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Three species of voles were caught on the study site. ~ ~ y The red-backed vole was only trapped in ashen. The long- ` tailed vole was caught in all four plant communities, but x is the dominant vole species only in sagebrush-snowberry and oak plant communities. The montane vole was caught in the aspen and snowberry_,chokecherry communities. The r distribution of these three voles in these plant communities is typical for western Colorado (Armstrong, 1972 and '.` Lechleitner 1969) ' , . ,,, -- s Eleven porcupines were seen during the faunal survey. Although porcupines were seen in both sagebrush- snowberry and chokecherry-snowberry, the majority of the rr'+ sightings were in. oak. The top terminal branches are a pre£erzed food source and as a result, many of the oaks have a clipped appearance. Porcupines were not seen in . the aspen stands. ;~, 2.6.6 Carnivora (Canifis, raccoons, bear and other carnivores) r The coyote population in the Williams Fork Mountains is low {Hector, 197'6). They are controlled throuch hunting and trapping as a protection for livestoc?c, especially sheep, which graze in this range during the summer months. Tracks, identified as coyote, were seen on =~ ~~ the study site. Red foxes are common in the S4i'_liams Fork Mountains (Hector, 1976). One was observed along Dry CreeR approximately five miles from the study site in mountain shrub habitat similar to the study site. , Red foxes probably use the study site mainly. for foraging. Raccoons are an ubiquitous animal and are found in a variety of habitats. Their populations have shown a - mazked increase due to their facility in adaptinc to urban environments. While they are common in the G7i11iams Fork , Mountains, they are generally restricted to permanent ~ streams. Since the study site lacks a permanent water body, it is suboptimal habitat. None were seen on the site. Occasional sightings of black bears have been ti~ reported in the Y.ayden Gulch area (Hector, 1976). However, the total population for the Williams Fork Mountains is ~ considered to be no more than fifty individuals (Colorado = Division of Wildlife, 1976). Black bear densities for ~' the area encompassing the study site is esti,;.ated to be y 0.08 bears per square mile (Colorado Division of Wildlife, : {{ 1976). No evidence of black bears was seen on the study 11 _ site. The Seaver slat Tops area to the south has relatively high bear densities and an occasional bear from this area ~{ might wander throuch the study site. - -~ -68-