Page:Natural History of the Ground Squirrels of California.djvu/51

Rh Measurements.—Average and extreme measurements, in millimeters, of thirteen mature specimens from Inyo County are as follows: Five males: total length, 417 (400–455); tail vertebræ, 163 (155–180); hind foot, 57 (50–65); ear from crown, 19 (16–22); greatest length of skull, 55.4 (54.1–57.0); zygomatic breadth, 34.7 (33.3–36.3); interorbital width, 13.3 (13.1–13.9). Eight females: total length, 396 (374–417); tail vertebræ, 157 (145–170); hind foot, 53 (51–55); ear from crown, 19 (18–23); greatest length of skull, 53.9 (52.3–55.7); zygomatic breadth, 33.2 (31.0–34.7); interorbital width, 13.2 (12.2–14.3).

The above figures show that the race fisheri is decidedly smaller in almost every particular than beecheyi. The disparity between the sexes is quite as well shown, however, and the rest of the variable features seem to be exhibited in about the same degree, making due allowances for the smaller number of fisheri measured.

Weights.—Average and extreme weights in grams of eight mature specimens from Inyo County are as follows: Five males, 589 (480–656); three females, 400 (321–440). Averages in ounces: males, about 20¾; females, about 14.

It is probable that a larger series of weights would give somewhat different averages. That for the females seems low.

Type locality.—Kern Valley, 25 miles above Kernville [= South Fork of Kern River 25 miles east of Kernville], Kern County, California (Merriam, 1893, p. 133).

Distribution area.—Roughly the western borderlands of the Mohave Desert, north into the Inyo region and south as far as the northwestern arm of the Colorado Desert. More in detail, the western side of Owens Valley including the adjacent east slopes of the Sierras north to the vicinity of Mammoth Pass; east from the southern end of Owens Lake through the Coso, Argus and north end of the Panamint Mountains; the extreme southern Sierras, including the entire drainage basin of the Kern River; the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley south of Tulare Lake, and the Carrizo Plains country and adjacent hills and valleys to the westward; the Tehachapi, Tejon, San Bernardino, San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains and adjacent desert borders. The approximate line of blending between the races beecheyi and fisheri is shown on the map (fig. 17). With regard to life-zone the Fisher Ground Squirrel extends from the Lower Sonoran to the Canadian but its greatest numbers are reached, and most of its habitat lies, in the Upper Sonoran (see fig. 23).

Specimens examined.—A total of 96 specimens from the following localities, all in California: Inyo County: Little Onion Valley, 7,500 ft., east slope Sierra Nevada west of Independence, 1; Independence, 4; vicinity of Lone Pine, 3; vicinity of Jackass Spring, 6,200–6,500 ft., northern part of Panamint Mts., 9; Little Lake, 2; Olancha, 1; Little Cottonwood Creek, at 10,000 ft. alt., 1. Tulare County: Jordan Hot Springs, 6,700 ft., 1; Jackass Meadow, 7,750 ft., 1; Trout Creek, 6,000 ft., 3 Taylor Meadow, 7,000 ft., 5; Cannell Meadow, 7,000 ft., 1; Earlimart, 2; Tipton, 5. Kern County: Kern River, seven miles above Kernville, 1; Fay Creek, 4,100 ft., 2; west slope Walker Pass, 4,600 ft., 3; Weldon, 1; Isabella, 2; Bodfish, 1; Kern River, twelve miles below Bodfish, 1; eight miles northeast Bakersfield, 1; San Emigdio, 2; Fort Tejon, 5. San Luis Obispo County: near Simmler, on Carrizo Plains, 1. Ventura County: Mount Pinos, 3. San Bernardino County: Victorville, 2; Cushenbury Springs, 1; Doble, 7,000 ft., San Bernardino Mts., 1; Bluff Lake, 7,500 ft., San Bernardino Mts., 2; Fish Creek, 6,500 ft., San Bernardino Mts., 1. Riverside County: near Banning, 1; Cabezon, 9; Snow Creek, near Whitewater, 1; Schain's Ranch, 4,900 ft., San Jacinto Mts., 4; Fuller's Mill, 5,900 ft., San Jacinto Mts., 1; Round Valley, 9,000 ft., San Jacinto Mts., 1; Tahquitz Valley, 8,000 ft., San Jacinto Mts., 1; Strawberry Valley, 6,000 ft., San Jacinto Mts., 9.

The Fisher Ground Squirrel is closely related to, and in general very much like, the California Ground Squirrel with which it blends in Kern and Tulare Counties. In general appearance the former is slightly smaller and decidedly paler than the latter. The Fisher Squirrel may be recognized in the field by its extensive white shoulder patches. This sub-species is also known as "digger" squirrel.

The range of the Fisher Squirrel includes Kern Valley and part of Owens Valley, the extreme southern part of the San Joaquin Valley, and a strip of territory along the northern and western edges of the