Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
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Transcription
California Condor
Eben McMullan
9 July 1964
in their cheek Pouches. In one 100 foot Strip of roadway we found
three dead Kangaroo Rats. Near the water draw where we
first stopped I found the Carcasses of Two rats that appeared
to have been exposed to the Sun for at least but full day,
one of these two rats had 7 grains of Potted Oats in
its Pouches. The other had No grain in its Pouches. Further along
road we came upon one Kangaroo Rat with Potted Oats in its
Pouches. This even though both Rolled Barley and Potted Oats
were scattered on separate sides of the road. Three Kangaroo
Rats that lay dead in the roadway within 100 feet of one
another had No grain in their Pouches. Another Kangaroo
Rat was found 200 feet further on the road. It had
nothing in its Pouches.
The area through which the above road runs did not appear to
have a large Concentration of Kangaroo Rats. Rather tall grasses were
growing along this roadway in most places and as do most roadways,
it held to the Swales, and low places, and when passing over a
ridge held to the saddles or low passes. This situation found
the road holding to the areas of richer soil and therefore remaining
away from the south slopes and open sunny ridges where the Rats
were much more plentiful. Nevertheless, we found some dead rats along
this roadway and it should be noted that even though Rolled
Barley treated with strychnine and 1080 treated Potted Oats were
both used what dead rats we found along this road that had grain
in their cheek pouches without exception had 1080 treated potted
oats even though both oats and barley were available. This
would suggest that either [illegible] Potted oats are preferred by