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Home , Badger, Big Thicket, Coati, Davis Mountains, Eastern spotted skunk, Ferret

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Marsupials (1) Insectivores (5) – shrews and moles (30) (28) Seals (1) – Caribbean - extinct (63) (5) Hoofed Mammals (8) Armadillos (1) (1) – West Indian – extant – 1986 stranding – Federally endangered Whales and Dolphins (14) – bottlenose dolphin most common – most only infrequently seen in Texas coastal waters Accidental Mammals

Hairy legged vampire (Diphylla ecaudata), one female taken May 24, 1967 from an abandoned railroad tunnel 19 km west of Comstock, Val Verde County Little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) one specimen Fort Hancock, Hudspeth County Northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) one specimen Winterhaven, Dimmitt County Mammals Unique to Texas

Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys elator — STATUS: State Threatened

Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys compactus —STATUS: Not well known. THREATS: development on Mustand and Padre Islands. NEEDS: monitoring

Attwater’s Pocket attwateri —STATUS: locally common THREATS: hybridization, fire ants

Texas Pocket Gopher Geomys personatus —STATUS: Good

Llano Pocket Gopher Geomys texensis — STATUS: Locally abundant THREATS: Limited range

Streckers Pocket Gopher Geomys streckeri –STATUS: Unknown Threats: limited range NEED: documentation of full range. – Didelphimorphia Common across Texas – excepting dry areas in Trans- Pecos Armadillo Order Insectivora - Shrews and Moles Southern Short-tailed Shrew, Eastern one-fourth of Texas; venomous; highly reproductive; few survive 2 years: Current study by Baptist University, Marshall Elliot’s Short-tailed Shrew, Aransas, Montague, and Bastrop Counties; slightly venomous Least Shrew, eastern and central portions, west in the Panhandle to New ; inhabitant of ; entirely matter Desert Shrew, western 2/3 of Texas; do not construct or make use of underground burrows; eat larval stage of Eastern , south, east, central, and panhandle restricted in their distribution by the nature of the Bats- Order Chiroptera

30 bat – ex. , yuma bat, cave bat, Mexican free-tailed etc. 15 of 33 species Tracked in TXBCD Federally Endangered – Mexican long-nosed bat only known from 3 species state threatened State Threatened Bats

Southern yellow bat Status: state threatened Threats: Limited distribution and Palm trees required roost sites Common around Brownsville found up to Corpus Christi State Threatened Bats Status: State Threatened Widely distributed in western Known from Big Bend National Park USFWS: Need Knowledge prior to any categorization of status State Threatened Bats

Rafinesque’s big- eared bat Status: State Threatened Threats: Degradation of habitat from commercial logging and general lack of knowledge State Threatened Bats

Southern yellow bat Spotted bat - Rafinesque’s big- eared bat Rodents 19 of 69 species tracked in TXBCD 3 State Threatened Tracked Species Primarily Pocket (12) – Geomys Desert, Davis, Jones, Texas, Maritime, Carrizo Springs, Frio, and Llano – Thomomys – Guadalupe southern, Limpia southern, and Limpia Creek Rodents Prairie vole – Uncommon – 2 counties Lipscomb and Hansford – Recently reported by biologist Jim Ray from Pantax Complex Presidio mole – of common mole – Presidio County 1887 – northern Coahuila 1951 Gray footed chipmunk – Status good in GMNP – high elevations Sierra Diablo and – Guadalupe Mtns Yellow nosed cotton rat – Thought rare and in need of listing – Recent evidence indicates abundant in range in Trans Pecos Prairie – Former Candidate for listing as federally threatened. – 97 counties historically 86 currently – TPWD survey 170,000 acres – Goal is 293,000 acres – continue to reach that goal State Threatened Rodents

Texas Kangaroo rat Status: State Threatened Threats: Restricted range appears heavily grazed and eroded sites optimal Needs: USFWS more information State Threatened Rodents

Palo Duro (Peromyscus truei comanche) Status: State Threatened Threats: Restricted range () Competition from other species State Threatened Rodents

Coues Rice Rat Status: State Threatened Threats: Restricted range coastal grasslands and loss of habitat Needs: habitat protection especially resacas Common Mexico to Pocket Gophers

9 Species now 12 – Llano pocket gopher (G. texensis) – Attwater's pocket gopher (G. Attwateri) – Others include Botta’s, desert, Baird’s, plains Jones, Texas, and yellow faced Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher Rabbits – Order

Swamp – eastern third of Texas Eastern cottontail - eastern three-fourths of the state and in some areas of the Trans-Pecos Davis Mountains cottontail - Occupies upland habitats in the western one-half of the state. Status: Tracked TXBCD Not listed – Guadalupe and Chisos Mountain populations severely reduced with no specimens 30 years – Texas Tech study Davis Mountain population remains healthy

Black-tailed jackrabbit – absent only from the Big Thicket area Hoofed Mammals

Javelina Status: Declining? - Formerly present only in the now introduced species Status: Declining Bison Status: Captive herd Feral Hog White-tailed and Mule White tailed deer statewide Status: Declining Carnivores – Order - – records of 6 species – 4 species endangered – only known from one historical occurrence - extant – - extant - and – 6 species – 2 Red and gray wolf – extant – , – 3 species – state threatened Ursidae – – Historically 4 subspecies black : Currently 2 – Grizzly bear extant – , , – 11 species including 6 species – Black-footed – extant Carnivores – Order Carnivora Felidae - cats – records of 6 species – 4 species endangered – Margay only known from one historical occurrence - extirpated – Jaguar - extirpated Canidae - wolves and foxes – 6 species – 2 and gray wolf – extirpated – Swift former candidate for listing Procyonidae – raccoons, coatis – 3 species – Coati state threatened Ursidae – Bears – Historically 4 subspecies black bear: Currently 2 – Grizzly bear extirpated Mustelidae – weasels, skunks, otters – 11 species including 5 species skunk – Black-footed ferret – extirpated

Status: Federally endangered Laguna Atascosa NWR and population in northern Willacy County Threats: Restricted range small population size, habitat loss Needs: Habitat restoration and protection, culverts Ongoing research: Ocelot PVA, camera trapping, , GPS collars at LANWR

Status: Federally endangered Extreme southern Texas in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties Last confirmed report 1986 road kill Issues – loss of habitat, thought extirpated White-nosed Coati

Status: State threatened Texas, NM, AZ is northern edge of range widespread in Mexico Threats: Habitat loss riparian woodland Needs: Life history, abundance, general ecology and management Status of Black Bear in Texas

John Young and Dave Holdermann, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Wildlife Division, Wildlife Diversity Branch Bears at Our Borders

Bears in Coahuila Mexico Serranias del Burro Litter size 2-4 cubs/female Estimated cub survival 81%, adult survival 88- 94% Linkage along mountain range Source population for recolonization Mid 1990’s breeding population established Not restricted phenomena 1993-1997 15 bear sightings in east Texas TPWD Habitat Suitability Study Sulphur River Bottom HIS 0.76 Middle HIS 0.89 Lower Neches River HIS 0.79 Big Thicket HIS 0.73 •24 confirmed sightings

•67% sightings since 1990

•70% in Northeastern Counties

•Where are bears coming from Panhandle Sightings

21 Sightings 6 confirmed Dallam, Carson, Hartley, Oldham, Potter Counties 2 mortalities – Dallam Carson – east of Amarillo ISSUES

Highways Depredation Conflicts – female bear and two cubs killed 14 angora goats and one sheep – Damage to remote camps – Destruction of feed

Illegal/Accidental kills – – 2002 Val Verde Co. shot 170-pound sow in self- defense two cubs orphaned – Electrocution

Landowner and public attitudes and actions Biological Issues

Females share range limiting dispersal Suitable habitat separated by Continued habitat loss and fragmentation – 17,045,000 in 1990 – 20,851,520 in 2000 – projected 27,183,000 by 2025. east Texas lack of breeding females Crider (In Press) documented cub survival in Serranias del Burro dropped to 20% in drought years Addressing Issues

University of Michigan – East Texas Landowner Attitude Survey Texas Tech – GIS study identify, characterize and map potential habitat, and construct a predictive model of Trans Pecos Population Texas Tech – Landowner Attitude Survey East Texas Black Bear Working Group – East Texas Black Bear Management Plan Published in Outdoor Annual Black Bears are state Threatened species Furbearing Mammals of Texas CITES Listed

Bobcat and River – Neither species endangered in the US – Listed because they look like other endangered cats and otters of the world – TPW Regional Offices also have tags along with some taxidermists CITES tag must be acquired and attached for sale/or movement out of state regardless of commercially or recreationally harvested River Otter

TPW surveys 23 counties every 3 years to track population Population stable to expanding Recent otter taken in San Saba County Issues – highways, habitat loss

Avg. 35 lbs up to 50lbs Tail 6 – 12 inches Spotting heavy in some light in others Distributed across Texas – density varies Populations stable to expanding eastern one-half of state westward to northern Panhandle in habitats near permanent water Reduced harvest in recent years suspect increased population Long-tailed

Little known about population Low economic importance Eastern, southern, western Texas Swift or Smallest of foxes found in western third of state live in the open desert or grasslands and adapted to pasture, plowed fields, and fencerows Recently removed from Candidate list for endangered Issues – depredation by , rangeland conversion

Introduced for sport found east, central and central Trans- Pecos Not common mixed woodland uplands interspersed with farms and pastures

Distributed statewide common in wooded sections east of the Shortgrass plains and in the pinyon-juniper community above desert Populations stable to expanding Beaver

Increasing number of nuisance complaints Populations expanding Eastern, south and Skunks – Status: declining; reasons unclear – Needs: monitoring Western – Status: declining? – Threat: loss of prairie habitat – Ongoing research: ecology of striped skunks Angelo State Univ. – Status: once common now rare some areas and declining – Threats: insecticides Skunks

Hog nosed skunk: 2 subspecies: common and eastern Status:– eastern subspecies extirpated; – Plains extirpated? – Hill country remain common Needs: ecology, behavior, management recommendations and Ringtail

Raccoon found throughout state Ringtail throughout Texas excepting extreme south Texas Ringtail population status unknown Raccoon stable and increasing American Status: locally abundant Possible eastward range expansion Threats: from development Needs: management recommendations and continued monitoring Ongoing research: IAFWA best management trapping practices; possible study on badger genetics Angelo State Univ. Non-game animal but most important economic furbearer Coyote abundant in suburban areas red and blond coyotes were mistakenly identified as coy because their coats were not of the more common tri-color pelage Predation on cats and dogs – missing/partially eaten – coyote, hawk, owl – Pet ripped apart – domestic dog ? WOLVES

Coyote

Gray Wolf formerly ranged over the western two-thirds of the state last authenticated reports of gray wolves in Texas were 2 in 1970 Brewster County Gray wolf collared in Michigan killed in Missouri in 2001 Red Wolf eastern half of Texas are now extirpated from Texas Coyote for comparison Texas provided breeding stock for captive program One wild population South Carolina Mexican Wolf – Lobo Wolf smallest of the wolves in North America. 60 to 90 pounds 4 to 5 feet length Wolf-dog wolf-dog hybrids are poorly adapted as and are difficult to train Hybrids are frequently destructive, attack people and domestic animals, and are generally too wary of people to be effective guard animals. Some problem or unmanageable hybrids have been intentionally released into the wild in Michigan – no evidence of this in Texas. wolf-dog hybrid ownership is prohibited in nine states, restricted in 17 states, and requires a special permit in three others, Milwaukee Journal (1992) reported that there are an estimated 300,000 to 1,500,000 wolf-dog hybrids in private possession Mountain

Non-game animal Open season Occurs throughout state – Most mortalities occur in south Texas and the Trans Pecos Population Status – Reported mortalities steady since 1985 – between 114 and 180 TPW does not relocate mountain lion Mountain Lion Sign

Reporting a Mountain Lion Sighting/Road kill Report sightings – utilize sightings, hunter or trapper reported mortality, and confirmed road kills to track population – sightings form John Young (512)912-7047 Mountain Lion or ???

Description – reddish brown to tawny Tip of nose to tail males in excess of 7 feet Males 100 to 150 lbs Females 55-90 lbs Immature have light to heavy spotting When its NOT a – Black in color no matter what grandpa says – Multiple cats seen at once ―They jumped over my fence‖ MYTHICAL BLACK PANTHER

Does not occur in Texas rare black phase of the spotted ( pardus) in , Asia, and jaguar (Panthera onca), from northern Mexico through much of Despite numerous reports of black panthers, a black specimen or skin has never seen the light of day in Texas or anywhere else in North America biologists will remain highly skeptical of black mountain lion reports until an actual skin or specimen lands on someone’s desk Exotic Cats

Serval -"'Pet' Tiger Kills 3- year-old Boy in Texas." Austin American- Statesman 12 October 2001 JUNGLE HYBRIDS/CHAUSIES BENGAL CATS, a.k.a. Asian Leopard Hybrids. Pixie-bob – bobcat house cat cross These cats do not require any special permits and can be shipped to any air port in the U.S Resources

Wildlife Fact Sheets TPWD www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/wild/mammals/pduromouse.htm Texas Mammals Online http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/Default.htm Mammals of Texas – 4th edition by Schmidly Internet Hoaxes