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TRAVEL INFORMATION DIVISION PO BOX 149249 • AUSTIN, TX 78714-9249 ©Texas Department of Transportation 022001 All photos provided by the Texas Department of Transportation Communication Division and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. WE ARE JUST WILD ABOUT TEXAS. With the size of the state comes an amazing variety of climates and habitats—from swamps to desert and tropical areas to dry plains—leading to an equally remarkable diversity of wildlife. Texas hosts nearly 650 resident and migratory bird species. Other wildlife are found throughout national and state parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and private refuges. With numerous opportunities to seek out Texas wildlife, this guide will assist you in planning your travels. FAR WEST TEXAS encompasses an area from El Paso TEXAS WILDLIFE to Midland-Odessa and down to the Rio Grande’s border with Mexico. Visitors will discover a blend of natural and cultural resources such as historic structures, forts, and TRAIL REGIONS ancient pictographs, as well as a chance to trek through the rugged Texas has more than 268,000 square miles of land and water, provid- outdoors. Watch for Montezuma quail, black-tailed jackrabbit, and ing a variety of wildlife-viewing opportunities. The Texas Parks and cactus wren. Wildlife Department wildlife trail regions break up the state into more easily consumable portions and make it easier for visitors to find the HEART OF TEXAS covers an area from San Angelo hottest spots to explore outdoors. This brochure narrows the regions to and Sonora east to Austin and down to San Antonio and a few select locations to give birders and wildlife lovers places to Laredo, including the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy watching begin exploring the state. Discover more about the trails at wildlife from birds to bat flights. Go into the heart of tpwd.texas.gov/wildlifetrails. Austin, the state capital, to see North America’s largest urban Mexican free-tailed population. Tour native nature centers, private ranches, and PANHANDLE PLAINS, in the northern part of the state, state parks. For wildlife watching opportunities in more rugged terrain, includes expansive views along with the cities of Amarillo, head down to the South Texas brush country near Laredo. Lubbock, and Abilene. Get a glimpse of scenic canyons, mesas, PRAIRIES & PINEYWOODS extends from Wichita and river corridors, and keep an eye out in wide-open spaces Falls in the north, through the Dallas-Fort Worth metro- for coyote, pronghorn, sandhill cranes, black-tailed prairie dogs, burrowing plex and into Waco and Temple, over to College Station, owls, and more. through Huntsville and Nacogdoches, and up to Tyler and LET’S GET STARTED! In the pages that follow, find some TEXAS WILDLIFE of the common and not-so-common Texas critters. NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO is AMERICAN BEAVER’S most distinctive BADGERS may look cute and shy, but BLACK BEAR were more common in a cat-sized, armored, insect- part is its tail, which resembles a large, they are ferocious fighters that should Texas prior to Anglo-American settle- eating mammal. The bony, flat, scaly paddle. Unlike its northern not be disturbed. Badgers live in a vari- ment, but they have declined since. A scaled shell of the armadillo rela tives, the Texas beaver usually ety of habitats, but they are most com- small breeding population is found in protects it from attacks can move about during most of the monly found in open country. Big Bend National Park. by predators. winter season. JAVELINA is a member of the MOUNTAIN LIONS are relatively un- MULE DEER are found in different hab- PORCUPINE won’t always be found peccary family. They are found common, secretive animals. These itats in the western part of the state. waddling through the brush. They do in South Texas brush country, large cats are carnivores that prey on a When running away, they tend to bounce well at climbing trees. When threat- Trans-Pecos’ desert grasslands, variety of animals. Some favorites with all four feet hitting the ground, un- ened, they’ll bristle their quills, stand and the Edwards Plateau’s oak- include deer and wild hogs. like white-tailed deer. erect, and swat with their tails 2 juniper woodlands. in defense. Texarkana. View some of the few remaining Blackland Prairie areas The Texas Wildlife Trail Regions and experience the native habitat that once covered most of North Texas. Watch for grazing bison, scissor-tailed flycatchers, and more. Amarillo Spend time in East Texas exploring the Big Thicket and hardwood forest for a variety of raptors, warblers, woodpeckers, and other PANHANDLE woodland species. PLAINS Wichita Falls Texarkana The TEXAS COAST stretches from Beaumont and Lubbock Houston down to the Rio Grande Valley. Visit heron rook- Fort Worth Dallas eries and be wowed by the number of egrets, herons, and Abilene roseate spoonbills clearly visible from viewing platforms Longview El Paso Midland along the upper coast. Explore well-known birding sites and hidden Odessa PRAIRIES & gems throughout the Coastal Bend. Observe vibrant migratory birds San Angelo PINEYWOODS during spring and fall as well as over-wintering whooping cranes, all FAR WEST TEXAS Austin while enjoying year-round birding opportunities and events. Spend HEART Alpine OF TEXAS Houston some time getting to know the diverse landscapes of the Lower San Antonio Rio Grande Valley. See some of the South Texas specialties such as TEXAS the green jay, great kiskadee, plain chachalaca, and the occasional COAST Mexican rarity. Corpus Laredo Christi McAllen Brownsville BLACK-TAILED JACKRABBIT is a large, BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS play COYOTE is a canine that usually has a GRAY FOX is native to Texas and long-eared rabbit of the open grass- an important role in the prairie ecosys- gray or buff-colored coat and yellow is its most common resident. Gray lands and deserts. They rely on speed tem. They serve as a food source for eyes with black pupils. It runs foxes are mostly nocturnal and to elude predators and flash the many predators and leaves vacant bur- with its tail down. Found throughout the live in dens but are able to white underside of their tail to alert rows to be used by other animals. state, they are usually spotted in the climb trees. other jackrabbits. early morning or before sunset. PRONGHORN is the fastest mammal RINGTAIL is a cat-sized carnivore re- RIVER OTTER is an aquatic member RACCOONS are nocturnal crea- in North America. They live in open sembling a small fox with a long rac- of the weasel family, and it is a superb tures with coarse gray fur and grasslands. Pronghorns won’t usually coonlike tail. These animals are fairly swimmer and diver (able to remain un- black markings around their jump over fences but instead can common but are rarely seen because derwater for several minutes). They are eyes and bushy tails. Raccoons glide under fence wire raised by they are almost wholly nocturnal. currently found in the eastern half of live in greater numbers and conservation-minded landowners. the state. closer together in urban areas. 3 • SOME COMMON & NOT-SO-COMMON • TEXAS WILDLIFE AMERICAN AVOCET is a long- AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER is con- BALD EAGLE, our national symbol, is BLACK SKIMMER “skims” across the legged shorebird with a long, thin spicuous along seashores and salt one of our largest birds of prey. They surface of the water, dragging its lower bill that curves upward. It breeds marshes. True to its name, it specializes aren’t really bald, but their white- bill in order to catch small fish. They in the Panhandle and West Texas in feeding on bivalves (oysters, clams, feathered heads contrast with their are found on open sandy beaches, on on the shores of playas and along and mussels) and uses its brightly col- dark bodies. They are found year-round gravel or shell bars, and in salt marshes the Gulf Coast. ored bill to get at them. throughout Texas, usually near bodies along the coast. of water. EASTERN BLUEBIRD and other GREAT BLUE HERONS, the largest of GREAT KISKADEES sit out in the open GREATER ROADRUNNERS—often bluebirds are native only to North the North American herons, are highly and attract attention with incessant kis- thought of as an iconic species of the America and were cherished adaptable and may be found through- ka-dee calls. Despite their small range in desert Southwest—are found through- throughout Texas’ history. Be- out the state near water. They usually the United States, this is one of the most out Texas, and it is expanding its range cause of its sky blue feathers, the appear blue-gray overall with a black widespread flycatchers in the Western north and eastward. They are aptly Navajo Indians considered this stripe over the eye. An all-white sub- Hemisphere. It is among the specialties named for their ability to run and walk. bird sacred. species can be found on the Gulf Coast. found in South Texas. Its prey includes bats, birds, and insects. NORTHERN BOBWHITE and NORTHERN CARDINAL is found NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD is the state NORTHERN PINTAIL is one of many scaled or “blue” quail are the throughout Texas. Legend has it the bird of Texas. Mockingbirds are one of duck species found in Texas during the most common species in Texas. brightly colored male inspired the the most commonly noticed birds in the winter. This elegant duck can be seen Texas is one of only four states name for this bird, reminding people state. Their varied, melodious song is in agricultural fields, coastal bays, and that can boast of having four of the red-robed cardinals in the repeated two to six times.