Fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals of Montezuma Castle National Monument

Drost, Charles

Montezuma Castle National Monument was established in 1906 to protect the spectacular Sinaguan-age cliff dwellings from which the Monument takes its name. The limestone sinkhole lake and associated cliff dwellings called Montezuma Well were added to the Monument in 1943. The Native American people who built these dwellings throughout the Verde River valley supplemented their agriculture with hunting and trapping. Archeologists have uncovered many animal bones in debris mounds, and rabbit bones are quite common. These represent some of the animals used by the Verde Valley's early inhabitants for food and clothing. Migratory birds such as Canada geese, ducks, and coots, taken from Beaver Creek and the Verde River, also supplement their diets. Habitats within the Monument include the rich cottonwood riparian forest along Beaver Creek, and varied desert upland habitats ranging from creosote bush flats and mesquite forests to the desert woodland dominated by the tall, spiny crucifixion thorn. This combination of habitats supports a wide variety of animal species in the small area (842 acres, or approximately 1.3 square miles) included in the Monument. The reptile, mammal, and bird (covered in a separate checklist) faunas are particularly diverse. The protection provided by Montezuma Castle National Monument and adjacent National Forest lands are important to the preservation of this rich fauna. However, the fauna has changed over the past 100 years, mostly due to habitat changes associated with the settling of the Verde Valley. The loss of many of the native fishes from Beaver Creek is particularly striking, and is symptomatic of losses throughout the southwestern United States. The gray wolf, grizzly bear and jaguar all survived in central Arizona into the early 1900's, and probably roamed around Montezuma Castle. However, they are now extirpated from the entire Southwest. Pronghorn also occurred in the area until at least the late 1800's, but are now gone from the vicinity of the Monument. Elk were not originally native to central Arizona, but have migrated into the area from Rocky Mountain stock introduced in northern Arizona. They are now common at the Monument. This list is based on intensive surveys of Montezuma Castle National Monument conducted between 1992 and 1995, along with a review of available literature. Researchers who conducted the surveys include Laura Ellison, Gloria Hardwick, Bill Leibfried, Erika Nowak, and Charles Drost. Montezuma Castle Chief Ranger Steve Sandell provided information on Native American use of animals in the area. (Copied verbatim from the report.)

Fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals of Montezuma Castle National Monument

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