Late Pleistocene herpetofauna from two high-elevation caves in the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado

Abstract

Cement Creek and Haystack caves in Colorado have produced a diverse record of high-elevation late Quaternary mammals. Intermixed with the abundant mammalian remains were rare occurrences of amphibian and reptile fossils reported here. Cement Creek Cave (2860 m elevation) contained the fossils of only a few anurans and a limited number of snakes, whereas Haystack Cave, at a substantially lower elevation (2450 m), contained the fossils of a salamander, a larger number of snakes, and an extensive number of lizard remains, yet no anurans. The 2 faunas are overall distinct in composition, and, although not diverse or abundant in terms of species or number of faunal remains, they provide a rare and exceptional record of a late Pleistocene high-elevation herpetofauna from the Intermountain West. © 2023 Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.