On 14/8/2006, Dennis Paulson wrote: Hi, tweeters.

> How many species of herps (amphibians and reptiles) and mammals now
> live within the Seattle city limits? I think this would be a good
> indicator of biodiversity in a large city with not a whole lot of
> native habitat remaining.

In 1994, the Seattle Park Department did an assessment of what's in the
parks. It's been a long time since I read it, so I don't remember how
the list was compiled, but it included plants, birds & other
vertebrates, and at least some invertebrates.

"Urban wildlife and habitat management plan" / Seattle Dept. of Parks
and Recreation ; prepared by Gregg Miller, 1994

UW Library and Seattle Public Library have copies. I don't have it,
but I cribbed a few of the lists. I don't have notes about whether I
typed in the complete lists, but here's what I've got (I'm surprised
that ship rats aren't on the list):

(formatting looks better if you can alter tab stops)

exotic aggressive Common name Genus species
---------------------------------------------------

Mammals:
x x Opossum Didelphus virginiana
Dusky shrew Sorex obscurus
Vagrant shrew Sorex vagrans
Masked shrew Sorex cinereus
Coast mole Scapanus orarius
Shrew-mole Neurotricus gibbsi
Townsend mole Scapanus townsendi
Little brown bat Myotis lucifigus
Big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus
x Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
Mountain beaver Aplodontia rufa
Townsend's chipmunk Eutamius townsendi
Douglas squirrel Tamiasciurus douglasi
x x Eastern gray squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
Northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus
Deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus
Creeping vole Microtus oregoni
x x Norway rat Rattus norvegicus
x x House mouse Mus musculus
Dall's porpoise Phocoenoides dalli
Harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena
Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus
Orca Orcisus orca
Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Coyote Canis latrans
Red fox Vulpes vulpes
Raccoon Procyon lotor
Shortstailed weasel Mustela erminea
Long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata
River otter Lutra canadensis
Mountain lion Felis concolor
Harbor seal Phoca vitulina
Northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus
California sea lion Zalophus californiansus
Stellar's sea lion Eumetopias jubatus
Northern elephant seal Mirounga augustirostris


Amphibians:
Long-toed salamander Ambystoma macrodactyla
Northwestern salamander Ambystoma gracile
Rough-skinned newt Taricha granulosa
Western redbacked salamander Plethodon vehiculum
Ensatina Ensatina eschscholtzi
Pacific tree frog Hyla regila
Northern red-legged frog Rana aurora aurora
x x Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana

Reptiles:
Northwestern pond turtle Clemmys marmorata marmorata
Painted turtle Chrysemys picta
Western fence lizard Sceloperus occidentalis
Northern alligator lizard Gerrhonotus coeruleus
Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis
Northwestern garter snake Thamnophis ordinoides
Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans
--
Allyn Weaks allyn at tardigrade.net Seattle, WA Sunset zone 5
Pacific NW Native Wildlife Gardening: http://www.tardigrade.org/natives/
The last time we were ruled by a George III, there was a revolution...