. A biological survey of Alabama. I. Physiography and life zones. II. The mammals. Animals Alabama. 1921.] MAMMALS OF ALABAMA—MUSKRATS. 57 Tiber rivalicius Bangs. Louisiana Muskeat. Fiber zibethicus rivalicius Bangs, Proc. Boston Soc Nat. Hist., vol. 26, p. 541, 1895. The small, dark-colored Louisiana muskrat is found at present in Alabama only in the coast region west of Mobile Bay (fig. 5). The animal has apparently extended its range into the State within very recent times, since it is unknown to most hunters and trappers in the re- gion where it is now found, and many of those who are ac-
. A biological survey of Alabama. I. Physiography and life zones. II. The mammals. Animals Alabama. 1921.] MAMMALS OF ALABAMA—MUSKRATS. 57 Tiber rivalicius Bangs. Louisiana Muskeat. Fiber zibethicus rivalicius Bangs, Proc. Boston Soc Nat. Hist., vol. 26, p. 541, 1895. The small, dark-colored Louisiana muskrat is found at present in Alabama only in the coast region west of Mobile Bay (fig. 5). The animal has apparently extended its range into the State within very recent times, since it is unknown to most hunters and trappers in the re- gion where it is now found, and many of those who are ac- quainted with it state that it first ap- peared there shortly after a big storm in 1906. This species is not as yet widely dis- persed, as it is known at present only from the coast marshes about Bayou La- batre. Signs of its presence were seen also in Three Mile Creek, near Mobile, in 1913, by the late Kenneth Beale, but no specimens have been taken there. It will undoubtedly spread out and be- come more abundant along the coast of 2- FWer Mississippi Sound and the western shore of Mobile Bay, and there seems to be no reason why it should not extend its range into the big marshes of the Delta region and along the eastern shore of the Bay. At Bayou Labatre, residents reported a number of muskrat houses on the marshes between the mouth of the bayou and Little River, but a storm and high tide in the fall of 1915 apparently broke up this colony, and in December of that year search for them in that locality was unsuccessful. A considerable colony, however, was located close. Fig, 5.—Distribution of muskrats in Alabama. 1. Filter zi~bet7iicus ziliethicus. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Howell, Arthur H. (Arthur Holmes), 1872-1940. Washington, Government Printing Office
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