============================+=============+============ | Number | Percentage Food Item | of | of total | occurrences | items ----------------------------+-------------+------------ _Sylvilagus_ sp. | 32 | 12.65 _Spermophilus variegatus_ | 5 | 1.97 _Eutamias_ sp. | 12 | 4.74 _Reithrodontomys megalotis_ | 4 | 1.58 _Peromyscus boylei_ | 2 | 0.79 _Peromyscus maniculatus_ | 3 | 1.18 _Peromyscus truei_ | 7 | 2.76 _Neotoma cinerea_ | 2 | 0.79 _Neotoma mexicana_ | 9 | 3.56 _Neotoma albigula_ | 5 | 1.97 _Neotoma_ sp. | 3 | 1.18 _Microtus longicaudus_ | 1 | 0.39 _Microtus mexicanus_ | 11 | 4.34 _Microtus montanus_ | 1 | 0.39 _Microtus_ sp. | 1 | 0.39 _Odocoileus hemionus_ | 59 | 23.32 Grass | 34 | 13.44 Juniper berries | 23 | 9.09 Pinyon needles | 14 | 5.53 Pinyon nuts | 1 | 0.39 Arthropods | 7 | 2.76 Juniper needles | 3 | 1.18 Rodent or Lagomorph bones | 5 | 1.97 _Sceloporus_ sp. | 1 | 0.39 Unidentified fruit | 2 | 0.79 Rocks | 3 | 1.18 Paper | 4 | 1.58 Soil | 3 | 1.18 Feathers | 5 | 1.97 +-------------+------------ Total | 253 | ----------------------------+-------------+------------ Hawks, owls and eagles live in the park. Red-tailed hawks were seen frequently in the burned area on the northern end of Wetherill Mesa. Both hawks and owls probably prey upon _Peromyscus_ in Mesa Verde, for they are well-known predators upon mice and small rodents in other areas. I tried to find owl and hawk nests that were occupied, but located only nests that were abandoned or impossible to reach. Captive gopher snakes, _Pituophis melanoleucus_, ate adults of both species of _Peromyscus_. Gopher snakes probably are the most abundant snake in the park; they feed mostly on mice and other rodents. Fur of _Peromyscus_ was found in the stomach of a striped whipsnake, _Masticophis taeniatus_ (Douglas, 1966:734). DISCUSSION