Species Accounts:

Laboratory 4

Species	Range	Habitat	Food	Reproductive Biology	Comments
Sorex vagrans	Alaska, western Canada, Pacific Coast, to Montana, south to Mexico. Only found in western portion of the state; is replaced by Sorex monticolusas you move eastward	prefers moist forested habitat where it out competes S. cinereus	Insectivorous	breeds in spring and summer with average litter size of approximately 4-5; gestation 20 days	Weight = 4-5 grams; generally darker in coloration , black-brown, than S. cinereus, and has a light gray ventral surface; lives approximately 14-16 months in the wild;
Sorex cinereus	Alaska to Nova Scotia across all of the Canadian provinces and it extends to Washington and across the northern United States	Generally associated with drier coniferous forests. Prefers a lot of ground structure (leaves, dead material);	Insectivorous	Active throughout the year. Begins breeding in March-April with peak in May; May have more than one litter/year with 2-10 per litter;	This species has the largest range of the 29 species of Sorex in North America. It is one of the most common shrews in the country and the most common in Montana Brownish dorsally and grayish on the venter. Weight = 3.5 grams Lives 14-16 months
Blarina brevicauda	Eastern U.S. and Canada from Manitoba to Texas and eastward to Atlantic Coast	Habitat: found in all habitats; the most fossorial of all American shrews; lives in logs or stumps; builds nests of grass and leaves; active all year, day and night;	Insectivorous though will eat some plant material	Breeds spring to fall; 3 litters/year; litter size 5-7, gestation 21 days;	Weight: 15-30 grams; Dark black to slate colored with undersides slightly lighter; Submaxillary glands secrete a poison that acts on the nervous system of prey species; Extends to the northwestern corner of North Dakota within 4 miles of the Montana border, so

Species	Range	Habitat	Food	Breeding Biology	Comments
Lepus americanus	Alaska across the Canadian Provinces; extends along the west coast and Rocky Mountain chain and across the northern United States	prefers montane coniferous forested stands; will appear in forest openings but avoids large open areas like clear cuts;		Breeds in the Spring	Changes color in the winter
Lepus californicus	Extensive range covering 2/3 of the United States; from California to Missouri and from Washington to central Mexico. Confined to the southwestern corner of Montana where it is found in sympatry with the white-tailed jackrabbit.	Prefers sagebrush desert and semi-desert habitats in Montana.. Has a bounding gate unlike cottontail rabbits	Strictly herbivorous	Breeds most likely in early Spring-early Summer in Montana. Gestation 41-47 days with an average litter size of 2-3. May produce 2-4 litters per season	Technically a hare, not a rabbit Distinguishing characteristic: black-tipped tail on dorsal surface - ventral surface of tail white; Body coloration can vary from gray to blackish; Does not change color to white in the winter as do the other two species of Lepus in Montana. Weigh
Sylvilagus floridanus	Widespread throughout the eastern United States extending from Canada to Mexico. Montana is the northwestern extreme of its range. Here it is found in the southeastern corner of the state.	Occupies a variety of habitats from deserts to swamps and hardwood forests. Found along riparian zones in Montana. Has a scampering gate..	Strictly herbivorous	Begins breeding in January/February and may breed into September. Gestation of 28-29 days with litter sizes of 3-6. May produce 5-7 litters per year.	Is a large sylvilagid, the largest found in Montana. Coat coloration varies from brown to gray giving this species a grissled appearance. Weight = 0.8-1,4 kg. Constructs a shallow nest during the summer but may use other species' underground burrows during the

Laboratory 5

Species	Roosting Sites; other biology	Gestation Period & Litter Size	Year-round Resident	Status in MT
Eptesicus fuscus	Caves, mines, and man-made structures.	~60 days 1	Yes	Common but not abundant.
Lasionycterus noctivagans	Bark crevices; coniferous forests near rivers, lake , mountain forests	50-60 days 2	No	Common, though infrequent.
Lasiurus cinereus	Tree foliage; solitary.	~90days 2-4	No	Locally common, but never abundant.
Myotis lucifugus	Buildings, mines, caves, trees, rock crevices, snags	50-60 days 1	Yes	Common through-out the state.
Corynorhinus townsendii	Cold caves and mine shafts; females can form colonies up to 200 ind. during breeding season, while males are solitary; Slow flight, can hover; feed during flight, can pick insects from ground	56-100 days 1	Yes (??)	Rare; Isolated pops.; Species of special concern.
Antrozous pallidus	Rock crevices and man-made structures; Low flight, can pick prey on ground	60-65 ds 1-2	No	Considered rare.
Euderma maculatum	Cliffs and steep canyon walls; open bushy areas; solitary	???? 1	No	Extremely rare.

Laboratory 6 & 7