Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-02-08
Mammals of Western Kansas.

paper by Prof. a. B. Baker containing a
list of the mammals of western Kansas as
actually seen by him within the past five
years.
Wild Cat: Common along wooded
streams, and along the chalk bluffs; preys
but little upon sheep or poultry. Two
females taken in May; containing two
young each.
Long-tailed Weasel: Not common; in
habits prairie dogs burrows and holes
among the rocks; not seen here till the
present year.
Black-footed Ferret: Lives in prairie
dogs burrows, and preys upon these
rodents; makes occasional inroads upon
poultry. Il is generally to be found in
the larger prairie dog towns butts no
where numerous.
Otter: Occasionally along streams.
Badger: Common; lives in burrows on
the open prairie.
Common Skunk: Very numerous and
destructive to poultry.
Little Striped Skunk: Not seen here
till the autumn of 1887. OF twenty
skunks taken since that time, One-third
were of this species.
Gray Wolf: Formerly quite numerous;
now uncommon, and found only in rough
country along streams.
Coyote: Very numerous, and destruc-
tive to sheep and poultry.
Swift Fox: Very numerous until within
the past five or six years; now rarely seen.
1t lives in shallow burrows on the open
prairie.
Raccoon: Common in bluffs and rough
banks along streams
Antelope; Pronghorn: Still compare
lively common: and, until quite recently,
very numerous.
Black-tailed Deer: Quite common. till
within the last few years; now found on
ly occasionally, and in the toughest
country.
Red Bat: Common; found in corn and
sorghum fields.
Silvery-haired Bat: Only one individ-
ual taken; captured indoors: attracted
probably by the light.
Merriam: Found in clefts in the rocks,
and in swallows nests. The first lndivid-
uals captured of this species were taken
here in August, 1884, when scores of
them were seen. None have been seen
here since that time. The following year,
two individuals of this species were taken
in southwestern New Mexico.
Short footed Shrew: Found on low
ground, and occasionally on upland; not
common.
Striped Ground-Squirrel: Found every
where: does great injury to corn and
other crops.
Prairie Dog: Exceedingly numerous;
one 'dog town" being more than sixty
miles in length. They cause consider
able damage by cutting down corn or
other crops which obstruct their field of
vision.
Beaver: Formerly common, and found
along all streams whose banks are not
too sandy; it is now rapidly disappearing.
Pocket Gopher: Common.
Kangaroo Rat: Very numerous, especi-
ally in sandy bottom land, where it does
much damage to corn and other crops;
lives in separate holes; not in colonies, as
farther southwest.
Maxim: not common; found in sandy
banks.
Jumping Muse: Rare; one Individual
was taken among willow brush on the
bank of stream.
House Mouse: Found about buildings,
and in cultivated fields. Gntroduced)
Wood Rat: Pack Rat: Common; lives
in holes among rocks, and in willow
brush along streams.
White-footed Mouse: Very numerous in
fields, and about houses and barns.
Mole Mouse: Common in fields, and
often found about farm buildings.
Little Harvest Mouse: Common in
fields, and occasionally about buildings;
scSu III bu6 uclOS luOSt
the ground is covered with snow.
Prairie Meadow Mouse: Common;
found in most bottom lands and cultivat-
ed fields.
Musk Rat: Numerous along streams
solitary individuals, which were perhaps
migrating, have occasionally been found
at considerable distance from water.
Yellow-haired Porcupine: found among
bluffs, and where there is timber; not
common.
White-tailed Jack Rabbit: Numerous;
lives in burrows on the open prairie.
Cotton-tail Rabbit: Very common In
bluffs. in brush, along streams, and about
cultivated fields.
Black-tailed Jack Rabbit: Lives in bur
rows on the open prairie; very common.
School Report-District z.
Report for the month ending Jan. 81: