Continuation of Special Number 1 – 1951
Report on the Trapping and Marking of Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels at Crater Lake National Park, 1939
By Ralph R. Huestis
During the 1939 season 95 ground squirrels and 4 Allen chipmunks were taken in live traps in the rim area. Ninety squirrels were released (many squirrels were retaken and released several times) and 5 squirrels were kept captive for observation of their winter behavior. The data that might be expected to accrue from this procedure are:
The age distribution and sex ratio.
The population density in the area examined
The winter survival rate.
The foraging area of individual squirrels.
The special distribution of young of the year after they leave the mother’s burrow.
Although the returns from this project are for the most part purely ecological there is the possibility of some practical utility should the squirrels, as has happened elsewhere, become infected with some communicable disease which would require their elimination from a give area. A proof that they are not migratory would greatly simplify the eliminative procedure.
METHODS
Squirrels were taken in wire box traps obtained from the National Live Trap Co., Tomahawk, Wisconsin, and rewired to hold squirrels. They were marked by cutting hind toes for numbers 1 to 10 (toes cut in order from left to right), and by cutting front toes in order from left to right for 10 to 20, etc. Correspondence on the subject had elicited the information that ear tagging with metal tags is unsatisfactory because the tags come out. Cut toes were disinfected with 70% alcohol and did not appear to cause the squirrels any considerable inconvenience although some swelling of the cut digit could be observed and squirrels occasionally were noted to be favoring the foot in question for a day or so after the operation. However since many squirrels were seen foraging as usual within an hour after release and as no squirrel was retaken with an obviously infected foot the method seems to have been a good one.
The data are presented in tabular form.
| No. | Sex | Trapping Dates |
Place | Other Data |
| 1. | M | July 21 | East side Information Building | Tail had been broken and healed again. |
| July 26 | East side Information Building | |||
| July 27 | Rim wall just east Information Building | Large male with rich color. | ||
| July 29 | Front platform Information Building | Filling up burrow entrance between stones using excavated earth and rock on top. | ||
| August 15 | East side Information Building | |||
| August 16 | East side Information Building | Taking dry grass down burrow under wood pile. | ||
| August 21 | Information Building platform | |||
| August 23 | Rim wall in front of Information Building | |||
| 2. | F | July 25 | East side Information Building | Lactating. Scolded in trap, didn’t struggle to get out. |
| July 27 | East side Information Building | |||
| August 1 | East side Information Building | With young squirrels. | ||
| August 2 | Rim wall in front of Information Building | Mooching peanuts. | ||
| August 11 | Front door Information Building | Fed. | ||
| August 15 | East side Information Building | Now very fat, has lost end of tail. | ||
| August 15 | West side Information Building | This squirrel’s burrow near #1 above on east side Information Building but with entrance on west side also. #1 has entrances on east and south. | ||
| August 15 | East side Information Building | |||
| August 17 | Front platform Information Building | |||
| August 21 | Rim wall front Information Building | |||
| 3. | F | July 25 | Head of Sinnott ramp | Lactating. |
| 4. | F | July 27 | Rim wall 50 feet east Information Building | Lactating. |
| 5. | M | July 27 | Shrub bed on Information Building walk south | Large male. Aggressive. |
| August 15 | Shrub bed southeast Information Building 150 feet | |||
| 6. | F | July 27 | 1st bay in Rim wall east, Information Building | Lactating. Hole in ear. |
| 7. | M | July 27 | Bed with crooked hemlock just southeast Information Building | Young (unweaned?) |
| August 24 | Bed west Information Building (1st west) | |||
| 8. | M | July 27 | Bed southwest Information Building in line with Community House | Young. |
| 9. | M | August 1 | East side Information Building | Son of #2? Young. (with #10) |
| August 7 | East side Information Building | Alone. | ||
| August 7 | West side Information Building | |||
| August 11 | East side Information Building | |||
| 10. | M | August 1 | East side Information Building with #9 | Young of year. |
| August 15 | Bed with crooked hemlock southeast Information Building | |||
| August 24 | 2nd bed east Information Building | |||
| 11. | M | August 1 | East side Information Building | Young. Brother of #9 and #10? |
| 12. | M | August 2 | Bed 150 feet southeast Information Building | Young. Aggressive. |
| 13. | F | August 2 | Bed 150 feet southeast Information Building | Sister of 12? Young. |
| 14. | M | August 2 | Rim wall 50 feet east Information Building | Large male. Aggressive. |
| 15. | F | August 2 | Bed with crooked hemlock | Lactating mother of 12, 13? |
| 16. | F | August 2 | East side Information Building | Young and noisy Sister of 9, 10? |
| August 11 | Bed south Information Building at highway | Noisy. | ||
| August 15 | Bed south Information Building at highway | Noisy. | ||
| August 15 | Bed southwest Information Building in line with Community House | |||
| 17. | F | August 2 | Bed with crooked hemlock | Lactating. Possible mother 12, 19? |
| 18. | M | August 2 | East side Information Building | Large. Foraging in #l’s territory |
| August 22 | Behind Sinnott sign at ramp | Husky. Not very fat. | ||
| 19. | M | August 2 | Bed with crooked hemlock | Young. Brother of #12, 13? |
| 20. | F | August 2 | Rim wall 100 feet east Information Building | Large. Not lactating. Sterile female? |
| 21. | M | August 2 | Rim wall 100 feet west Information Building | Old male. |
| August 11 | At Sinnott sign | |||
| August 22 | Rim wall 150 feet west Information Building | |||
| 22. | F | August 2 | Behind Sinnott sign at ramp | Young. |
| August 22 | Below wall along Sinnott ramp | |||
| 23. | F | August 2 | Bed opposite drinking fountain head of Sinnott ramp | Young. |
| August 7 | West side Information Building | |||
| 24. | M | August 7 | Behind Sinnott sign | Young. |
| 25. | M | August 7 | West side Information Building | Young. Playing with other young. |
| 26. | M | August 7 | East side Information Building | Young sibling #3 and 10? |
| August 11 | East side Information Building | |||
| August 15 | South Information Building in bed at road | |||
| 27. | M | August 7 | Bed near fountain | Old. |
| August 13 | Sinnott ramp | Mooching. | ||
| August 22 | Sinnott ramp | |||
| August 23 | Rim wall at fountain | Mooching. | ||
| 28. | M | August 7 | West side Information Building | Young, sibling of #25? |
| August 11 | South Information Building at road | |||
| 29. | M | August 9 | Bed south Information Building at road | |
| 30. | M | August 9 | Bed south Information Building at road | Young of year. |
| 31. | F | August 9 | East side Information Building | Yearling or well advanced young of year. Had not been lactating. |
| August 22 | Sinnott ramp | Mooching. | ||
| 32. | F | August 11 | Behind Sinnott sign | Had been lactating. Adult. |
| 33. | F | August 11 | Bed south Information Building at road | Young. |
| 34. | M | August 11 | Bed at drinking fountain | Young. |
| August 22 | Behind Sinnott sign | Very rich brown. Even “white” stripes are brown. | ||
| August 23 | Mooching at fountain | |||
| 35. | F | August 11 | Bed south Information Building at road | Young |
| August 24 | Rim wall 50 feet east Information Building | |||
| 36. | F | August 11 | Bed at drinking fountain | Young. |
| August 22 | Behind Sinnott sign | |||
| 37. | F | August 14 | Campground west Ranger’s tent | Had been lactating. Adult |
| 38. | F | August 14 | Campground west small comfort station. | Young |
| 39. | F | August 14 | Campground south comfort station. | Large. Had been lactating. |
| August 21 | At Ranger’s tent | |||
| 40. | M | August 14 | On stump near tent | Medium sized. Yearling? |
| 41. | F | August 15 | Bed east Information Building at Rim | Old and fat. |
| 42. | F | August 15 | Bed southwest Information Building in line with Community House | Young and small. |
| 43. | — | —– | ——— | Missed number. |
| 44. | F | August 22 | Below Sinnott sign | Young and noisy. Red-toned pelage. |
| August 24 | Below Sinnott ramp near sign | |||
| 45. | M | August 22 | Behind Sinnott sign | Young. |
| September 7 | Behind Sinnott sign | Well grown at this date. | ||
| 46. | F | August 22 | Sinnott ramp 1/2 way down | Young. |
| September 7 | Behind Sinnott sign | |||
| 47. | F | August 22 | Below Sinnott | Large and very fat. |
| 48. | M | August 22 | At Sinnott Memorial (south wall) | Adult with white belly spot. |
| 49. | M | August 22 | Below ramp near Memorial | Well grown young or yearling. |
| 50. | F | August 22 | Below ramp near sign | Young. |
| 51. | F | August 22 | Tree just south Sinnott Memorial | Adult. |
| 52. | F | August 23 | Rim 30 feet east Information Building | Adult. |
| August 24 | Rim 30 feet east Information Building | |||
| 53. | M | August 22 | Bay just west Lodge | Very target Released at Information Building. |
| 54. | F | August 24 | Bay just west of Lodge | Very large and fat. |
| 55. | F | August 24 | Rim 300 feet east Information | Recently lactating Not fat. Pale pelage. |
| 56. | F | August 24 | Rim 200 feet east Information Building | Young. |
| 57. | — | August 24 | Rim 200 feet east Information Building | Escaped. Was not sexed. |
| 58. | F | August 24 | Bay no 1 west Information Building | Adult. Wounds on chest and throat. |
| September 7 | Bay no 1 west Information Building | Throat largely healed at this date. | ||
| 59. | M | September 6 | Boat Landing | Adult. Bobtail. |
| 60. | F | September 3 | Boat Landing | Adult |
| September 7 | Boat Landing | Adult | ||
| 61. | F | September 6 | Boat Landing | Young. |
| 62. | F | September 6 | Boat Landing | Young |
| September 7 | Boat Landing | |||
| 63. | M | September 6 | Boat Landing | Adult. |
| 64. | F | September 6 | Boat Landing | Adult. |
| 65. | M | September 7 | Boat Landing | Young. |
| 66. | M | September 7 | Boat Landing | Adult. Fat. |
| 67. | M | September 7 | Boat Landing | Adult. |
| 68. | F | September 7 | Boat Landing | Adult. |
| 69. | M | September 7 | Boat Landing | Adult |
| 70. | F | September 7 | Boat Landing | Adult Large |
| 71. | F | September 7 | Boat Landing | Adult |
| 72. | M | September 7 | Behind Sinnott sign | Young and rather small. White spot on ventral surface. |
| 73. | M | September 7 | Rim opposite Community House | Adult. |
| 74. | M | September 7 | Rim opposite Community House | Adult. Fat. |
| 75. | M | September 7 | Rim opposite Community House 50 feet west of 74 | Adult. Fat. |
| 76. | M | September 7 | Rim 300 feet east Information Building | Adult seen at same place in half an hour. |
| 77. | F | September 7 | Bay just west of Lodge | Adult. |
| 78. | F | September 7 | Bay just west of Lodge | Adult. |
| 79. | M | September 7 | 2nd bay east Information Building | Young. |
| 80. | M | September 20 | Information Building back door | Young and recently emerged. |
| 81. | M | September 22 | Head of Lake Trail | Liberated at Information Building. Adult |
| 82. | M | September 22 | Head of Lake Trail | Liberated at Information Building |
| 83. | F | September 22 | Head of Lake Trail | Taken back to head of lake trail. |
| 84. | M | September 23 | Head of Lake Trail | Taken back to head of lake trail. |
| 85. | M | September 23 | Head of Lake Trail | Liberated at Information Building. Adult and fat. |
| 86. | F | September 23 | Head of Lake Trail | Taken back to head of lake trail. |
| 87. | M | September 23 | Liberated at Information Building. Still there 2 hours later. Very large adult. | |
| 88. | F | September 23 | Head of Lake Trail | Taken back to head of lake trail. |
| 89. | F | September 23 | Head of Lake Trail | Taken back to head of lake trail. |
| 90. | M | September 23 | Head of Lake Trail | Liberated at Information Building. Adult. Fat. |
| 91. | M | September 23 | Head of Lake Trail | Liberated at Information Building. Adult. Left ear notched. |
