Mammals of the Little Susitna Valley, Alaska

Abstract

The mammalian fauna of a valley in the Talkeetna Mountains, near Anchorage, Alaska, was -studied over a 5-year period. The area ranges in altitude from 445 -to 1185 m. Nearly all of this area is above timberline, but five vegetative zones are recognizable. The Valley has cool, wet summers and cool winters of heavy snowfall. The annual cycles of vegetation, climate and mammal occurrence are discussed. Thirty species of mammals (including the caribou, no longer present) are recorded from this small area. Ten other species are known from nearby areas, so the species count may be much larger. The most obvious mammals, the Arctic ground squirrel and hoary marmot, were the objects of special study. Notes on the annual cycle and life history of these latter species are included.