Leslie Canyon

Leslie Canyon NWR https://www.fws.gov/refuge/leslie_canyon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Canyon_National_Wildlife_Refuge Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona protects habitat for the endangered Yaqui Chub (Gila purpurea) and Yaqui Topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonorensis). The refuge also protects a rare velvet ash-cottonwood-black walnut gallery forest. This area is part of the basin and range geologic region, characterized by linear mountain ranges which are separated by broad, flat basins. The region was impacted by relatively recent volcanic activity, leaving volcanic plugs and cinder cones visible throughout the San Bernardino Valley. Earthquakes have further altered the region and helped allow the flow of many springs and seeps.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service San Bernardino/ Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuges Watchable Wildlife List Welcome to San Bernardino and Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuges This blue goose, designed by J.N. “Ding” Darling, has become the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System. San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Leslie Canyon NWR are internationally significant sanctuaries established to protect and recover a variety of fish, wildlife, and their habitats. These refuges offer oases within the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert, providing resting, breeding, and year-around habitat for a significant number and diversity of animals. At least 314 bird species have been documented on the refuges, including many nesting species. In addition, 65 mammal, 41 reptile, 11 amphibian, 8 fish, and hundreds of invertebrate species have been documented. San Bernardino NWR and Leslie Canyon NWR provide a critical role in maintaining a sanctuary for several federally-listed threatened and endangered species, and both refuges currently provide a protected land base helping in the recovery of several Rió Yaqui species. The refuges lie within the Rió Yaqui Basin, a large watershed that drains portions of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico in the United States, and eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua in Mexico. The San Bernardino Ciénega (marshy wetland) was historically the most extensive wetland in the region, and forms an important migratory link between Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental and the Rocky Mountains to the north. The extensive and dependable wetlands in this area historically provided habitat for eight species of fish, nearly one-fourth of the species native to Arizona. A great number of unique reptiles and amphibians inhabit these protected areas including many increasingly rare species. The riparian galleries, dominated by Arizona black walnut and Arizona ash trees in Leslie Canyon, and by Fremont cottonwood trees in the San Bernardino Valley, provide important nesting habitat for a multitude of birds. The refuges are also valuable resting and feeding areas for migrating birds. Mammals from an expansive desert area utilize the refuges for their water sources. The unique mix of high desert canyons, stream-fed riparian corridors, spring-fed wetlands, and desert uplands also provide for a spectacular diversity of invertebrates, some of which are unknown anywhere else in the United States. San Bernardino NWR and Leslie Canyon NWRs are two of the few refuges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that were established specifically to protect native fish. The goals of the refuges include maintaining populations of native fish and restoring habitat so that the fish will be able to thrive once again. Protection and restoration of the region’s springs, ponds, and streams in both the United States and in Mexico by private landowners, conservation organizations, and government agencies will help ensure that the delicate ecological balance that has been in place for centuries will continue to provide quality habitat for all fish, wildlife, and humans dependent upon the Rió Yaqui Basin. Watching wildlife may be fun for all involved! Mammals At least 65 species of mammals have been documented on San Bernardino NWR and Leslie Canyon NWR, and still others may occur here. The rugged mountains which surround the San Bernardino Valley are famous for records of jaguars (Panthera onca), and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) which have been recorded southeast and northwest of the refuges. This tremendous species richness is largely due to the area’s topographical variation and resulting variety of habitats. Most of the mammals occurring on the refuges are secretive and nocturnal (active at night) or crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) and are rarely seen. They utilize a variety of habitats on the refuges including wooded riparian areas, mesquite thickets, rocky bluffs, steep canyon walls, grasslands, creosote uplands, and perennial streams and ponds. With the exception of bats, all mammals on the refuges are essentially year-round residents. The San Bernardino Valley provides an important corridor for many migratory species, especially bats, moving back and forth between the United States and Mexico. In addition some mammals, such as bears, move between upper elevations and lower elevations depending upon the season and the availability of food. Taxonomy follows Reid’s 2006 A Field Guide to Mammals of North America. Above, Ord’s Kangaroo Rat Right, Cockrum’s Shrew SB LC Bears Family Ursidae Black Bear Ursus americanus X X Racoon and Ringtail Family Procyonidae Ringtail Bassariscus astutus Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor White-nosed Coati Nasua narica X X X X X X Skunks Family Mephitidae Western Spotted Skunk Spilogale gracilis X X Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis X X Hooded Skunk Mephitis macroura X White-backed Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus leuconotus X X Badger Family Mu