PERMFILE122428 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Parkdale Project • 4 • Reclamation Permit Mountain lions occur throughout the mountainous portions of the state with their range being closely tied to that of elk and mule deer. Mountain lion prey primarily on mule deer and young elk in this region and, like their prey, are typically wide-ranging. Mountain lions will follow their prey's seasonal movement and inhabit summer range or winter range in conjunction with deer and elk. Preferred habitat of mountain lions consists of rough or steep terrain in remote areas with suitable rock or vegetational cover. It is possible that portions of the permit area are located within a territory occupied by mountain lion. Mountain lion use of the permit area is most likely to coincide with winter and early spring when mule deer numbers increase in the area. Predators and Forbearers Predators and forbearers potentially occurring in the permit area include coyote, gray fox, ringtail, raccoon, badger, loner tailed weasel, striped skunk, western spotted skunk, and bobcat (Meaney 1990, Fitzgerald et al. 1994). Due to the secretive nature and nocturnal habits of many of these species, little information on distribution and population densities in the region is available and species presence can be difficult to determine. Field surveys documented only the presence of coyote. Coyote scat was infrequently observed but was noted in most habitats within the permit area. The remainder of the other species, except for badger, are most likely to occur in association with Tallahassee Creek and/or the broken terrain represented by pinon/juniper slopes to the north of the creek. Striped skunk, western spotted skunk, and long-tailed weasel occur in a variety of habitats but are most often found in habitats near water. Bobcat and gray fox, like coyote, occur in wide variety of habitats, but rugged woodland areas are often preferred. Ringtails inhabit open, semi-arid country where rocky outcroppings, canyons, or talus slopes are present. Badgers, on the other hand, prefer open grassland and sagebrush habitats supporting populations of ground squircels and other small rodents. Numerous rodent burrows were noted on the grassland bench south of Tallahassee Creek, but no evidence of badger diggings was observed. Other Mammals Habitats within the permit area support a variety of small and medium-sized mammals associated with grassland, shrub, and pinon/juniper habitats. Rodents and other small mammal species represent an important food source for raptors and mammalian and reptilian predators. Field surveys documented the presence of northern pocket gopher, rock squircel, least chipmunk, bushy-tailed woodrat, and Nuttall's cottontail. Other species potentially present, based on their ranges and habitat preferences, include black- tailed jackrabbit, western harvest mouse, rock mouse, deer mouse, pinon mouse, northern grasshopper mouse, meadow vole, and porcupine. Several species of bats associated with semi-arid habitats are potential inhabitants of the permit area. Natural caves, abandoned mine shafts and adits, as well as crevices in areas