by states and from north to south by counties in each state.
Except as otherwise indicated, specimens are in the University of
Kansas, Museum of Natural History.
=Arkansas.= _Boone County_: 3 mi. E Bergman, 4[74]; 3 mi. SE
Bergman, 1[74]; 3 mi. S Bergman, 1[74]; 3 mi. SW Bergman, 1[74]; 4
mi. SE Bergman, 2[74]; 5 mi. SE Bergman, 1[74]; 4-1/2 mi. SE
Bergman, 3[74]; 5 mi. SE Bergman, 1[74]; 5 mi. S Bergman, 2[74]; 5
mi. SW Bergman, 2[74]. _Washington County_: Fayetteville, 1[96].
_Crawford County_: 10 mi. S Winslow, 1. _Sebastian County_: Fort
Smith, 1[91].
=Iowa.= _Fayette County_: Fayette, 3[12]. _Dubuque County_:
Dubuque, 1[12]; Green's Island, 1[65]. _Butler County_: New
Hartford, 1[12]. _Hardin County_: Union, 1[65]. _Benton County_:
Vinton, 5[12]. _Linn County_: Cedar Rapids, 1[12]. _Boone County_:
Worth Township, Sec. 21, 1[65]; 2 mi. E Ledges St. Park, 1[65].
_Story County_: Kelley, 1[65]. _Cedar County_: Tipton, 3[12].
_Scott County_: Davenport, 2[12]. _Muscatine County_: Muscatine,
4[12]. _Henry County_: Hillsboro, 5[91]. _Van Buren County_:
Keosaqua, 1[65]; no locality more definite than county, 1[50].
_Taylor County_, 1.
=Kansas.= _Riley County_: near Winkler, 1. _Pottawatomie County_:
Onaga, 1[83]. _Atchison County_: Doniphan Lake, 1; 5 mi. NE
Muscotah, 1; no locality more definite than county, 1. _Douglas
County_: Lawrence, 8; 6 mi. NW Lawrence, 1; 1-1/2 mi. W Lawrence,
1; 6 mi. S Lawrence, 1; 7 to 7-1/2 mi. SW Lawrence, 14; 10 mi. W
Lawrence, 1; Clinton, 4; Baldwin, 1; no locality more than county,
29 (2[74]). _Woodson County_: 1-1/2 mi. S Neosho Falls, 1[59].
_Greenwood County_: 8 mi. SW Toronto, 2. _Pratt County_: Pratt, 1.
=Louisiana.= _Quachita Parish_: Swartz, 1[71].
=Missouri.= _Carroll County_: Bridge Creek, 1[91]. _Lincoln
County_: Silex, 1[74]; 1 mi. E Silex, 1[74]. _Reynolds County_: 4
mi. S Lesterville, 1[74]. _Jasper County_: 5 mi. NE Avilla, 1[91];
7-1/2 mi. SE Carthage, 1[74].
=Oklahoma.= _Payne County_: 8 mi. NW Stillwater, 1[82]. _Cleveland
County_: Norman, 1[100].
=Texas.= _Hopkins County_: 10 mi. S Sulphur Springs, 1[43].
=Mustela frenata arthuri= Hall
Long-tailed Weasel
Plates 16, 17 and 18
_Mustela noveboracensis arthuri_ Hall, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington,
40:193, December 2, 1927.
_Mustela frenata arthuri_ Hall, Carnegie Instit. Washington Publ.
473:105, November 20, 1936.
_Type._--Male, subadult, skull and skin; no. 37515, Mus. Vert.
Zoöl.; Remy, St. James Parish, Louisiana; December 15, 1926;
obtained by Stanley C. Arthur.
The skin is stuffed and well preserved. The skull (plates 16-18)
is unbroken. The teeth all are present and entire. The presence of
a well-developed scrotal pouch shows the specimen to be a male.
Contrary to what was stated in the original description the
specimen was taken in 1926 and not in 1925.
_Range._--Lower Austral Life-zone of southeastern Texas,
Louisiana, and into Mississippi. See figure 29 on page 221.
_Characters for ready recognition (of males)._--Differs from _M.
f. olivacea_ in smaller size (adult males with hind foot and
basilar length less than 45), depth of skull at anterior margin of
basioccipital, ignoring sagittal crest, amounting to more than 63
per cent of mastoid breadth, and greater convexity of dorsal
outline of skull in longitudinal axis (see pls. 16-18); from _M.
f. noveboracensis_, in males, by zygomatic breadth not less than
distance between anterior palatine foramen and anterior margin of
tympanic bulla and by convex dorsal outline of skull in
longitudinal axis; from _M. f. primulina_ by evenly spreading
zygomatic arches, lesser inflation of tympanic bullae
anteromedially than posteromedially, and convex dorsal outline of
skull in longitudinal axis; from _M. f. texensis_ and _M. f.
frenata_ by absence of white facial markings and postorbital
breadth more than distance between posterior borders of P4 and P2.
_Description._--_Size._--Male: The type, a subadult male, measures
(inches and quarter fractions thereof, transposed into
millimeters) as follows: Total length, 390; length of tail, 113;
length of hind foot, 44. Tail is 41 per cent as long as head and
body. Length of hind foot less than basal length.
Typical female unknown.
_Externals._--Longest facial vibrissae black, or dark brown (both
colors in the type) and extending beyond ear; carpal vibrissae
same color as underparts and extending to within 3.5 millimeters
of apical pad of fifth digit. Hairiness of foot-soles in type
slightly less than shown in figure 20.
_Color._--Upper parts in summer tone 4 of Burnt Umber of Oberthür
and Dauthenay, pl. 304; underparts as described in _M. f.
olivacea_. In winter, upper parts (based on type) near (1)
Brussels Brown or grayer than tone 4 of Burnt Umber of Oberthür
and Dauthenay, pl. 304, darker on top of head from nose to a line
connecting posterior margins of ears. Chin and posterior third of
each upper lip white. Remainder of underparts white with wash of
Warm Buff. Tip of tail black. Color of underparts extends distally
on posterior sides of forelegs over toes but represented on
antipalmar faces of feet by only a few scattered hairs. Color of
underparts extends distally on medial sides of hind limbs only to
knees. Least width of color of underparts amounting to 15 per cent
of greatest width of color of upper parts. Black tip of tail 50
mm. long; thus longer than hind foot and 44 per cent as long as
tail-vertebrae.
_Skull and teeth._--Male (based on type and 2 subadults): See
measurements and plates 16-18. As described in _M. f.
noveboracensis_ except that: Weight, 4.0 (3.7-4.3) grams; basilar
length, 43.5 (43.3-43.6); zygomatic breadth not less than distance
between anterior palatine foramen and anterior margin of tympanic
bulla; postorbital breadth more than length of upper premolars;
interorbital breadth more than distance between foramen opticum
and anterior margin of tympanic bulla; least width of palate more
or less than length of P4; tympanic bulla longer than rostrum.
Female: Typical skull unknown. The skull from 12 miles east of
Eagle Lake, Texas, lacks the convexity in the dorsal longitudinal
axis and the skull agrees with those of larger individuals of
_primulina_ except that the anteromedial faces of the tympanic
bullae are less inflated, and the mastoid and zygomatic breadths
are greater than in any female seen of _primulina_. Probably this
greater breadth is the result of intergradation with _M. f.
frenata_ to the westward.
Compared with the skull of _M. f. olivacea_ that of _arthuri_ differs
as follows: Averaging smaller in every part measured; basilar length 5
mm. less; by weight a fourth lighter; relative to basilar length,
interorbital breadth greater and zygomatic and especially mastoid
breadth less; dorsal outline of skull more convex in longitudinal axis;
tympanic bullae narrower and less inflated especially on anteromedial
faces. Compared with the skull of _noveboracensis_ that of _arthuri_
has the zygomatic breadth equal to or exceeding the distance from the
anterior palatine foramen to the anterior margin of the tympanic bulla,
whereas the zygomatic breadth is less than this distance in
_noveboracensis_. Also, in _arthuri_, the rostrum is relatively
shorter, the braincase is more inflated anteriorly, the zygomatic
arches are more uniformly spreading, and the dorsal outline of the
skull is distinctly convex, both transversely and longitudinally,
whereas it is transversely more nearly flat in _noveboracensis_ and
longitudinally is concave in the interorbital region.
Compared with _M. f. primulina_, _arthuri_ has narrower bullae, which
are much less inflated on their anteromedial faces, a less marked
postorbital constriction, a braincase which is narrower across the
mastoid region and broader anteriorly, and a skull, which, in
longitudinal axis, has the dorsal outline markedly more convex.
Compared with the skull of _M. f. texensis_ that of _arthuri_ is
smaller in every part measured; length one-fifth less; one-half as
heavy; postorbital constriction less marked; braincase relatively
narrower posteriorly and tympanic bullae less inflated especially
anteromedially. Compared with the skull of _M. f. frenata_ that of
_arthuri_ is smaller in every part measured; basilar length 6 mm. less;
a third lighter; postorbital constriction less marked; relative to the
basilar length the rostrum is broader, longer and deeper; the zygomatic
expanse and breadth of the braincase across the mastoids is less; the
dorsal profile of the skull is more convex in longitudinal axis;
zygomata evenly spreading rather than abruptly protruding from skull
posteriorly; tympanic bullae less inflated anteromedially.
_Remarks._--In 1926, Stanley C. Arthur, then Director of the Division
of Wild Life, for the Louisiana State Department of Conservation,
obtained specimens of this weasel. Some of them were mounted and the
remainder were placed in the collections of the United States National
Museum and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoölogy. In 1938 to 1940 George H.
Lowery saved specimens from Baton Rouge, which showed the color of the
summer pelage and revealed that the size of males was more than was
indicated by the original materials. In 1940 and 1941 Rollin H. Baker
obtained specimens from eastern Texas which greatly extended the known
geographic range.
In addition to the localities represented by specimens examined, Arthur
(1928:117) has recorded specimens from Greensburg, St. Helena Parish;
Braithwaite, Plaquemines Parish; Geismar, Assumption Parish; Laurel
Hill, West Feliciana Parish; French Settlement, Livingston Parish; and
Kentwood, Tangipahoa Parish. All these localities lie within the
eastern half of southern Louisiana. A skin-only, no. 38902, Mus. Vert.
Zoöl., obtained from a fur buyer by Stanley C. Arthur, was taken in
Mississippi "south of Jackson." Possibly it is of the subspecies
_arthuri_.
Intergradation with _M. f. olivacea_ is indicated by a specimen from
Mobile County, Alabama, commented on in the account of _olivacea_.
Intergradation with _primulina_ is indicated by the shape of the
anteromedial part of the bullae of the specimen from Swartz, Louisiana,
that is referred to _primulina_. The lack of specimens from the
northern two-thirds of Mississippi and from western Tennessee, prevents
any definite statement as to the limits of range of _arthuri_ in those
areas. In comparison with animals from the type locality, the slightly
larger size of the adult male from Baton Rouge, and the still larger
size of the adult male of _primulina_ from Swartz, Louisiana, suggests
that the _olivacea_ "influence" may extend farther west in the
latitude of northern Louisiana than anywhere else.
None of the skulls examined shows malformation of the frontal sinuses
such as results from infestation by parasites in some races. Arthur
(1928:115) speaks of the ". . . cut-over swamp land, where the tupelo
and cypress have been removed, . . ." as constituting suitable habitat
for this animal.
_Specimens examined._--Total number, 13, as follows:
=Texas.= _Colorado County_: 12 mi. N Eagle Lake, 1[43]; 5 mi. W
Eagle Lake, 1[43]; 3 mi. S Garwood, 1[43].
=Louisiana.= _East Baton Rouge Parish_: Baton Rouge, 4[71].
_Livingston Parish_: Springville, 1[74]. _Saint James Parish_:
Convent, 1[91]; Remy, 2 (1[74], 1[45]). _Assumption Parish_: near
Lake Verret, 1[45].
=Mississippi.= _Harrison County_: Saucier, 1[71].
=Mustela frenata olivacea= Howell
Long-tailed Weasel
Plates 16, 17, 18, 31, 32 and 33
_Mustela peninsulae olivacea_ Howell, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington,
26:139, May 21, 1913.
_Mustela frenata olivacea_, Hall, Carnegie Instit. Washington Publ.
473:104, November 20, 1936.
_Type._--Male, adult, skull and skin; no. 180802, U. S. Nat. Mus.,
Biol. Surveys Coll.; Autaugaville, Autauga County, Alabama;
December 22, 1912; obtained by L. S. Golsan.
The skull (plates 16-18), although cracked at two places in the
interorbital region, is in one piece and not warped out of shape.
The teeth all are present and entire. The skin is exceptionally
well made and in perfect condition except for the extreme tip of
the tail which is broken off.
_Range._--Lower and Upper Austral life-zones in eastern
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and northern
Florida. See figure 29 on page 221.
_Characters for ready recognition._--Differs from _M. f.
peninsulae_ in finer, softer pelage and shorter (less than 15.8 in
ad. [F]) tympanic bullae; from _M. f. noveboracensis_, in adult
males by wider tympanic bulla which is more than rather than less
than 8.5, in adult females by total length which is more than
rather than less than 345, and by mastoid breadth which is more
than rather than less than distance between articular faces of
exoccipital condyle and glenoid fossa; from _M. f. arthuri_ in
larger size (adult males with hind foot and basilar length each
more than 45); depth of skull at anterior margin of basioccipital,
ignoring sagittal crest, amounting to less than 63 per cent of
mastoid breadth, and lesser convexity of dorsal outline of skull
in longitudinal axis (See pls. 16-18).
_Description._--_Size._--Male and female: External measurements
of adults are available as follows:
Length Length
Catalogue Sex Locality Total of of hind
no. length tail foot
47165 [M] Box Springs, 454 160 48
Talbot Co., Georgia
47166 [M] Box Springs, 435 147 47
Talbot Co., Georgia
47167 [M] Box Springs, 422 145 45
Talbot Co., Georgia
41023 [M] Thomas Co., 443 140 47
Georgia
41025 [M] Grady Co., 395 142 47
Georgia
223880 [M] Okefinokee Swamp, 416 145 49
Georgia
198 [M] Okefinokee Swamp, 425 140 48
Georgia
Average 7 [M] 427 146 47
49385 [F] Gainesville, 396 124 45*
Alachua Co., Florida
41024 [F] Thomas Co., 380 125 41
Georgia
51527 [F] Talbot Co., 376 128 43
Georgia
* [not typical]
The length of the hind foot averages less than the basal length in
both males and females. The tail averages 52 per cent as long as
the head and body in males and 51 per cent in females. Average
differences in measurements of the two sexes are: Total length,
49; length of tail, 19; length of hind foot, 5. An adult male, no.
41023, and an adult female, no. 41024, each taken in February,
1929, on the Sinkola Plantation, Thomas County, Georgia, weighed
15 ounces (425 grams) and 7 ounces (198 grams) respectively
according to Charles O. Handley.
_Externals._--As described in _Mustela frenata noveboracensis_,
except that hairiness of foot-soles slightly less than shown in
figure 19.
_Color._--Upper parts, in summer, near tone 4 of Burnt Umber of
Oberthür and Dauthenay, pl. 304. In winter lighter, between tones
3 and 4 of Raw Umber of Oberthür and Dauthenay, pl. 301. Dark spot
at each angle of mouth present or absent. Underparts ranging from
Massicot Yellow to Cream Buff except on chin and upper lips which
are white. Tip of tail black. Upper parts of uniform color. Color
of underparts extends distally on posterior sides of forelegs over
antipalmar faces of toes and on medial sides of hind limbs to
ankles. Least width of color of underparts averaging, in a series
of five males from Talbot Co., Georgia, 29 (extremes 24-34) per
cent of greatest width of color of upper parts. Black tip of tail
in same series, averaging 65 (extremes 60-70) mm. long, thus
longer than hind foot and averaging 43 per cent of length of
tail-vertebrae.
The spot at the angle of the mouth is absent in one-third of the
specimens examined. The upper lips are white in specimens from the
southern part of the range of _olivacea_ but in the northern part
of the range of the subspecies the upper lips are dark colored as
in _noveboracensis_.
_Skull and teeth._--Male (based on 5 adults from Talbot Co.,
Georgia): See measurements and plates 16-18; weight, 5.3 (5.0-6.4)
grams; basilar length, 48.3 (45.8-50.1); zygomatic breadth more or
less (usually less) than distance between condylar foramen and M1
and more or less (usually more) than distance between anterior
palatine foramen and anterior margin of tympanic bulla; mastoid
breadth more or less than (averaging about equal to) postpalatal
length; postorbital breadth less than length of upper premolars
and more or less than (about equal to) width of basioccipital
measured from medial margin of one foramen lacerum posterior to
its opposite; interorbital breadth more or less than (about equal
to) distance between foramen opticum and anterior margin of
tympanic bulla; breadth of rostrum less than length of tympanic
bulla; least width of palate less than greatest length of P4;
anterior margin of tympanic bulla as far posterior to foramen
ovale as width of 3 to 5 upper incisors; height of tympanic bulla
not less than distance from its anterior margin to foramen ovale;
length of tympanic bulla more than length of lower molar and
premolar tooth-row and longer than rostrum (one exception);
anterior margin of masseteric fossa below posterior half of m2.
Female (based on 2 adults from Thomas Co., Ga., and one from
Talbot Co., Ga.): See measurements and plates 31-33; weight, 3.8
(3.5-4.0) grams; basilar length, 43.4 (42.7-44.0); zygomatic
breadth less than distance between condylar foramen and M1 or than
between anterior palatine foramen and anterior margin of tympanic
bulla; postorbital breadth less than length of upper premolars and
more or less (usually more) than width of basioccipital measured
from medial margin of one foramen lacerum posterior to its
opposite; least width of palate less than greatest length of P4;
tympanic bulla as far posterior to foramen ovale as width of 3 to
4 (including I3) upper incisors; height of tympanic bulla not less
(usually more) than distance from its anterior margin to foramen
ovale; length of tympanic bulla more than length of lower molar
and premolar tooth-row and longer than rostrum.
The skull of the female averages 28 per cent lighter than that of
the male.
Compared with the skull of _M. f. peninsulae_, of which only one good
skull, and that a female, is available, that of _M. f. olivacea_
averages smaller and has relatively and actually smaller and less
inflated bullae. As compared with the skull of _M. f. noveboracensis_,
that of _olivacea_ in the case of males is larger in every part
measured and relative to the basilar length is broader across the
zygomatic arches and mastoids. However, the rostrum and interorbital
region are relatively narrower. The orbitonasal length is relatively
less. The tympanic bullae are broader and more inflated. The same
differences hold as between females of _noveboracensis_ and _olivacea_.
Indeed, the females of these two races differ more than do the males.
Additional, selected differential cranial characters in the females
are, in _olivacea_, as follows: Weight averaging 3.8 grams rather than
1.7 grams; braincase with, rather than without, sagittal crest;
anterior border of tympanic bulla separated from foramen ovale by
breadth of less than, rather than breadth of more than, 4 upper
incisors (including I3); height of tympanic bulla not less than, rather
than less than, distance from its anterior margin to foramen ovale;
squamosal bone, between anterior margin of tympanic bulla and foramen
ovale, ventrally concave rather than ventrally convex. Comparisons of
the skulls with those of _M. f. arthuri_ and _M. f. primulina_ are made
in the accounts of those subspecies.
_Remarks._--Excepting two young specimens from South Carolina in the
Charleston Museum, no specimens of this race of large weasel seem to
have been preserved until Arthur H. Howell, in the course of his study
of the mammals of Alabama, procured specimens on which his name,
_olivacea_, was based. Later, Francis Harper obtained three instructive
specimens from Okefinokee Swamp. Really adequate material, for the
localities represented, owes its preservation to the alertness of
Charles O. Handley, when he resided at Thomasville, Georgia, and to
Hallie E. Fuller of Geneva, Talbot Co., Georgia.
The distinctness of _M. f. olivacea_ from _M. f. peninsulae_ is not
satisfactorily established due to inadequate material of _peninsulae_.
Differences shown by the specimens seen indicate that, as compared with
_olivacea_, _peninsulae_ is larger, has transversely wider
light-colored underparts which possess more yellow, and a larger skull
with more inflated tympanic bullae. In each of these characters,
_olivacea_ is intermediate between _noveboracensis_ on the north and
_peninsulae_ on the south. The question arises, therefore, whether the
animals here recognized under the name _olivacea_ really constitute a
recognizable subspecies or instead are only representatives of a
subspecies which reaches its extreme development in Florida. In the
latter event, the name _peninsulae_ would apply to all. Examination of
more material from Florida, especially from the southern half of
Florida, will be necessary to answer this question.
This large weasel of the southeastern United States is remarkably
different from _noveboracensis_. Indeed, were it not for actual
intergrades such as the two from Fort Payne, Alabama, and York, South
Carolina, which are described in the account of _M. f. noveboracensis_,
and the six specimens from northwestern Alabama, which are referred to
_olivacea_, the systematist, I believe, would have little or no
hesitancy in designating the two as distinct species, especially on the
basis of differences to be seen in the skull.
Not only are the two forms structurally more different than usually is
the case but between two geographically, adjacent subspecies of the
same species of mammal, but the belt where intergradation occurs
appears to be narrow. Nevertheless, when material of the two races is
laid out in geographic order, and examined in mass, certain features
are seen to undergo gradual change as a person's eye travels from
specimens from, say, the center of the range of _noveboracensis_ to
specimens from southern localities adjoining the territory occupied by
_olivacea_. One of these features subject to gradual change is the
color of the underparts. Beginning at the Adirondacks of New York
where a large number of the specimens have white underparts, the
underparts become more intensely yellowish southward through the range
of _noveboracensis_ into that of _olivacea_. Indeed, this progressive
trend seems to continue right on southward through the range of
_olivacea_ into that of _peninsulae_. Turning in the opposite direction
we find that the least width of the underparts decreases gradually
northward toward the range of _noveboracensis_. There is, likewise, a
decrease to the northward in length of the skull and relative, as well
as actual, narrowing of the braincase and tympanic bullae. However, in
least width of color of underparts and the mentioned cranial features,
the trend stops relatively abruptly at the southern boundary of the
geographic range of _noveboracensis_ and does not continue on,
northward, into the range of _noveboracensis_ as is the case with the
change in intensity of yellowness of the underparts.