Mammalogy El Camino Real Master Naturalist Training { John M. Tomeček What is a Mammal?
11 Major Characteristics: Hair Integument Teeth Movable Eyelids, External Fleshy Ears Four Limbs Four-Chambered Heart Respiration with lungs, larynx, and muscular diaphragm. Highly developed Brain Endothermic and Homeothermic Internal Fertilization and Development of Eggs Mammary Glands Three Major Groups:
Monotremes Marsupials Placentals Monotremata
Lay Eggs Mammary Glands, but no teats Special Hairs 3 living species-All in Australia and New Zealand Marsupials Bear Live Young Mammary Glands and Teats Pouch called “Marsupium”, poorly developed offspring leave cloaca and crawl to pouch. Limits adaptations for forelimbs. Why? How does this benefit survival? Most in Australia, some in North America Why? Where there more in the Americas?
Placentals
Most mammals we are familiar with. Mammary Glands and Teats Bear fully developed live young. Widest evolutional diversity of species. What are the survival advantages? Great American Interchange
3 Million Years Ago Isthmus of Panama finally became connected Familiar Species with know came to N. America! Birds, Freshwater Fish, Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians. Lasted long enough for slow-dispersal species to migrate.
Mammal Skulls Teeth
Four Types Incisors Canines Premolars Molars “I-C-P-M” Homodont vs. Heterodont Dentition “Peg-Like Teeth” Texas Mammals
Marsupials (1) Insectivores (5)- Shrews, Moles Bats (30) Carnivores (28) Seals (1) Rodents (63) Rabbits (5) Hoofed Mammals (8) Armadillos (1) Manatees (1) Whales and Dolphins (14) Accidental Mammals
Hairy legged vampire bat -One Specimen taken in May 1967 an abandoned railroad tunnel near Comstock, Val Verde County. Little brown myotis- One Specimen near Fort Hancock, Hudspeth County Northern myotis- One Specimen near Winterhaven, Dimmit Co.
Our Unique Texas Mammals
Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys elator)- STATUS-State Threatened Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys compactus)- STATUS: Not well known. THREATS-development on Mustang and Padre Islands. Attwater’s Pocket Gopher (Geomys attwateri)- STATUS-locally common. Threatened by fireants and hybridization. Texas Pocket Gopher (Geomys personatus) STATUS: Good Llano Pocket Gopher (Geomys texensis)-STATUS: Locally abundant, threatened by limited range. Strecker’s Pocket Gopher (Geomys streckeri)- STATUS: Unkwnown. Threatened by limited range, and full range unknown. Order Insectivora
Southern Short-tailed Shrew: Eastern one-fourth of Texas; venomous; highly reproductive; few survive 2 years. Elliot’s Short-tailed Shrew: Aransas, Montague, and Bastrop Counties; slightly venomous Least Shrew: Eastern and Central Portions of Texas, West in Panhandle to NM; inhabit grasslands and consume only animal matter. Desert Shrew: Western 2/3 of Texas, do not use underground burrows; eat larval stage of insects Eastern Mole: South, East, Central, and Panhandle. Nature of Soil restricts their distribution. Order Chiroptera
30 Species in Texas One species- Mexican long-nosed bat-is only known from Big Bend National Park. 3 Species Threatened Order Chiroptera
Only true flying mammals Amazing Adaptations for Flight and Locations of prey. 2nd most number of species of all mammals (around 925) Consume wide variety of food items, from fruits, pollen, meat, fish, and blood. As a result lots of specially adaptated mouths, tongues, and limbs.
State Threatened Bats
Southern Yellow Bat: Status: State Threatened Threats: Limited Distribution, Limited Roost Sites (Palm Trees) Common in Cameron County, present to Corpus Christi along coast State Threatened Bats Rafinesque’s big-eared Bat Status: State Threatened Occurs: Eastern Portions of the state, notably pine forests. Threats: Habitat Degredation: Commercial logging and lack of species understanding State Threatened Bats Spotted Bat Statsu: State Threatened Occurs across N. American Known in Texas from Big Bend National Park
Order Rodentia
69 Species in Texas 3 State Threatened Species Order Rodentia
By far the most speciose order of mammals. Range in size from small mice, barely weighing half an ounce, to Capybara which weigh over 140 pounds. Inhabit all areas of the globe. Single pair of incisors followed by a gap (diastema) before other teeth. Incisors are self-sharpening. Texas Rodents-Common and Uncommon
White-footed Mouth Hispid Cotton Mouse Prairie Vole: Uncommon, only in Lipscomb and Hansford Counties Presidio Mole Gray-footed Chipmunk Prairie Dog-An ongoing success story Texas Pocket Gophers
12 Species, formerly 9! Why?
Order Lagomorpha
Hares, Pikas, Rabbits Native to all continents but Australia and Antarctica---but now many in Australia Two Incisors-An easy way to separate from rodents Testes in males located in front of penis-as in marsupials Texas Lagomorphs
Swamp Rabbit-Eastern 1/3 of Texas Eastern Cottontail- Eastern ¾ of Texas Davis Mountains Cottontail-Uplands in Wester ½ of State Black-tailed Jackrabbit- All areas except the Big Thicket Orders Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla- The Hoofed Mammals
Artiodacyla includes deer, camels, pigs, javelina, etc. “Even-toed Ungulates” Cannon Bones Perissodactyla-Horses, Donkeys, Zebras, Rhinos “Odd-toed Ungulates” Why the heck am I mentioning things that aren’t Texan? Texas Hoofed Mammals
Pronghorn Antelope Javelina Elk Bison
Feral Hogs
White-Tailed Deer
Texas’ Original Wildlife Restoration Success Story Mule Deer Order Carnivora
Consume other food items than meat, but large part of diet is meat. Specialized tooth combination: the carnassial pair. The fourth upper premolar and first lower molar. Skulls, Bodies Diverse Also aquatic carnivores: Seals, sea lions, and walrus. Order Carnivora in Texas
Felidae: Cats, 6 Species in Texas Margay only known from one historical record Jaguar extirpated Canidae: Wolves, Coyotes, Foxes, 6 Species in Texas Procyonidae: Raccoons and Coatis, 3 Species Ursidae: Bears Historically Grizzly and Black Bears, now Grizzly extirpated Mustelidae: Weasels, Skunks, Otters 11 Speices-6 of which are skunks
Ocelot
Status: Federally Endangered Extant Populations: Laguna Atascosa NWA and northern Willacy County Threatened by loss of range and habitat and small population size. Jaguarundi
Status: Federally Endangered Range: Far South Texas: Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy Counties Last known report in 1986. Thought to be extirpated, but not confirmed Coati
State Threatened Why? Loss of riparian woodland Very little is known about their life histories and ecology in our region. Black Bears in Texas
Three Areas: East Texas Panhandle West/South Texas
Is there any hope for bear recolonization? TPWD East Texas Habitat Suitability Sightings in East Texas! Where the heck from? Bears from Mexico. Panhandle Bears?
Will the West Texas and East Texas Populations meet in Central Texas/ Human-Bear Conflicts
Livestock Concerns Highway Concerns Landowner Attitudes Bear Season in TX until 1986 Encroachment of Urban Spaces
What can we do to help address everyone’s concerns? Furbearers of Texas Some things to know:
Many furbearers are not endangered, but special tags must be acquired from TPWD for their take and transport. Why? River Otter
Populations in Texas recovering from previous lows. Why did they decline? Species widely distributed from Texas to Canada Otter face issues from habitat loss, highways, dams, and human conflicts. Bobcat
Widely distributed across Texas in all ecoregions. Range 35-50 Lbs on average. Tail usually 6-12 in long. Individual Spot Patterns. Populations seem stable. Mink
Water-dwelling. Eastern ½ of Texas to North Panhandle Long-tailed weasel
Little known about this mammal. Very little significance as furbearer. Inhabits Eastern, Southern, and Western Texas. Foxes of Texas Swift Fox (Kit Fox)
Inhabit Western ½ of Texas Smallest of Foxes (4-6 lbs) Natural habitat is grasslands, deserts. Have adapted to pastures, rangeland, and fields. They tend to inhabit areas with sandy soils to dig dens. Currently threatened by habitat loss. Red Fox
Introduced to Texas in 1895 for hunting. Expanded rapidly to occupy possible habitats. Occurs in all but far West Texas. Grey Fox
Statewide Distribution Native species of Fox Only canid that can climb trees! Populations seem stable to expanding, but much room for expansion of research. Beaver
Populations growing and growing. Recovered from lows last century. Populations centered around non-flowing water in Eastern, South, and Central Texas. Are they rodents? Yes!
Skunks of Texas
Hooded Skunk Western Spotted Skunk Eastern Spotted Skunk
All three in decline, but unclear why. Several studies ongoing. Habitat decline likely the key.
Hog nosed skunk: 2 subspecies, 1 extirpated, 1 still common. Research needs are great for information on ecology, behavior, and management recommendations Ringtails and Raccoons
Both found throughout state, except ringtail in extreme South Texas. Raccoon Population Stable. Ringtail Populations Unknown.
Is it a cat? Nope, they are both members of the raccoon family. American Badger
Inhabits all but Deep East Texas, but fairly uncommon in most of central Texas. Does not tolerate habitat fragmentation and modification well. Extremely territorial, burrowing animal. Abundant where present. Coyotes and Wolves
Gray Wolves in Texas
Formerly inhabited Western 2/3 of State. Last authenticated report in Brewster County in 1970. Red Wolves
Once abundant throughout SE US, especially forests, swamps, and coastal prairies. Recent studies suggest it may have been a hybrid species of grey wolf and coyote. Though extirpated in Texas, a wild population exists in North Carolina. Recognizing Mammal Sign
Tracks Scat Hair Other Sign Tracks Scat Hair Other Sign How do Wildlife Biologists Study Mammals?
Estimating/Surveying Populations Capture Techniques Why survey?
Why do we need to estimate population size? Why should the average citizen care? Who does it? Census vs. Survey vs. Index How do we figure it all out? Mark/Recapture.
What does it mean? How popular is it? How do you do it? Tags Collars GPS Radio Telemetry Remote Cameras Other Sampling Methods
Distance Sampling What is it? Who uses it? How does it work? Capturing Mammals
Live Capture? Live Traps. “Virtual Capture” with Cameras Leg-hold Traps Body Traps Enfenced Areas. Lethal Capture Snares Crush-type traps. Why use these? Who? Melanism.
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