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<br />eccurr my in all habitat types on ~-~ study area during Cctober, 1979. The <br />results of the scent-station survey a-,d the corresponding indices of rela- <br />tive abundance are presented in App;rn..x B, Part 3 arx3 siamr~.rized in Tai~le <br />3. For corq~arative purposes, the results of b..n federally-surveyed lines <br />conducted by united States Fish and tiildlife Service (C:SFIVS) in 1978 are <br />presented in Table 4, The 1979 results of the surveyed lines are not avail- <br />able. <br />Scent-station results indicate that `:~ coyote is the frost abundant mam- <br />malian predator in the vicinity of ^,e Nucla mine. CornL arison of t'ze <br />scent-station data with the results o: the federal lines indicate that coyote <br />populations in the vicinity o£ the tiucla mine were well aelcxa the 1978 <br />state and regional averages. <br />The coyote occurs throughout Colorado, from the eastern plains C-u ough t]~e <br />central mountains to the western border. So,ne of the largest coyote popu- <br />lations occur in the southeast region of t;:e state (personal mr:ecninication, <br />March 1960, Can Balser, Colorado C3ildlife Research Linit). Rodents and <br />rabbits are the Hain items o£ diet, but they may deed on berries, carria-~, <br />gar,~e animals, and darastic sheep ir. certain circaanstarces aml at certai-i <br />tines of the year. <br />~-. species of fox was the second most abundant predatnr encountered at scent- <br />stations in the vicinity of the stud} area. Althouyh di££erent species of <br />foxes are difficult if not impossible to distinguish on the basis of tracks, <br />it is beL'eved that the fox encountered in try Nucla area was the red fox, <br />alttnugh gray foxes wire enmuntesed on the nearby federally-surveyed line. <br />Red foxes are secretive animals and are very rarely seen; none were seen <br />by ~J',.ZIAII's field personnel. however, interviews with local residents and <br />DO[.* personnel (Rick Sherman) indicatz that the red fox is the one most <br />osannly observed in the area. In a;;y case, foxes appear to be quite <br />tYr~rcnn in the area as the fox inde.~c as determined from scent-station data <br />was above that recorded for the gray fox on tkse nearby survey line and the <br />state averages for both the gray fox and red fox. Both foxes eat a variety <br />(~ of animals and plants incluclincT mz:rr-als, birds, re;~tiles, ,v;y~: ;~: :~i r: r.s, insects, <br />ear Ux~+?rm;, berries, c7ra sses and ,`orbs (I.er.:hleitner 1969) , <br />-41- <br />• <br />~uN ~ i ~eao <br />(Revised July 2006) Attachment 2.04.11-1-48 <br />