Buffalo.

Visher (1914) made no mention of this species in his report of the
natural history of Harding County.

~Mustela vison letifera~ Hollister, 1913

Mink

Tracks of a mink were observed by a member of one of our field parties
(T. H. Swearingen) in late March of 1963 at a pond 5 mi. S and 14 mi. E
Buffalo, and one was reported to have been trapped in the same area the
previous winter. Reports by local residents indicate that mink occur
along the Little Missouri River as well as streams on the north side of
the North Cave Hills. Visher (1914:91) reported the species to be
uncommon but he knew of one trapped in February of 1911 on Bull Creek.

~Taxidea taxus taxus~ (Schreber, 1778)

Badger

_Specimens examined_ (4).--Sec. 25, R. 3 E, T. 22 N, 1; NE 1/4 sec. 28,
R. 4 E, T. 19 N, 1; 4 mi. E Reva, 1; 10 mi. S, 2 mi. W Buffalo, 1.

Local residents regarded the badger as relatively common in the
grasslands of Harding County, although this species was only rarely
observed by members of our field parties. Visher (1914:91) reported it
to be "quite common."

~Spilogale putorius interrupta~ (Rafinesque, 1820)

Spotted Skunk

We took no spotted skunks in northwestern South Dakota and both local
residents and government trappers reported this species to be rare in
the area. Visher (1914:91) indicated that it was "much more common than
the large skunk" in the early part of this century.

~Mephitis mephitis hudsonica~ Richardson, 1829

Striped Skunk

Visher (1914:91) found this species to be "uncommon" in Harding County,
as we did more than a half century later. Some local residents, however,
reported this skunk to be fairly abundant. We took one specimen, an
adult female having enlarged mammae that was captured on July 6, 1965,
at a place 7 mi. S and 4-1/2 mi. E Harding, just south of the Short Pine
Hills. Site records of several other striped skunks were obtained as
follows: 14 mi. N Buffalo; 6 mi. N and 2-1/2 mi. W Camp Crook; 5-1/2 mi.
WNW Buffalo; 1-1/2 mi. S and 1/2 mi. E Buffalo; 4 mi. S Buffalo; 10 mi.
SW Ralph; and 1 mi. S Reva.

~Lutra canadensis interior~ Swenk, 1920

Otter

We have no record of this species in Harding County other than Visher's
(1914:91) report that an individual was "recently trapped along the
Little Missouri River."

~Felis concolor hippolestes~ Merriam, 1897

Mountain Lion

This large cat likely occurred throughout northwestern South Dakota
prior to settlemen