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Algerita Blossom Cave

NM: Eddy Co., approximately 1280 m.

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Location of the Algerita Blossom Cave site.Age. Late Wisconsin. Estimation of age is based on faunal considerations.

General Description. This cave opens to the surface by a fissure, with the present opening excavated by speleologists. It lies between McKittrick and Dry caves. The bone area lies a few meters north of the excavated entrance.

Discussion. The fossil material was received from the Carlsbad Bureau of Land Management Office in part; the rest was excavated or screened from surface spoil deposited by the speleologists' excavation by Harris.

All material is held by UTEP.

Fauna

Reptilia

Phrynosoma hernandesi—Short-horned Lizard
Crotalus sp.—Rattlesnakes

Aves

Tympanuchus pallidicinctus—Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Mammalia

Nothrotheriops shastensis. Shasta Ground Sloth.
Ictidomys/Xerospermophilus sp.—Ictidomys/Xerospermophilus Ground Squirrels
Dipodomys merriami/ordii—Merriam's or Ord's Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys spectabilis—Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat
Perognathus (Perognathus)—sp. Silky Pocket Mice
Cratogeomys castanops—Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher
Thomomys bottae—Botta's Pocket Gopher
Thomomys talpoides—Northern Pocket Gopher
Lemmiscus curtatus—Sagebrush Vole
Microtus longicaudus—Long-tailed Vole
Microtus mogollonensis—Mogollon Vole
Microtus ochrogaster—Prairie Vole
Microtus pennsylvanicus—Meadow Vole
Neotoma leucodon—White-toothed Woodrat
Neotoma cinerea—Bushy-tailed Woodrat
Neotoma floridana—Eastern Woodrat
Peromyscus sp.—Deer Mice
Reithrodontomys sp.—Harvest Mice
Sigmodon sp.—Cotton Rats
Lepus californicus—Black-Tailed Jackrabbit (cf.)
Lepus townsendii—White-tailed Jackrabbit (cf.)
Sylvilagus audubonii—Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus nuttallii—Mountain Cottontail
Notiosorex crawfordi—Desert Shrew
Sorex sp.—Long-tailed Shrews
Myotis—Mouse-eared Bats (cf.)
Lynx rufus—Bobcat
Puma concolor—Cougar (UTEP: cf.)
Canis latrans—Coyote
Vulpes velox—Swift Fox
Mephitis mephitis—Striped Skunk
Equus conversidens—Mexican Horse
Hemiauchenia macrocephala—Big-headed Llama
Antilocapra americana—Pronghorn (cf. gen. et sp.)
Capromeryx sp.—Miniature Pronghorns

Emendations: 24 Dec 2010: "Sylvilagus floridanus—Eastern Cottontail (cf.)" removed from list.

Literature. Harris 1993c.

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Last Update: 24 Dec 2010