food they were actually seen to eat was candlefish, a slim silvery fish
6 inches in length. On several occasions an otter was seen swimming with
the head of a candlefish held fast in its mouth and the fish's body
extending out in a silvery bow. Many feces of these otters were composed
entirely of the feathers of grebes and scoters. These birds were
probably not killed by the otters but died a natural death or were shot
by men. At that camp scarcely a day passed in which at least one person
was not seen firing a .22 caliber rifle from a cabin cruiser into the
flocks of scoters at the mouth of the bay. Dead sea birds were common on
the shore and doubtless furnished food for otters as they did for crows
and eagles. The majority of the otter feces examined at Blakely Island
were composed of the remains of invertebrates. The small mussel
(_Mytilus edulis_) was most abundant. Crabs formed an important part of
their diet. Strangely enough the shore crab (_Hemigrapsus nudus_) and
the porcelain crab (_Petrolisthes eriomerus_) were seldom eaten though
they were abundant beneath the rocks upon which the feces were found,
and formed the principal food item of raccoons. These species of
invertebrates live beneath rocks and the raccoon probably reaches
beneath the rocks to catch the crabs with its handlike forefeet, as the
otter is unable to do. The edible crab (_Cancer productus_) and kelp
crab (_Telmessus cheiragonus_) were most often eaten by otters. Also
eaten were snails (_Margarites_, _Littorina_), bitter oysters
(_Pododesmus macroschisma_), unidentified pelecypods, barnacles
(_Balanus_), one chiton (_Mopalia muscosa_), and once a starfish. The
invertebrate remains, save for the snails, were crushed and broken.
Fish of many species were abundant in these waters. Salmon were often
seen leaping near the playing otters. Yet no scales or other remains of
fish were detected in the feces. Candlefish possess tiny scales that
could probably be seen by microscopic examination only. As for the
bird remains, the quantity of feathers consumed is notable. The otters
apparently do not pluck birds, as do minks. Indeed, of the material
eaten, the food value by volume seems extraordinarily low. A great
quantity must be eaten to nourish an animal as large and as active as
an otter. The number of fecal droppings seen each morning indicates
that this is the case.
[Illustration: FIG. 62. River otter (_Lutra canadensis pacifica_),
trapped in Columbia National Forest, Washington, February, 1937.
(Adolph Roth photo.)] seems extraordinarily low. A great quantity
must be eaten to nourish an animal as large and as active as an
otter. The number of fecal droppings seen each morning indicates
that this is the case.
The favored food of the otter in fresh water streams and lakes is the
crayfish. The greater part, perhaps 80 per cent, of otter feces seen in
the lowlands of western Washington, were composed of crayfish remains.
Some fish are also eaten and locally otters may do damage among the
steelhead trout. Even worse, from the fisherman's standpoint, they
frighten and scatter the schools of steelhead trout. Frogs are eaten, as
well as the thin-shelled mussels. The feathers of coots were twice seen
in otter feces near Cottage Lake, King County.
The fur of the otter is dense and beautiful but the skin is rather
heavy. Changes in styles cause great fluctuation in the value of the
otter's pelt.
[Illustration: FIG. 63. Distribution of the river otter in Washington.
Unshaded _Lutra canadensis pacifica_. Shaded _Lutra canadensis
vancouverensis_.]
=Lutra canadensis pacifica= Rhoads
_Lutra hudsonica pacifica_ Rhoads, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.
s., 19: 429, September, 1898.
_Lutra canadensis pacifica_ Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.,
10: 460, November 10, 1898.
_Type._--Obtained at Lake Keechelus, Kittitas County, Washington
(altitude 3,000, rather than 8,000 feet as stated in original
citation); type in Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
_Measurements._--An adult male from the Lower Calawah River, near
Forks, Clallam County, measured (skinned carcass): total length
1205; length of tail 490; weight (entire) 23 pounds. A male from
Puget Island, Wahkiakum County, measured (skinned carcass): total
length 1250; length of tail 490. A female from Satsop, Grays
Harbor County, measured (skinned carcass): total length 1205;
length of tail 440. A female from Calawah River near Forks,
Clallam County, measured: total length 1062; length of tail 430;
hind foot 120; ear 23; weight 14-3/4 pounds.
_Distribution._--Watercourses throughout the state, scarcer east
of the Cascades; recorded at Forks (V. B. S.) in the northwest,
Puget Island (V. B. S.) in the southwest, Colville (Taylor and
Shaw, 1929: 12) in the northeast, and Touchet (Taylor and Shaw,
1929: 12) in the southeast.
=Lutra canadensis vancouverensis= Goldman
_Lutra vancouverensis_ Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:
186, November 15, 1935.
_Type._--Obtained at Quatsino, Vancouver Island, British Columbia,
by H. O. Berg in 1905; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--No adults, referred to this race from
Washington, have been examined. Said to have broader skull than
_pacifica_.
_Measurements._--The only available specimen, a young female from
Black Rock, San Juan County, measured: total length 792; length of
tail 247; hind foot 103; ear 22.
_Distribution._--The San Juan Islands of northern Puget Sound and
adjacent marine waters.
_Remarks._--The otters of the San Juan Islands are referred to
this race on geographical grounds. Numerous islands connect
Vancouver Island with the San Juan Islands, and intervening
channels are not too wide for otters to swim. Adult material may
show that the otters of the San Juan Islands are referable to
_pacifica_ or to an undescribed race rather than to
_vancouverensis_.
=Enhydra lutris nereis= (Merriam)
Sea otter
_Latax lutris nereis_ Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 17:
159, October 6, 1904.
_Enhydra lutris nereis_ Grinnell, Univ. California Publ. Zoöl.,
21: 316, January 27, 1923.
_Type._--Obtained on San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara Islands, by
G. M. McGuire in 1904; type in United States National Museum.
_Distribution._--Formerly occurred along the ocean coast of
Washington. Now extinct there.
_Description._--Adult sea otters reach a length of six feet. The body is
stout, long and round; the tail is short, flattened and about a foot in
length. The legs are short and thick. The hind feet are webbed for
swimming. The head is rounded with small eyes and ears, and a seallike
mustache of stiff bristles on the muzzle. The upper lip is thick and
heavy, drooping over the sides of the mouth in a spaniel-like fashion.
The fur is long, soft and extremely dense. The color of the body is
various shades of rich, dark brown. Scattered white hairs often give the
coat a frosted appearance. The heads of the adults are pale grey,
occasionally almost white.
The sea otter once ranged from the Gulf of California north along the
west coast of North America to Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, Siberia and
Japan. It is now found only in a small area along the coast of
California and in remote islands of the north Pacific. Once abundant
along the coast of Washington, it is now completely extinct there.
The habits of sea otters living on the California Coast in the vicinity
of Carmel have been described by Fisher (1939: 21-36). Available
information on the sea otter in Washington has been given by Scheffer
(1940B: 369-388). The search for sea-otter skins influenced the
exploration and settlement of the northwest. Captain James Cook obtained
skins of sea otter at Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island, in 1778. The mouth
of the Columbia River was discovered by Captain Robert Gray on May 11,
1792, while trading for sea otter skins.
According to Scheffer, the bulk of the sea-otter population on the
Washington coast was concentrated between the mouth of the Columbia
River and Point Grenville at the mouth of the Quinault River. The otters
were found several miles from land in extensive kelp beds. The principal
food of the sea otter in Washington seems to have been the short-spined
purple sea urchin (_Strongylocentrotus purpuratus_). The animals were
social, living in herds of up to 400 individuals. They never came out on
land, living, sleeping, and bringing forth their young on the kelp beds
of the open ocean. The single young was born at any month of the year.
=Spilogale gracilis= Merriam
Civet cat or spotted skunk
_Description._--The civet cat is slightly less than 18 inches in total
length, of which the tail constitutes 6 inches. Large, fat animals may
weigh more than a pound. The body is long and moderately stout, heavier
than that of the weasel but slimmer than that of the striped skunk. The
tail is long with long, plumelike fur. The legs are slender and of
moderate length. The feet are small with long claws. The head is small
and triangular with low, erect ears and large, bright eyes. The fur is
short but soft and silky. The ground color of the civet cat is black.
Wavy lines and spots of white or salmon intercept the black in a complex
pattern. Variations in color patterns include width of stripes, waviness
of stripes, and breaking up of the stripes into spots.
_Spilogale_ is restricted to America; it ranges from southern British
Columbia south into Central America. Several species are now recognized,
but additional material probably will show intergradation between some
of them and reduce the number.
The name "spotted skunk" is seldom used by trappers or other persons
familiar with the animal. Nor is it appropriate, for the distinctive
color pattern is composed of short stripes. Neither is the term "civet
cat" appropriate, for the true civet is found in Asia. The name civet
cat is well established, however, and will doubtless remain in general
use.
The civet cat is principally a lowland animal, but has been recorded
from the Nisqually entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park (Brockman,
1939: 70). Its rather generalized habits allow it to exist in areas that
will not support larger carnivores or species with specialized food
habits. It dwells in areas of thickets, brushy tangles or deep woods. In
southeastern Washington it lives in rocky places as well as in
river-side thickets of willow and cottonwood. Where conditions are
suitable it ranges up into the Canadian Life-zone but is most abundant
in the Transition Life-zone.
The civet cats, in contrast to the striped skunks, are exclusively
nocturnal. They are active the year around in western Washington but
move about less in spells of unusually cold weather. We have taken them,
however, in freezing weather.
In spite of their abundance and wide range, civet cats are known to few
persons other than trappers, perhaps because of their exclusively
nocturnal habits. They do occasionally make people aware of themselves
by taking up residence about old buildings. They are rather noisy at
times. At the Tolt River, 10 miles southeast of Duvall, King County, we
were asleep in an old building when a stamping noise from the next room
awakened us. Investigation revealed a civet cat indulging in a series of
short, stiff-legged hops. The forefeet were held slightly ahead and six
or eight hops made. The animal would then relax, turn, and prance off in
a new direction. The amount of noise made by its feet striking the board
floor was surprising. The civet cat seemed to enjoy the noise it made,
and the prancing may have been a method of playing. Trapped civet cats
have been seen to make a similar but shorter series of hops at the
trapper's approach, which might have been a warning. In the case
described, however, the noise of the animal's actions was heard before
the animal was seen and presumably when it was unaware of human
presence. The civet cat also makes a drumming noise similar to the
drumming of a wood rat. This was heard twice from wild animals that did
not suspect an observer's presence, and once from a captive animal.
While an animal was drumming I never had the opportunity to watch the
actions closely enough to describe them. Apparently the drumming is done
with the forefeet.
The civet cat is said to be a good climber and to do some of its hunting
in trees. One trapped civet cat climbed to the limit of a trap chain and
wire in a low bush near Cottage Lake, King County, but, in Washington, I
have no other evidence of this animal climbing. Near Cottage Lake, we
took a civet cat in a trap set beneath 2 inches of water at the side of
a stream. The animal had either been swimming or wading.
Trapped civet cats rarely dig holes near the traps, as striped skunks
often do. One caught near Ocean Park, Pacific County, did dig a hole
beneath a log and forced earth and leaves over the entrance. I walked
within a few feet of the animal in searching for the trap. Not until the
trap chain was seen did I find the civet cat. None was taken in traps
set in mountain beaver burrows, although I have caught both striped
skunks and weasels in such burrows.
Some trappers state that the musk of the civet cat smells different from
that of the striped skunk. I think the odor is slightly more acrid and
that it does not carry so far as the skunk musk. The civet cat is far
more active and nervous than the striped skunk. Whereas the striped
skunk almost never throws its scent when trapped, the civet cat almost
invariably does so, apparently when the trap closes about its legs.
Striped skunks in traps move slowly and steadily but civet cats jump,
roll and squirm erratically.
[Illustration: FIG. 64. Distribution of the civet cat in Washington.
A. _Spilogale gracilis latifrons._ B. _Spilogale gracilis saxatilis._]
In the winter of 1934 a large male civet cat was taken near Cottage
Lake, King County. It had been killed and partially eaten in the trap.
The ground about the set was torn up, indicating that the civet cat had
put up a fight. The area for many feet about smelled of skunk musk. The
body of the civet cat was used for bait and the trap reset. The
following morning a large male striped skunk was in the trap. Its skin
bore superficial cuts in several places about its neck and rump, and it
was doubtless the animal that had killed the civet cat. Under ordinary
circumstances a striped skunk could scarcely catch the far swifter and
more agile civet cat. One civet cat in a trap was killed and partly
eaten by a horned owl. Save for dislodging a few feathers, the civet cat
seemed to have done little damage to the owl. The thick cover inhabited
by the civet cat ordinarily protects it from owls. Dead civet cats run
over by cars on the highway are rarely seen.
The stomach of a specimen from Ocean Park, Pacific County, contained the
remains of three red-backed mice (_Clethrionomys_ _californicus_). The
stomachs of most specimens trapped were empty. Mice, birds and insects
probably constitute the bulk of the food.
Notes on the early life of _Spilogale interrupta_, a species related to
the one occurring in Washington, have been published by Crabb (1944:
213-221).
The fur of the civet cat is of little value; in recent years trappers
have received from fifteen cents to a dollar for large pelts. Because of
its habit of throwing scent when in the traps, most trappers discard the
animals without skinning them.
=Spilogale gracilis saxatilis= Merriam
_Spilogale saxatilis_ Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 4:13, October 8,
1890.
_Spilogale gracilis saxatilis_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 26:23,
November 24, 1906.
_Type._--Obtained at Provo, Utah County, Utah, by V. Bailey on
November 13, 1890; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Size small; white areas extensive,
especially on tail but white triangle on head small; white areas
less often tinged with salmon or orange than _latifrons_.
_Measurements._--Howell (1906: 32) gives the measurements of a
male from Harney, Oregon, and the average of 3 females from Oregon
as, respectively: total length 455, 360; length of tail 155, 129;
hind foot 50, 40.
_Distribution._--Southeastern Washington, north to Kamiak Butte
(Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 12).
=Spilogale gracilis latifrons= Merriam
_Spilogale phenax latifrons_ Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 4:15, October
8, 1890.
_Spilogale olympica_ Elliot, Field Columb. Mus., Publ. 32, zoöl.
ser. 1:270, March, 1899 (type from Lake Sutherland, Clallam
County, Washington).
_Spilogale phenax olympica_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 26:33,
November 24, 1906.
_Spilogale gracilis latifrons_ Grinnell, Dixon and Linsdale,
Fur-bearing Mamm. California, Univ. California Press, Berkeley, p.
301, July 22, 1937.
_Type._--Obtained at Roseburg, Douglas County, Oregon, by T. S.
Palmer on July 13, 1889; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Larger than _saxatilis_ with less extensive
white markings, especially on tail, but white markings on head
larger; white usually tinged with salmon or pale orange.
_Measurements._--Means for four males, from Pacific County, are
total length 411; length of tail 136; hind foot 47.5; ear 27. One
weighed 784 grams.
_Distribution._--Western Washington from the western edge of the
Cascades westward. Marginal records, given by Taylor and Shaw
(1929: 12) are Hamilton, on the north; Lake Keechelus, on the
east; and Carson, on the south.
_Remarks._--Comparison of adult specimens of civet cats from
western Washington and western Oregon shows no reliable character
for recognition of two races. No difference in tail length exists.
Narrowness of rostrum was the only diagnostic character found by
Howell (1906: 34) to separate _latifrons_ and _olympica_. We have
carefully compared civet cats from western Oregon, southwestern
Washington and the area about Seattle. Some local variation exists
but overlapping is great and specimens from Washington do not have
rostra that average narrower than specimens from Oregon.
=Mephitis mephitis= (Schreber)
Striped skunk
_Description._--The striped skunk is a heavy-bodied animal about the
size of a house cat. The legs are of moderate length and stout and the
hind feet are large. The claws of the forefeet are long, strong and
curved. The head is small and pointed, with small eyes and ears. The
tail is long, nearly equal in length to the head and body. The fur is
long, soft and shiny, and is jet black with sharply contrasting white
markings. These consist of a narrow stripe on the forehead, a broad band
on the neck that diverges into two stripes on the back. The two lateral
stripes fuse on the rump. The tail has long black hairs some of which
are white at the base.
Striped skunks range over North America from central Canada southward to
southern Mexico. Two species are recognized by Hall (1936: 64), namely
_mephitis_ and _macroura_. The latter species is found in Mexico and
parts of the southwestern United States.
Skunks are principally nocturnal but are sometimes active in the morning
and evening, especially on cloudy days. They prefer relatively open
country such as logged-over land, old fields and river-side and
streamside thickets. Their dens usually consist of old _Aplodontia_
burrows or burrows which they, themselves, dig under stumps or log jams,
the floors of old buildings or among rocks. They feed on a variety of
animals and wild fruit. Along Puget Sound they wander over the beaches
when the tide is out, eating stranded fish, crustaceans and other marine
animals. The purple shore crab (_Hemigrapusus nudus_) forms a staple
article of diet. Along streams and rivers they wander along low, muddy
banks and sand bars searching for fish, crayfish, insects and insect
larvae. The larger water beetles (_Dytiscidae_) are often eaten; feces
are at times composed entirely of their shells. For the most part,
however, skunks have no regular food habits but eat such insects, small
mammals, birds or refuse as are available.
The skunk is famous for the musk which it uses as a defensive weapon.
This highly volatile liquid is ejected from two small, nipplelike ducts
situated in the edge of the anus. The consistency, color, and distance
to which the musk can be discharged varies with the amount thrown. The
first discharge or two is usually a fine, pale yellow spray, which can
be accurately directed to a distance of 25 feet. The third discharge
consists of small drops of heavy, bright-yellow liquid that travels an
arching curve, 5 feet high, reaching a maximum distance of about 10
feet. Later discharges consist of heavy yellow mucus and can be thrown
only a few feet. As many as seven or eight discharges are possible.
Skunk musk is acrid and pungent in order. In quantity or at close range
it is choking. In small quantities it is not unpleasant. It is extremely
lasting, sometimes being noticeable for months on clothes or buildings.
It is soluble in gasoline and clothes may be de-scented by several
washings in that fluid.
The striped skunk is an even-tempered animal. Its defensive fluid is
discharged only when it is cornered or attacked. A trapped skunk rarely
releases musk. A man, by speaking softly and moving slowly, can come
within a distance of six feet of a trapped skunk. Experienced trappers
utilize this fact to approach and shoot trapped skunks through the head
or neck and so produce odorless furs.
The skunk is potentially a source of considerable income to trappers in
Washington. The value of their furs varies with the demand but large
prime skins usually bring from $1 to $4. In eastern Washington, where
trapping for coyotes and other terrestrial mammals is carried on, the
skunks taken incidentally are an important source of revenue. In western
Washington they are often abundant but are seldom trapped. The most
sought pelts in western Washington are the mink, muskrat and raccoon;
all semiaquatic species. Skunks are rarely taken in traps set for these
mammals and few trappers bother to set overland trap lines for skunks.
The young of the striped skunk usually number four to six. They are born
in late May or early June in western Washington; possibly later in
eastern Washington.
=Mephitis mephitis hudsonica= Richardson
_Mephitis americana_ var. _hudsonica_ Richardson, Fauna
Boreali-Americana, 1:55, 1829.
_Mephitis hudsonica_ Bangs, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 26:536,
July 31, 1895.
_Chincha hudsonica_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 20:24, August 31,
1901.
_Mephitis mephitis hudsonica_ Hall, Carnegie Inst. Washington,
Publ. 473:65, November 20, 1936.
_Type._--Obtained on the "plains of the Saskatchewan, Canada."
_Racial characters._--Size moderate; stripes diverging anteriorly
on back of neck; tail long with white stripe reaching well out,
nearly to tip; zygomatic arches nearly parallel.
_Measurements._--Howell (1901: 24) gives the average of 3 males
from Saskatchewan, Montana and Wyoming, and of 3 females from
Montana and Idaho, as, respectively: total length 726, 602; length
of tail 268, 250; hind foot 82, 71.
_Distribution_.--Northeastern Washington and the eastern edge of
the northern Cascades, south probably to the Wenatchee Mountains.
Recorded west to Oroville (W. W. D.) and Timentwa (W. W. D.) and
south to Spokane (Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 12).
=Mephitis mephitis major= (Howell)
_Chincha occidentalis major_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 20:37, August
31, 1901.
_Mephitis mephitis major_ Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zoöl.,
37:2, April 10, 1931.
[Illustration: FIG. 65. Distribution of the striped skunk in
Washington. A. _Mephitis mephitis hudsonica._ B. _Mephitis mephitis
major._ C. _Mephitis mephitis notata._ D. _Mephitis mephitis
spissigrada._]
_Type._--Obtained at Fort Klamath, Klamath County, Oregon, by B. L.
Cunningham on January 5, 1898; type in United States National
Museum.
_Racial characters._--Slightly larger than _hudsonica_ with white
stripes diverging on shoulders rather than neck.
_Measurements._--A young male from 1 mile north of Burbank, Walla
Walla County, measures: total length 474; length of tail 205; hind
foot 68; ear 30; weight 815 grams.
_Distribution._--Southeastern Washington, south of the Snake River
and east of the Columbia River, occurring west to Burbank (M. V.
Z.).
=Mephitis mephitis notata= (Howell)
_Chincha occidentalis notata_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 20:36, August
31, 1901.
_Mephitis mephitis notata_ Hall, Carnegie Inst. Washington, Publ.
473:67, November 20, 1936.
_Type._--Obtained at Trout Lake, south base of Mt. Adams, Klickitat
County, Washington, by P. Schmid on March 22, 1897; type in United
States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Similar to _hudsonica_ but larger; stripes
narrower, diverging anteriorly on neck or back of head; tail
shorter, sometimes without long, white hairs.
_Measurements._--Howell (1901:37) gives the average of 3 adult
males from Trout Lake, Klickitat County, as: total length 633;
length of tail 249; hind foot 76.
_Distribution._--The Columbia River Valley of the southern
Cascades from the Wind River east to the Snake River and the
Yakima Valley area (trappers' reports).
=Mephitis mephitis spissigrada= Bangs
_Mephitis spissigrada_ Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 12:31,
March 24, 1898.