San Pedro Riparian Area  Supports a cottonwood-willow forest Excellent protection Roosting sites Microhabitats for terrestrial animals ‘Snags’; protection for water dwelling species  Produces protective corridors Used by foraging animals Used by migrating species  Home to more species of mammals (78), than any other place in the United States

Beavers (Castor canadensis)  Largest rodents in the United States inches long Average weight is in the 30’s, some weigh up to 60lbs. Have a large, flat, scaly tail  Live in small colonies Parents, yearlings, recent offspring Build dams and lodges together Some live under the banks or rivers  “The Beaver River” Malaria Scare in the early 1900’s Reintroduction in 1940’s and 1999 Healthier willow-cottonwood forest

Coatimundi (Nasua nasua)  San Pedro river marks its Northern Border  Belong to the family Procyonidae (same as raccoons)  Coati are constantly foraging for food!  Body features suit its lifestyle Elongated snoot with “rooting pad” Dexterous hands Longer rear legs Long claws and impressive canines

Mountain Lion (Felis concolor)  Very efficient predators Main source of food is deer One to two deer per week  Involved in some controversy Cattle ranchers Humans ex: Sabino Canyon  Very susceptible to habitat loss Elusive creatures Highly territorial

Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus crooki)  Their name comes from the elongated ears  Large species of desert deer Average buck weighs 150lbs. Have very large antlers  Browsers not grazers  Prefer to eat leaves of trees and shrubs  Browse only on small amounts from each plant  Southwest pop. decline since 1960’s Loss of habitat Degradation of habitat from cattle