This paper presents the results of a study of the mammals of the San
Gabriel Mountains of southern California, and supplements the more
extensive reports on the biota of the San Bernardino Mountains by
Grinnell (1908), on the fauna of the San Jacinto Range by Grinnell and
Swarth (1913), and on the biota of the Santa Ana Mountains by Pequegnat
(1951).
The primary objectives of my study were to determine the present
mammalian fauna of the San Gabriel Mountains, to ascertain the
geographic and ecologic range of each species, and to determine the
systematic status of the mammals. In addition, certain life history
observations have been recorded.
Field work was done in the north-south cross section of the mountains
from San Gabriel Canyon on the west, to Cajon Wash on the east; and from
the gently sloping alluvium at the Pacific base of the mountains at
roughly 1000 feet elevation on the south, over the crest of the range to
the border of the Mojave Desert at an elevation of 3500 feet on the
north. Camps were established at many points in the area with the object
of collecting the mammals of each association and each habitat. Field
work was begun in the San Gabriels in November 1948, and was carried
on intermittently until March 1952. I was unable to carry on field work
in any summer.
For advice and assistance in various ways I am grateful to Drs.
Willis E. Pequegnat, Walter P. Taylor, Henry S. Fitch, E.
Raymond Hall, Mr. Steven M. Jacobs and my wife, Hazel A.
Vaughan.
More than 350 mammals were prepared as study specimens; most of
these are in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History.
Approximately a fifth of them are in the collection of the
Department of Zoology at Pomona College, and a few are in the
University of Illinois Museum of Natural History. No symbol is
used to designate specimens in the University of Kansas Museum
of Natural History. Specimens from the Department of Zoology of
Pomona College and the University of Illinois Museum of Natural
History are designated by PC and IM, respectively.
[Illustration: FIG. 1. Map of the San Gabriel Mountain area showing the
positions of places mentioned in the text.]