Mammals of the Big Bend area of Texas
Borell AE and Bryant MD. 1942. Mammals of the Big Bend area of Texas. University of California Publications in Zoology. 48(1)
There are 55 species of mammals known from the Big Bend area. The biotic relationships of each of these has been indicated. A study of the geographic variation has been made of 49 of the species in the region of the Chisos Mountains. There are four distinct biotic associations in the area: river bottom, desert flat, lower foothill, and Chisos Mountains proper. The Lower Sonoran life zone extends from the Rio Grande to the upper part of the lower foothill association. The Upper Sonoran life zone extends from this level to the top of the mountains. Spots of the Transition life zone occur in the Chisos Mountains. Twenty-one species of mammals are known from only the Lower Sonoran life zone, and 7 species of mammals are known from the Upper Sonoran life zone. The mammalian fauna of the Big Bend area consists mainly of species endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Lesser relationships with the mammalian faunas of southern Mexico, the eastern United States, the Great Plains, and the western United States are indicated. The Rio Grande is not a significant barrier to mammalian dispersal.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Borell, Adrey; Bryant, Monroe
- Date of Issue
- 1942-08-07
- Units
- BIBE
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Big Bend Area TX, Biogeography, Checklist, Ecology, Mammals