Descriptions of nine new North American pikas

May

^20,

PROCEEDINGS

OFTHE

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

DESCRIPTIONS OF NINE NEW NORTH AMERICAN

PIKAS.

BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL.

Study

^of

^the North American _pikas

of

the genus Ochotona has

resulted in

the discovery

^of

a number

of

new

forms, nine of

which

are

here named

in

advance

of

a

revisionof

the group now

in preparation.

Ochotona princeps lutescens, subsp. nov.

Type.—

^No. 108,650, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey^collec- tion;adult

d\

^skinandskull;from Mt. Inglesmaldie, nearBanff, Alberta;

collected July26, 1899,

by

^G.F.Dippie;original

number

193_(2973,

"X"

catalogue).

Subspecific characters.

—

Similarto princeps, but _smaller; coloration de- cidely paler, bothabove

and

below.

Color.

—

_{Type(acquiring}

summer

_pelage)^: Upperparts mixedpinkishbuff and fuscous, darkestinthe middle of the back, shading ^{to clear} pinkish buffalongsides;hinderback(in

worn

winter pelage)

smoke

_gray,blotched with pinkish ^buff

and

fuscous; ears hair-brown, broadly margined with light buff

and

clothed inside with buffy white hairs; feet

creamy

white, faintlywashed with pinkishbuff; solesdrab;palmspaleolive-buff;under- partscreamy white, faintly washed with _{pale pinkish} buff, chiefly along median^line.

Skull.

—

_Averagingdecidedly smallerthanthat of princeps, withshorter nasals.

Measurements.

—

_Averageof8 adults (4males, 4females)from Canmore, Alberta: Total_length, 177 (170-188); hind _foot, 29.4 _(26-31). Skull _(of type, adult male): Occipito-nasal length, 43.3; zygomatic breadth, 21.6;

breadth ofcranium, 18; interorbitalbreadth, 5.3;width of palatal bridge, 2;lengthof nasals, 13.9.

Remarks.

—

This race is a strongly characterized form occupying, ap- parently, the rangesⁱⁿsouthern Alberta lying ^totheeastwardofthe

main

divideofthe

Rocky

^Mountains.

A

considerableserieshasbeen examined fromthevicinity of Banff, andafew from Mt. Forget-me-not, Alberta.

18—

Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 32, 1919. (105)

Ochotona

uinta ventorum,subsp. nov.

Type.

—

No. 176,778, U. S. National

Museum,

BiologicalSurvey ^collec- tion; cf adult,skinandskull;from

Fremont

_Peak,

Wind

River Mountains,

Wyoming;

^collectedJuly19,1911,

by

^H.E.Anthony;^original

number

395.

Subspecific characters.

—

Size of uinta; color in winter pelage paler and

more

_grayish (less buffy); hindfeet paler;

summer

_pelage lessintensely buffy,both _dorsally

and

_ventrally.

Compared

^with princeps: Size larger;

color inboth_pelagespaler (lessblackish).

Color.

—

_{Type(acquiring}

summer

_pelage)^: _Head,shoulders,andforeback cinnamon-buff, strongly

washed

withfuscous-black;^sidesandhinderback (in

worn

winter pelage)

smoke

gray, faintly

washed

with _{pinkish buff;}

ears chaetura drab, margined with buffy white; ^feet pale pinkish buff;

soles hair-brown; palms ^soiled buffy white; underparts soiled whitish, faintly

washed

with light buff. Winter _{pelage (specimen} from _Jackson,

Wyoming,

September 19)^: General tone ofupperparts between drab

and wood

brown, shading on sides to light pinkish cinnamon; ^{front of face}

washed

withclay color;head

and

back

washed

with_fuscous;

rump

^blotched withblackish; underparts^soiledwhite, faintly

washed

with _{pinkish buff;}

earsdeep

mouse

_gray;feetpinkish^buff.

Skull.

—

_Closely similar to that of uinta; larger than that of princeps, with longer^nasals.

Measurements.

—

_{Type (adult cf):} Total _length, 186; hind _foot, 31.

Skull: Occipito-nasal length, 44; zygomatic breadth, 21.5; breadth of cranium17.8; interorbital breadth,^4.6; widthof palatal bridge, 2;length of nasals, ^15.

Remarks.

—

Thisrace occupies the

Wind

River, Gros _Ventre, Absaroka, and Teton

Ranges

ⁱⁿnorthwestern

Wyoming ^and

^{theBeartoothMountains}

insouthwestern

Montana.

Itisclosely related to uinta, as

shown by

^the

skull; the coloration ^{in all} pelages ^is

more

_grayish and less buffy, this differencebeing most strikingly

shown

inthe

worn

winter pelage ^of June or July specimens.

Ochotona uinta lemhi, subsp. nov.

Type.

—

No. Mfffj U.^S.National

Museum,

BiologicalSurveycollection;

Q adult,skinandskull;from

Lemhi

Mountains,10 mileswestofJunction, Idaho;^collectedAugust^19,1890,

by

^ClarkP. Streator; original

number

174.

Subspecific characters.

—

Sizesmall

(much

^smallerthanventorum; slightly smaller than _princeps); color in

summer

_pelage similar to ventorumbut paler;

much

_palerthan princeps; inwinter pelage nearest to princeps,but palerand

more

_grayish.

Color.

— _Type

_(acquiring

summer

pelage)^: Head,shoulders,

and

foreback

cinnamon

buff,

washed

withfuscous; hinder back _(retaining

worn

winter pelage)

smoke

gray,

washed

with_fuscous;sidesgrayish white,

washed

with pinkish^buff;feetpinkishbuff,thesoleshair-brown;^earsexternally chaetura black, internally fuscous, with light buff hairs, the margins light buff;

underpartssoiled whitish, moderately

washed

with pinkish^buff.

Skull.

—

Similartothatofventorum, but shorter

and

_{relativelybroader;}

Howell — Nine New North American

Pikas.

107

averaging slightly smaller than that of princeps, the nasals narrower posteriorly.

Measurements—

Type (adult 9): ^Total length, 180; hind _foot, 28.

Skull: Occipito-nasal length, 41.3; zygomatic breadth, 20.4; breadth of cranium, 17; interorbital breadth, 4.8; widthof palatal bridge, 2.1;length of nasals, 14.3.

Remarks.

— The Lemhi

_pika is most _nearly related to ventorum, with which it intergrades ⁱⁿ southwestern

Montana

(Emigrant Peak, Park County).

A

large series^is available from the type locality, and smaller seriesfrom ^LittleLostRiver Mountains,

Ketchum,

StanleyLake, thehead of

Wood

River,

and

mountainseast ofBirch Creek, Idaho.

Ochotona uinta nevadensis, subsp. nov.

Type.

—

No. _94,213, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey ^collec- tion; adult female, skin and skull; from

Ruby

Mountains, southwest ^of

Ruby

ValleyP. O., Nevada, ^{altitude10,500}feet; collectedJune21, 1898,

by Vernon

Bailey;original

number

6580.

Subspecific characters.

—

Similar in

worn

winter pelage to uinta, but distinctly paler, andsides ofnoseandface

more

extensivelygrayish.

Com-

pared with cinnamomea: ^Color very

much

paler; skull larger, with

much

broader _palatal bridge

and

_longer nasals.

Compared

^with lemhi: Size smaller; skull natter;nasalsbroaderposteriorly.¹

Color.

—

_Type (in

worn

winter _pelage): Upperparts mixed pinkish ^buff

and

fuscous, darkestⁱⁿthemedian line

and

onfrontof face; sides ofnose andface

smoke

_gray;ears fuscous, margined with^lightbuff; sidespinkish buff; feetpale pinkish buff; soles drab; palms ^soiledbuffy white; under- parts grayishwhite, moderately

washed

with_pinkishbuff.

Skull.

—

_Closelysimilar tothat_{of uinta,}withlong,widenasalsand broad palatal bridge.

Measurements.

—

_Type (adult female): Total length, 200; hind foot, 32;

occipito-nasal length, 44.1;zygomatic breadth, 21.2;breadth of cranium, 18; interorbitalbreadth,5.2;widthof palatal bridge, 2.8;lengthof nasals, 14.5.

Remarks.

— The Ruby

^Mountainspika, as

shown by

^itsskull characters, ismostnearly^{related to}uintaofthe highmountainsofeastern Utah, ^the ranges^of the two forms being separated

by

^{theGreat Salt}

Lake

Desert.

Itiswidely^differentfrom cinnamomeaoftheBeaver Mountains,^thelatter being ⁱⁿ the schisticeps group.

At

present the

new

form is

known

_only fromtwoadultsand one

young

specimenⁱⁿ

worn

winter pelage;additional materialinfresh

summer

orfallpelage^isneededbefore acompletedescrip- tioncan be prepared.

Ochotona ^saxatilis incana, subsp. nov.

Type.

—

No. 128,914, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey ^collec- tion;y_adult,skinandskull;fromPecos Baldy,

New

Mexico,^altitude12,000 feet; collectedAugust10, 1903,

by Vernon

Bailey;original

number

8079.

iColordifferencesnotdefinable,throughlackofcomparable^material.

Subspecific characters.

—

Similar in size and coloration to O. saxatilis saxatilis,but general tone ^ofupperparts ⁱⁿ

summer

pelage paler and less

tawny;ⁱⁿwinter pelage

more

_grayish

and

lessochraceous.

Compared

^with

nigrescens: Upperpartspaler

and more

_buffy.

Color.

—

_{Type (acquiring}

summer

_pelage)^: General tone of upperparts between cinnamon-buffand _pinkish buff,moderately

washed

withfuscous orfuscous-black;^sidescinnamon-buff, shadingposteriorly topinkish buff;

rump

(in

worn

winter pelage)

smoke

_gray; ears chaeturablack, margined with buffy whiteand blotchedoninner surface with the

same

color; feet pinkish buff,

washed

withcinnamon-buff;^soleschaetura drab;palms^soiled whitish, tingedwithdrab; underpartssoiled whitish,

washed

with pinkish buff.

Skull.

—

_Closelysimilar to thatof_saxatilis,butnasals averagingslightly shorter.

Measurements.

—

_{Type (adult 9): Total length, 202; hind foot, 33.}

Skull: Occipito-nasal length, 46.8; zygomatic breadth, 22.5; breadth of cranium, 19; interorbitalbreadth, 5.3;widthof palatal bridge, 2.5;length of nasals, 15.8.

Remarks.

—

This form is closely related to saxatilis, of the Colorado Mountains, but^iswidely^differentfromnigrescens oftheJemez Mountains,

New

Mexico. Its range includes the Pecos _{River, Taos,} and Culebra Ranges ^{in northern}

New

Mexico, extending, probably, ^into Colorado as far as SierraBlanca.

Ochotona fenisex brunnescens,subsp. nov.

Type.

—

No. 227,259, U. ^S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey ^collec- tion; cT subadult, skinand skull;from_Keechelus, Washington; ^collected August^{23, 1917,}

by

GeorgeG. Cantwell;originalnumber, 38(19568,

"X"

catalogue).

Subspecific characters.

—

Similar_(inwinter pelage)to fenisex,¹ but_upper- parts decidedlybrowner(lessgrayish) and_underparts

more

_buffy.

Color.

—

_{Type (in}fresh pelage, August23)^: Upperparts mixed

cinnamon and

fuscous, the general tone near^snuffbrown; ^sides deeppinkish cinna- mon, shading to light pinkish cinnamon; ^{ears chaetura} black, margined withbuffy white;^feetsoiled whitish,

washed

withlightpinkishcinnamon;

soleschaetura black;palmshair-brown; underpartslightpinkishcinnamon.

Skull.—Similar to that _{of fenisex} but_{averaging larger,} with _relatively shorternasals.

Measurements.

—

_{Type (subadult c?):} Total length 200; hind _{foot, 33.}

Skull: Occipito-nasal length, 42.9; zygomatic breadth, 22.1; breadth of cranium,18.4; interorbitalbreadth,5.6;widthof palatal bridge, 2.6;length of nasals, 14.1.

Remarks.

— The

Cascade pika ^is a strongly

marked

race, and has

an

extensive range onthe high Cascades, fromthe vicinity of Chilliwackin lAs distinguishedby specimens from near Okanagan, ^British Columbia,andHorse- shoeBasin,nearMt. Chopaka, Washington.

Howell — Nine New North American

Pikas.

109

southwesternBritish

Columbia

southtoCrater Lake, Oregon. ^Ithasbeen identified

by

^{mostrecentwriters1with}

Lagomys minimus

^Lord

(=

^Ochotona

fenisexOsgood), but material

now

in

hand

indicatesthat thelatteris a paler animal, occupying ^{the interior} ranges ^tothe eastward of the

main

Cascade Range.

Ochotona fenisex fumosa,subsp. nov.

Type.

—

No._91,144,U.S.National

Museum,

BiologicalSurveycollection;

cT adult, skin and skull; from Permilia Lake, west base Mt. Jefferson, Oregon; ^collected October 4, 1897,

by

^{J. Alden} Loring; original

number

4799.

Subspecific characters.—Similar to 0. fenisexbrunnescens,butcoloration darker, with

much

blackondorsalsurfaceinfreshwinter_pelage.

Color.

—

_Type (in winter pelage)^: Upperparts ^a mixture of vinaceous-

cinnamon

andblack, the

median

dorsalarea nearlysolid black,shading on sides tonearly^clearvinaceous-cinnamon;^{sides ofnose}dark

smoke

_{gray and} top^ofhead shaded withthesame;^{sides of}neck,beneath_ears,washed with cinnamon-buff;^earschaetura_black,edged withbuffy white;^feetcinnamon- buff; soles chaetura drab; palms hair-brown; underparts soiled whitish, strongly

washed

along middle_{of belly}with vinaceous-cinnamon, shading on throat to pinkish cinnamon.

Summer

_{pelage (specimen} from Three

Sisters, Oregon, July 15): Similar to the winter _pelage, but _upperparts

lessblackish, ^lessbuffy,

and more

stronglyshaded with_grayish.

Skull.

—

Similar tothatof brunnescens,but_{averagingslightlynarrower;}

posteriorborder^ofpalatewithaverysmall spineⁱⁿthemiddleofthe post- palatalnotch.

Measurements.

—

_{Type (c? adult):} Total _length, 202; hind _foot, 33.

Skull: Occipito-nasal length, 44.5; zygomatic breadth, 21.3; breadth of cranium,18.2; interorbitalbreadth,5.3;widthof palatal bridge, 2.4;length of nasals, 15.4.

Remarks.

—

Thisisavery darkform,occupying^thewesternslopes ofthe Cascade

Range

ⁱⁿOregon. ^Itis

known

atpresentfromthewest_slopeof Mt. Jefferson, ThreeSisters, Mackenzie Bridge, and Clackamas_{River, 15} milesaboveEstacada.

Ochotona schisticeps jewetti,² subsp. nov.

Type—

^{No. 208,352, U. S. National}

^Museum,

^Biological Survey ^col- lection;adult _cT,skinandskull;from headofPine Creek, nearCornucopia, south slope

Wallowa

Mts., Baker County, Oregon; ^collected September

3, 1915,

by

Stanley G. _{Jewett; original}

number

2362.

Subspecific characters.

—

NearesttoO. schisticepsschisticeps, but_palerin

summer

pelage,

and

slightlydarkerinwinter pelage; decidedly darkerthan 0. schisticepsmuiri,ⁱⁿboth

summer and

winter;paler(less blackish)than 0.s.taylori inboth_pelages.

iSeeespecially,Bangs,^Proc.NewEngland^Zool.Club,I,p.39, 1899.

2NamedforMr.StanleyG. Jewett inrecognition^{of his}excellentfieldwork on Oregon mammals.

Color.

—

_Type

_(summer

_{pelage): Upperparts light pinkish cinnamon,}

mixed with_fuscous;sides of nose pale

smoke

_gray;sides of face, occiput,

and

_nape

washed

withthe

same

;earschaetura drab,margined withgrayish whiteand_faintly

washed

withthe

same

inside;sides lightpinkishcinnamon;

feet grayish white,

washed

with light pinkish cinnamon; ^{soles chaetura} drab;palms grayish white,

washed

with drab; underparts grayish white,

washed

with light pinkish cinnamon. Winter _{pelage: Closely} similar to schisticeps in the correspondingpelage, but_slightly darker.

Skull.

—

_Closelysimilar tothatofschisticeps.

Measurements.

—

_Average of 12 adults ₍₆ males, 6 females) from type region: Total_length, 182 (165-195); hindfoot, 31 _(30-32).

Skull—

_Type

(cT adult): Occipito-nasal length, 42.6; zygomaticbreadth, 21.6;breadth of cranium, 19; interorbital breadth, 5.2; width of palatal bridge, ^1.5:

lengthof nasals, 13.7.

Remarks.

— The

_pika of the Blue Mountains is

most

nearly related ^to 0. schisticeps schisticeps of the high ^Sierra Nevada; ^its range, however,

is separated from that of schisticeps

by

the intervening lava bed _region, occupied

by

^O. schisticepstaylori.

Ochotona schisticeps fuscipes,subsp. nov.

Type.

—

No. _158,094, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey^collec- tion; cT adult, skin

and

skull; from Brian Head,

Parawan

_{Mts., Utah;}

CollectedSeptember7, 1908,

by

^WilfredH. Osgood;original

number

3475.

Subspecific characters.

—

SimilartoO.cinnamomea but_larger,with_larger and relatively broaderskull; coloration above

more

blackish

and

less in- tensely cinnamon; very ^{similar to} 0. schisticeps taylori, but general tone pinkish cinnamon, ^ratherthanvinaceous cinnamon; headpalerand

more

grayish; underparts paler.

Color.

— Type (summer

pelage): Upperparts mixed light pinkish cinna-

mon and

fuscous-black_(theblackishprevailing); tip ofnose fuscous-black;

sides ofnose

and

face

smoke

_gray,tingedwithbuffand

washed

with_fuscous;

back^ofheadand nape

washed

withpale neutral gray;^ears fuscous-black, margined with buffy white; ^sidespinkish

cinnamon

mixed with _fuscous, becoming^clearpinkish

cinnamon

_alonglineof belly;hindfeet soiledwhit- ish,

washed

withpale cinnamon-buff, the^solesfuscous; front^feetcinnamon- buff, thepalmshair-brown; underparts grayish white, heavily

washed

with pinkishcinnamon.

Skull.

—

Similartothatofcinnamomea, butlargerand_{relativelybroader,} with largeraudital bullae.

Measurements.

— _Type

_{(adult cT):} Total length, 195; hind _{foot, 30.5;}

average ^of 4 adult females: 201; ^30.2. Skull _(of type): Occipito-nasal length, 41.7; zygomatic breadth, 21.4; interorbital breadth, 5; width of palatal bridge, 1.4; length of nasals, 12.3.

Remarks.

—

Thisrace, at present

known

_only from the

Parawan

_Range,

isbased onaseriesof5 adults

and

one

young

ⁱⁿ

summer

_{pelage. Although} occupying ^a range ^of mountains practically continuous with the Beaver

Range —

the

home

ofO.cinnamomea

—

the presentformisapparently

much more

closely related to schisticeps ofthenorthern high^Sierraandto taylori ofsouthernOregon^{thatit isto}cinnamomea. Itsrange^isseparated,

how-

ever,from_{the ranges}oftheseforms

by

^abroad expanse^{of desert.}