1988-04-11_PERMIT FILE - C1981008A (29)

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Fishes. No quantitative sampling of fishes or other aquatic vertebrates or invertebrates was conducted in the study area. An occular reconnaissance of ponds and ditches and interviews with local residents were conducted to determine the fish species present in the study area. Results and Discussion of the Fish and Wildlife Studies Mammals. A list of the mammal species of confirmed or possible occurrence in the Nucla East study area is presented, along with species habitat preference, in Table 2. A total of 67 mammalian species could conceivably occur in the study area. The occurrence of 21 species is confirmed for the Nucla East area and the immediate vicinity. This total excludes bats (Order Chiroptera) for which no positive identifications were made. These 21 species represent four orders and ten families of mammals. The results of the spring small mammal trapping survey are presented in Table 3. The undisturbed pinyon-juniper/sagebrush rocky bluff supported the most diverse small mammal fauna. The agricultural area (Line No. 3) was also relatively diverse. The rangeland habitat had the lowest diversity value and the lowest capture rate. The orchard site with only 16 trap nights had the highest capture rate. A total of five species were found during this trapping period. Two of these, the Colorado chipmunk and white-throated woodrat were found only on the undistrubed pinyon-juniper/sagebrush bluff. The pinyon mouse and house mouse were found only during the spring. The fall small mammal trapping results are presented in Table 4. The agricultural area (Line No. 8) had the greatest diversity and capture rate. The rangeland, as in the spring, again had the lowest diversity and capture rate. The western harvest mouse, deer mouse, and long-tailed vole were found during both survey periods. Mule deer was the only large mammal species observed in the study area. The number of deer observed per day in the study area and immediate vicinity varied from zero to 15 with a mean daily observation rate of 5.63 (st. dev. = 9.95; n [observation days] = 22). Most observations made in the daylight hours were in the willow component of the swales, in old orchards, and in rangeland habitats. In the early evenings and mornings, deer were occasionally observed foraging in irrigated pastures and meadows. Observational records indicate that deer are present in the study area all year. Deer move into the San Miguel Valley in winter from neighboring plateaus (R. Arant pers. comm.), but winter observations 11-2-11 Revised 04/11/88