be fairly common in the grasslands of Harding County, even though our field teams rarely spotted this species. Visher (1914:91) noted it was "quite common."

Spilogale putorius interrupta (Rafinesque, 1820)

Spotted Skunk

We didn’t catch any spotted skunks in northwestern South Dakota, and both local residents and government trappers reported that this species is rare in the area. Visher (1914:91) noted that it was "much more common than the large skunk" in the early part of this century.

Mephitis mephitis hudsonica Richardson, 1829

Striped Skunk

Visher (1914:91) found this species to be "uncommon" in Harding County, and we observed the same more than fifty years later. However, some local residents reported that this skunk was fairly abundant. We collected one specimen, an adult female with enlarged mammary glands that was captured on July 6, 1965, about 7 miles south and 4.5 miles east of Harding, just south of the Short Pine Hills. We recorded several other sightings of striped skunks as follows: 14 miles north of Buffalo; 6 miles north and 2.5 miles west of Camp Crook; 5.5 miles west-northwest of Buffalo; 1.5 miles south and 0.5 miles east of Buffalo; 4 miles south of Buffalo; 10 miles southwest of Ralph; and 1 mile south of Reva.

Lutra canadensis interior Swenk, 1920

Otter

We have no record of this species in Harding County besides Visher's (1914:91) report that one was "recently trapped along the Little Missouri River."

Felis concolor hippolestes Merriam, 1897

Cougar

This large cat probably roamed all over northwestern South Dakota before white settlers arrived. There are no specimens from Harding County, but Visher (1914:91) noted that one individual "came to the East Short Pines in the winter of 1910-11." It's unlikely that Felis concolor is found in the area today, except maybe as a rare visitor.

Lynx rufus pallescens Merriam, 1899

Bobcat

Specimens examined (3).—12 miles North, 9 miles West of Buffalo, 1; 11 miles North, 7 miles West of Buffalo, 1; 9 miles North, 9 miles West of Buffalo, 1.[Pg 386]

The bobcat, while not very common, is usually found throughout Harding County, especially in the buttes and badlands. Visher (1914:90) mentioned that the species was common in the early part of this century. Our three specimens were shot in March 1963 by professional hunters backed by the Western South Dakota Sheepman Association, two from the air and one on the ground. Two other bobcats were killed in the same three-day period (March 25-27).

We cautiously classify our specimens as the subspecies pallescens due to their light color and the overall consistency of their external and skull measurements with those recorded for other specimens of that subspecies. However, geographic variation in Lynx rufus across the Northern Great Plains is not well documented and requires in-depth analysis. The external measurements of the three specimens, all males (one adult and two young adults), are as follows: total length, 870, 925, 820; tail length, 142, 176, 155; hind foot length, 191, 192, 178; ear length, 82, 84, 71; weight (in pounds), 23, 17, 16. The respective testicular lengths were 30, 36, and 15. Selected skull measurements of the adult and the largest young adult are: condylobasal length, 113.7, 111.5; zygomatic breadth, 88.3, 83.7; interorbital constriction, 24.5, 23.5; nasal length, 30.1, 30.8; length of maxillary toothrow, 37.7, 38.6.

Cervus elaphus canadensis Erxleben, 1777

Elk

Visher (1914:87) noted that the last native elk in Harding County was killed in the Long Pine Hills in 1879 and also mentioned skulls found in the Cave Hills. The source of a wapiti reportedly shot in the Slim Buttes in 1956 (Robert Kriege, personal communication) is unclear, but it's likely this elk was a stray, possibly from the Black Hills to the south where elk were reintroduced a few years earlier.

Odocoileus hemionus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)

Mule Deer

Specimens examined (6).—2 miles north, 5 miles west of Ludlow, 1; 9 miles north, 10 miles west of Buffalo, 2; 10 miles south, 5 miles west of Reva, 3.

The mule deer is common in the buttes and nearby badland areas of the county, and many were spotted by members of each of our field parties. Local residents mentioned that "black-tails" were widespread in the area, and State Game Protector Merritt Paukarbek told Andersen that even though hunting success was high in the fall of 1967, there was no noticeable decrease in numbers by spring of 1968. In contrast, Visher (1914:88) found this species missing in Harding County in the early 1900s, stating that it was "exterminated by 1900."

An adult female captured on June 26, 1961, in the North Cave Hills was shedding feathers and showed no signs of reproductive activity.

Odocoileus virginianus dacotensis Goldman and Kellogg, 1940

White-tailed Deer

Specimen examined (1).—8.5 miles north, 1.5 miles east of Camp Crook, 1.

The white-tailed deer is not as common in northwestern South Dakota as [Pg 387] is O. hemionus, but several were spotted by our group members (for instance, in Deer Draw of the Slim Buttes), and local residents reported many sightings to us. Visher (1914:82) previously noted this species as being "fairly plentiful in the forest reserves" in Harding County, but he mentioned that it had become rare by the time he conducted his biological survey of the area in 1910 and 1912.

Antilocapra americana americana (Ord, 1815)

Pronghorn Antelope

Specimens examined (2).—Sec. 28, R. 8 E, T. 23 N, 1; 12 mi. S, 10 mi. W Buffalo, 1.

This species is the most noticeable (and maybe the most common) hoofed animal in Harding County. It can be found all over the county on flat and rolling grasslands, where small groups and sometimes herds of up to 50 individuals were spotted in 1960, 1961, 1963, 1968, and 1970. Visher (1914:88) noted that the pronghorn was prevalent in the area until around 1900, but that it was close to extinction when he visited the county in 1910 and 1912.

Bison bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bison

According to historical accounts (Anonymous, 1959), bison were rare or not present in Harding County when settlers arrived in 1876. By the early 1880s, though, herds were common, and there’s one record (op. cit.: 95-96) of thousands of them crossing the Little Missouri near Camp Crook in November 1882.

One report says that the last bison killed in the county was shot in the summer of 1884 (op. cit.: 73-74), but Visher (1914:88) noted that an "old settler" had seen "a small group in 1886." Visher also mentioned discovering bison remains, likely in 1910 or 1912, to the northeast of the North Cave Hills and west of the South Cave Hills.

Ovis canadensis auduboni Merriam, 1901

Mountain Goats

According to Visher (1914:88), mountain sheep used to live in all the butte areas of Harding County but were wiped out in the 1890s. Sheep Mountain, a large butte located just south of the Slim Buttes, was reported to be the last place where these animals were seen. Over and Churchill (1945:54) noted that both the Cave Hills and Slim Buttes were areas that once had O. c. auduboni.

Early in 1961, the South Dakota Game Commission released 12 animals, four rams and eight ewes, from Alberta (subspecies O. c. canadensis) in the Slim Buttes, but none are known to have survived by 1968.

The ten types of mammals listed below are not definitely confirmed to exist in Harding County, but it’s likely that some have been or might still be found in the area. Three were noted by Visher (1914) as being seen or captured in the county during or before his biological surveys in 1910 and [Pg 388] 1912, but his reports didn’t have enough supporting evidence. Besides the species mentioned, several other mammals, like Keen's bat (Myotis keenii septentrionalis), the red bat (Lasiurus borealis borealis), and the least weasel (Mustela nivalis campestris), are known to live close enough to the area that their potential presence shouldn’t be ignored.

Sorex cinereus haydeni Baird, 1858.—Currently, there are no known shrews from Harding County. However, it's highly likely that this species will be discovered in relatively moist habitats there, as our field teams have collected specimens in nearby Bowman County, North Dakota, and just a few miles west in the Long Pines Hills of Montana.

Sorex merriami merriami Dobson, 1890.—This shrew lives in drier areas compared to most other members of its genus and is definitely found in northwestern South Dakota. There are records of specimens from western North Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, and in the summer of 1970, a field team from The University of Kansas captured one just half a mile west of the Harding County (state) line in Carter County, Montana.

Spermophilus richardsonii richardsonii (Sabine, 1822).—Visher (1914:88) reported seeing individuals of this species "in the far northwestern corner" of Harding County. However, the current known range of the species is about 150 miles away from that location.

Sciurus niger rufiventer E. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1803.—The fox squirrel hasn’t been documented in much of the West River area of South Dakota. Hoffmann et al. (1969:589), however, have recently reported finding specimens along the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana, and this squirrel may also be present along the Little Missouri River. So, it was not surprising when residents of Camp Crook told us that they have seen what they believed to be fox squirrels along the Little Missouri near their town in recent years. We now need specimens to confirm these sightings.

Lagurus curtatus pallidus (Merriam, 1888).—The sagebrush vole likely exists, although probably not in large numbers, in sagebrush areas of northwestern Harding County. This is supported by recent specimens collected a few miles north and west of the county in North Dakota and Montana, respectively. We attempted to trap this vole (900 trap nights) on sage flats north of Camp Crook and west of the Little Missouri River during the summer of 1970, but were unsuccessful. "Signs" that seemed to belong to Lagurus were noted in this area, but only Peromyscus maniculatus and Spermophilus tridecemlineatus were captured there.

Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769).—There are no records of this introduced rat species from northwestern South Dakota, but it seems probable that it has made its way to the area.

Vulpes velox (Say, 1823).—Visher (1914:90) reported seeing a swift fox "along the Little Missouri Valley in North Dakota" and noted that an early settler [Sol Catron] had "trapped a few" in Harding County. Regardless of the past status of this fox in northwestern South Dakota, it seems that the species is no longer found in that area today, or is extremely rare, and the subspecies status of V. velox across much of the Northern Great Plains is in[Pg 389] question. A specimen collected in February of 1970, located 9 miles north and 2 miles east of Scranton, Slope County, North Dakota, is the only swift fox captured north of Nebraska in recent years (Pfeifer and Hibbard, 1970:835).

Urocyon cinereoargenteus ocythous Bangs, 1899.—Jones and Henderson (1963:288) reported a gray fox from Deer Ear Buttes, Butte Co., South Dakota, about 15 miles south of the Harding County line. This species seems to have spread westward in recent years, and it is likely to occur in the county in the future.

Gulo gulo luscus (Linnaeus, 1758).—The wolverine likely existed in small numbers in northwestern South Dakota until early settlement, but there are no confirmed records from Harding County or nearby regions. A recent report of a specimen captured south of Timber Lake, Dewey County, South Dakota (Jones, 1964:283), suggests that it may be found in the area again.

Lynx canadensis canadensis Kerr, 1792.—We haven’t received any reports of this species in Harding County, except that Visher (1914:90) mentioned local residents said specimens had "been taken recently in the Cave Hills." Hoffmann and Pattie (1968:53) stated that lynx currently exist in eastern Montana, and we suspect that individuals might sometimes wander into Harding County.

Of the 53 mammals mentioned in the previous accounts, all but one (Mus musculus) are native species of North America. These can be categorized into five distinct faunal groups as detailed by Hoffmann and Jones (1970:364-365). The majority (27) are considered "widespread species." Most of these have broad ranges across much of North America; a few do not, but they are distributed widely enough that it's difficult to confidently place them in a more limited group. Widespread mammals found in northwestern South Dakota include: Myotis leibii, Myotis lucifugus, Eptesicus fuscus, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Lasiurus cinereus, Castor canadensis, Peromyscus maniculatus, Ondatra zibethicus, Erethizon dorsatum, Canis latrans, Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes, Ursus americanus, Ursus arctos, Procyon lotor, Mustela frenata, Mustela vison, Taxidea taxus, Mephitis mephitis, Lutra canadensis, Felis concolor, Lynx rufus, Cervus elaphus, Odocoileus hemionus, Odocoileus virginianus, Antilocapra americana, and Bison bison. This list mostly consists of flying or relatively large and mobile mammals, several of which are also found in Eurasia or range well into the Neotropics.

A few common species deserve special mention. Two, the pronghorn and bison, are typical residents of the interior grasslands of North America and could be seen as steppe species, except that both have a wide range beyond that area. Four other species, Erethizon dorsatum, which is mainly considered a mammal of coniferous forests, and Ursus arctos, Taxidea taxus,[Pg 390] and Odocoileus hemionus, all mostly western species, are not as widely distributed as other members of this group. Of the five bats, three are year-round residents, but Lasiurus cinereus and apparently Lasionycteris noctivagans are migrants.

The remaining 25 types of mammals represent four regional animal groupings: boreomontane species (10), steppe species (nine), species with Sonoran connections (four), and species from the eastern deciduous forest (two).

Boreomontane species.—Out of the 10 mammals in this group, three (Eutamias minimus, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, and Microtus pennsylvanicus) are found both in the boreal forests to the north of the plains and in the mountain areas to the west. Six species (Myotis evotis, Myotis volans, Plecotus townsendii, Thomomys talpoides, Neotoma cinerea, and Ovis canadensis) are mainly found in mountain regions and likely migrated to northwestern South Dakota from the west during late Wisconsin or post-glacial periods; all except the pocket gopher now exist only near coniferous forests or rocky buttes. The last species, Zapus hudsonius, is a glacial "relic." The closest populations are now far to the north, and this jumping mouse is found only in limited areas of northwestern South Dakota and nearby regions. In Harding County, Z. hudsonius is currently known only from Deer Draw in the Slim Buttes.

Steppe species.—The animals closely linked to the Great Plains include: Lepus townsendii, Cynomys ludovicianus, Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, Perognathus fasciatus, Perognathus hispidus, Reithrodontomys montanus, Microtus ochrogaster, Mustela nigripes, and Spilogale putorius (subspecies interrupta). Some of these species are unique to the plains, but most can be found in grassland habitats beyond this area. All of them are clearly well adapted to and likely evolved in response to the environment of the interior grasslands. This zoogeographic unit is defined by true steppe species that have relatively specific habitat needs and similar distribution patterns.

The case of the spotted skunk deserves a quick note. This species wasn't spotted or reported by our field teams, and local residents only vaguely remembered seeing spotted skunks "years ago." Visher (1914:91) noted, however, that Spilogale was much more common than Mephitis in the early part of the century. Regardless of that, Spilogale putorius, as it's currently understood, would be seen as a widespread species, except recent evidence[Pg 391] strongly indicates that the plains race (interrupta) is not the same species as the spotted skunks in the west (subspecies gracilis). Moreover, their ranges don’t overlap. Whatever its final specific relations may be, S. p. interrupta is clearly a plains mammal and is thus considered part of that zoogeographic unit.

Sonoran species.—Sylvilagus audubonii, Dipodomys ordii, Reithrodontomys megalotis, and Onychomys leucogaster are species that have spread into the Northern Great Plains from the Sonoran region in the southwest. However, the latter two are quite widely found across the Great Plains, making their classification as Sonoran species somewhat arbitrary. Interestingly, as many as nine mammals with southwestern connections can be found as far north as southwestern South Dakota and nearby Wyoming.

Eastern species.—Only Sylvilagus floridanus and Peromyscus leucopus can be identified as species mainly linked to the eastern deciduous forest. The former is found in brushy habitats along rivers in northwestern South Dakota, while P. leucopus is confined to relatively healthy areas of deciduous trees and is currently known to exist only in Deer Draw of the Slim Buttes.

Throughout its known range in the western part of the Northern Great Plains, P. leucopus exists in small and scattered populations that are linked to riparian deciduous forests. The closest known population to Harding County is in the Black Hills to the south; the next closest are several isolated or semi-isolated populations along the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana. It’s likely that this white-footed mouse expanded northwest into the western plains along river systems, thriving alongside deciduous trees during a warmer and wetter post-glacial period. Later changes to a drier climate significantly altered the distribution and possibly the makeup of riparian forests, leading to isolated populations of P. leucopus surviving only in limited areas, like Deer Draw, many of which were probably marginal habitats for the species.

Unverified species. — Of the 10 species listed as having "unverified occurrence," it seems very likely that around eight will be found to exist, or have existed historically, in Harding County. Among these eight are one steppe species (Vulpes velox), three with boreomontane traits (Sorex cinereus, Gulo gulo, and Lynx canadensis), two (Sciurus niger and Urocyon cinereoargenteus) that are linked to eastern deciduous forests, and two (Sorex merriami and Lagurus curtatus) that are elements of the Great Basin.[Pg 392]

It’s important to note that the last mentioned animal group isn’t known to be present in northwestern South Dakota.

For help in the field, we are especially thankful to the students who took the Field Course in Vertebrate Zoology at The University of Kansas during the summers of 1961, 1965, and 1970, as well as M. A. Levy, R. R. Patterson, and T. H. Swearingen. In 1965 and 1970, the summer field course received partial support from grants (GE-7739 and GZ-1512, respectively) provided by the National Science Foundation; Andersen was supported in the field in 1968 by a grant from the Kansas City Council for Higher Education. Staff from the U.S. Forest Service (Sioux Division, Custer National Forest), especially District Ranger Timothy S. Burns, were extremely helpful to us in the field, as were Wardens Wesley Broer and Merritt Paukarbek from the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Robert Kriege, a Federal predator control agent based in Buffalo, generously shared his expertise on rodents and carnivores in the area, and many current or former residents, particularly Carl Cornell and Spike Jorgensen, also provided valuable information and assistance.

Ectoparasites mentioned here were identified by Cluff E. Hopla (fleas), Richard B. Loomis (chiggers), and Glen M. Kohls (ticks). Besides mammals housed in the Museum of Natural History, we examined only three specimens: two in the U.S. National Museum (USNM) and one in the collection at South Dakota State University, Brookings (SDSU).

Anonymous

1959. Building an empire: a historical booklet on Harding County, South Dakota. Buffalo Times-Herald, 108 pages.

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Baker, C. L.

1952. Geology of Harding County. Report. South Dakota State Geological Survey, 68:1-36 (mimeographed).

Brown, L. N.

1963. Growth-related molts and seasonal molts in Peromyscus boylii. Amer. Midland Nat., 70:466-469.

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1959. The mammals of North America. Ronald Press, New York, 2: xxx + 1-546 + 79 and 2: viii + 547-1083 + 79.

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1969. The black-footed ferret in South Dakota. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Pierre, 37 pp.[Pg 393]

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1970. Impact of late-glacial and post-glacial events on the distribution of recent mammals in the Northern Great Plains. Pp. 355-394, in Pleistocene and Recent environments of the Central Great Plains (W. Dort, Jr., and J. K. Jones, Jr., eds.), Univ. Press of Kansas, Lawrence, xii + 433 pp.

Hoffmann, R.S., and D.L. Pattie

1968. A guide to Montana mammals.... Univ. of Montana, Missoula, x + 133 pp.

Hoffmann, R.S., P.L. Wright, and F.E. Newby

1969. Distribution of some mammals in Montana. I. Mammals other than bats. Journal of Mammalogy, 50:579-604.

Hoffmeister, D. F.

1951. A taxonomic and evolutionary study of the pinon mouse, Peromyscus truei. Illinois Biol. Monogr., 21: ix + 1-104.

Jones, J. K., Jr.

1964. Distribution and classification of mammals in Nebraska. University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History, 16:1-356.

Jones, J.K., Jr., and H. H. Genoways

1967. Annotated checklist of bats from South Dakota. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 70:184-196.

Jones, J.K., Jr., and F.R. Henderson

1963. Significant sightings of foxes from South Dakota. Jour. Mamm., 44:283.

Lillegraven, J. A.

1970. Layers, structure, and vertebrate fossils of the Oligocene Brule Formation, Slim Buttes, northwestern South Dakota. Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., 81:831-850.

Miller, G. S., Jr., and R. Kellogg

1955. List of North American Recent mammals. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 205: xii + 1-954.

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1945. Mammals of South Dakota. University of South Dakota Museum, 56 pages. (mimeographed).

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1970. A recent sighting of the swift fox (Vulpes velox) in North Dakota. Jour. Mamm., 51:835.

Swenk, M. H.

1941. A study of subspecies variation in the Richardson pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) in Nebraska, including descriptions of two new subspecies. Missouri Valley Fauna, 4:1-8.

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1914. Report on the biology of Harding County, northwestern South Dakota. Bull. South Dakota Geol. Surv., 6:1-103.

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