Endangered and Threatened Animals of Texas Endangered and Threatened Animals of Texas Their Life History and Management by Linda Campbell
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Endangered and Threatened Animals of Texas Endangered and Threatened Animals of Texas Their Life History and Management by Linda Campbell Wildlife Division 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 Revised and approved by USFWS 2003 Endangered and Threatened Animals of Texas Their Life History and Management Species Accounts Mammals Mexican Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) . 1-3 Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) . 1-3 Management Guidelines for the Black-footed Ferret . 1-2 Jaguarundi (Felis yagouaroundi cacomitli) . 1-2 Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) . 1-3 Mangagement Guidelines for the Jaguarundi and Ocelot . 1 Louisiana Black Bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) . 1-3 Birds Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) . 1-4 Management Guidelines for the Golden-cheeked Warbler in Rural Landscapes . 1-5 Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus) . 1-4 Management Guidelines for Black-capped Vireo . 1-4 Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) . 1-6 Management Guidelines for Red-cockaded Woodpecker . 1 Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) . 1-3 Management Guidelines for Attwater’s Prairie Chicken . 1-2 Whooping Crane (Grus americana) . 1-6 Eastern Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis occidentalis) . 1-3 Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) . 1-3 Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) . 1-4 Interior Least Tern (Sterna antillarum athalassos) . 1-4 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) . 1-4 Habitat Management Guidelines for Bald Eagles in Texas . 1-2 Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) . 1-4 Northern Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) . 1-5 Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) . 1-2 Reptiles Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) . 1-4 Concho Water Snake (Nerodia paucimaculata) . 1-4 Amphibians and Fish Edwards Aquifer Species: . 1-6 San Marcos Salamander (Eurycea nana) Texas Blind Salamander (Typhlomolge rathbuni) San Marcos Gambusia (Gambusia georgei) Fountain Darter (Etheostoma fonticola) Peck’s Cave Amphipod (Stygobromus pecki) Comal Springs Riffle Beetle (Heterelmis comalensis) Comal Springs Dryopid Beetle (Stygoparnus comalensis) Management Guidelines for Endangered and Threatened Species of the Edwards Aquifer . 1-2 Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum) . 1-2 Houston Toad (Bufo houstonensis) . 1-3 Management Guidelines for the Houston Toad . 1-2 Clear Creek Gambusia (Gambusia heterochir) . 1-2 Desert Spring Fishes: . 1-5 Comanche Springs Pupfish (Cyprinodon elegans) Leon Springs Pupfish (Cyprinodon bovinus) Pecos Gambusia (Gambusia nobilis) Big Bend Gambusia (Gambusia gaigei) Invertebrates Karst Invertebrates: . 1-3 Bee Creek Cave Harvestman (Texella reddelli) Bone Cave Harvestman (Texella reyesi) Tooth Cave Pseudoscorpion (Tartarocreagris texana) Tooth Cave Spider (Neoleptoneta myopica) Tooth Cave Ground Beetle (Rhadine persephone) Kretschmarr Cave Mold Beetle (Texamaurops reddelli) Coffin Cave Mold Beetle (Batrisodes texanus) Management Guidelines for Karst Invertebrates . 1-2 Appendix 1: The Endangered Species Process . .125-126 Appendix 2: State Listed Endangered and Threatened Species . .127-129 Mexican Long-nosed Bat Scientific Name: Leptonycteris nivalis Federal Status: Endangered, 9/30/88 • State Status: Endangered Description creosotebush-cactus (1800-3500 ft.), The feeding ecology of the The Mexican Long-nosed Bat is a deciduous woodland (3700-7800 ft.), Mexican Long-nosed Bat is of great relatively large bat compared with pinyon-juniper-oak woodland (3700- importance in understanding its life most U.S. bat species. It measures 7800 ft.), and cypress-pine-oak history and recent decline. These about 2.75 to 3.75 inches in total (5800-7200 ft.). bats are nectar feeders, emerging at length, can be dark gray to “sooty” For day roosting sites, Mexican night to feed on the showy flowers of brown in color, and has a long Long-nosed Bats depend on cool plants such as agave or century muzzle with a prominent nose leaf at caves, crevices, abandoned mines, plants (Agave spp.). They are very the tip. Its long tongue, an adapta- tunnels, and old buildings. These strong, highly maneuverable fliers, tion for feeding on flower nectar, highly colonial bats are frequently and like hummingbirds, are able to can be extended up to 3 inches and found near the entrances of caves hover in flight while they feed. A has hair-like papillae on its tip. It and other roosts, in the twilight mutual relationship exists, with the has a minute tail that may appear to zones. The bats often occupy the bats depending on the plants for be lacking. same roosts from year to year. food, and the plants benefiting from Throughout their range, thousands of the bats as pollinators. individuals may roost together at a Agaves flower by sending up a single site, although the number of green stalk supporting numerous caves with large aggregations is less flower clusters that produce large common today than in the past. quantities of nectar each night. In addition to consuming the nectar, the Life History bats also ingest pollen, picked up Although movement patterns are not inadvertently on their fur as they well known, Mexican Long-nosed Bats feed and later ingested during groom- are thought to move from central ing. The pollen provides vitamins Mexico into northern Mexico each year, with part of the population crossing the border into Texas and New Mexico. The colony of bats at Big Bend occupies their northern roosts from June through August, after which they move south to winter in central Mexico. Mexican Long-nosed Bat The young are © Merlin D. Tuttle born in Mexico during April, May and early June, Distribution then move northward with and Habitat their mothers. Females are The Mexican Long-nosed Bat has been believed to give birth to one or found in southwestern New Mexico, perhaps two young each year. the Big Bend area of Texas, the Although not documented for the Chinati Mountains of Presidio Mexican Long-nosed Bat, mothers of County, Texas and southward to other bat species recognize their own central Mexico. The species was first young by a combination of smell and discovered in the United States in distress cries made by their offspring. 1937 in a cave in the Chisos Moun- Young bats nurse for about one and minerals and is rich in protein. tains of Big Bend National Park. In month and are generally capable of Agave nectar is at least 17-22% sugar Texas and northern Mexico, at the flying by five weeks of age. Few and the pollen is about 50% protein. northern part of their range, these adult males have been recorded in The Mexican Long-nosed Bat and a bats are found in desert scrub vegeta- Texas and northern Mexico suggest- similar species, the Lesser Long-nosed tion dotted with century plants ing that males and females may segre- Bat (Leptonycteris curasoae), are the (agaves), mesquite, creosotebush, and gate geographically, with males rarely main pollinators of several agave a variety of cacti. In Big Bend appearing in the most northerly part species, including Agave angustifolia National Park, long-nosed bats are of the species’ range. From late Octo- (mezcal plant), A. salmiana (pulque associated with five distinct vegeta- ber to December, adult males and plant), and A. tequilana (tequila tion types at various elevations. females congregate in a cave near plant). The Mexican Long-nosed Bat These include the arroyo-mesquite- Cuernavaca, Morelos (central Mexico) acacia (1800-4000 ft.), lechuguilla- to copulate. Mexican Long-nosed Bat 1 prefers higher and cooler places in ulation of 10,000 Mexican Long-nosed Agave plants are harvested just parts of New Mexico, Texas, and Bats in 1938, had no sign of the before they bloom by removing the Mexico; whereas, the Lesser Long- species in 1983. Another mine in “cabeza” or carbohydrate-rich meris- nosed Bat generally inhabits lower Nuevo Leon had a ceiling covered tem (actively growing tissue) and leaf elevations in New Mexico, Arizona, with newborn bats in 1967, but only base at the center of the plants. When Mexico, and parts of Central and one bat was found in 1983. Consid- agaves are harvested, not only are South America. In some areas, the ering this information, the U.S. Fish they removed from the bats’ present two species are found together. and Wildlife Service added this bat, food supply, but future generations of Mexican Long-nosed Bats, with along with its close relative the Lesser agave plants also are eliminated. This their long muzzles and tongues, are Long-nosed Bat, to the list of endan- is especially critical, since a single well adapted to feeding on nectar and gered species in 1988. plant grows for 10 to 20 years and protein-rich pollen. Adapted for spe- The reasons for these population cialized feeding, they migrate to follow declines are not entirely understood, the bloom periods of a number of but are thought to be associated with agave and cacti species. In Big Bend loss of roosting sites and food National Park, agaves begin blooming sources. Food resources are lost by in mid-May at lower elevations and both land use change and wild agave early June at higher altitudes. The bats harvesting. Colonial roosting species, arrive in Texas about one month after such as many bats, are particularly flowering of agaves has begun. After vulnerable to disturbance and spending most of the summer in Big destruction of roosting habitat, since Bend, they leave the United States in this can result in the displacement of late summer or early fall as the agaves large numbers of animals at one time. go out of bloom. They follow later- Just a few roost sites are known for blooming agaves southward through this species that provide the proper Mexico. By November, they are several roosting environment including tem- hundred miles into Mexico, where they perature and humidity. While the feed on the blooms of subtropical trees roost site in the United States is pro- and cacti. They spend the winter in tected within Big Bend National Park, the lush Central Valley of Mexico, feed- the bats spend most of the year in ing on a large variety of flowers.