My Lifelong Dream Came True at South Padre’s Sea Turtle Inc.
Texas Country Reporter paid a visit to the world-class wildlife preservation center, where a rehabilitated Kemp’s ridley turtle made a return to the sea.
Critters
Stories and updates on some of the state’s many animals
Critters
May 18, 2022
A South Texan’s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
When she began her year-long bird-spotting adventure, Tiffany Kersten was lost and lonely. She ended up achieving a major milestone—and finding her way.
Critters
May 18, 2022
Twelve of Texas’s Most Stunning Birds
The elusive bat falcon, the raucous chachalaca, and the luminous violet-crowned hummingbird belong on your life list.
Critters
May 16, 2022
It’s Easy to Buy a Snake in Texas. Maybe Too Easy.
Almost anyone can walk out of an exotic reptile and pet show with a snake, scorpion, or tarantula. But should you?
Critters
May 10, 2022
Jellyfish in the Gulf Are as Mysterious as They Are Painful
These translucent, stinging creatures are full of secrets.
Critters
May 10, 2022
Five Texas Jellyfish—and Relatives—to Know
Brush up on (but not against!) these five gelata common to the Gulf of Mexico.
Critters
April 13, 2022
Go Wild at These Seven Stellar Texas Animal Sanctuaries
Listen to wolves howl, rub a hog's belly, or learn to bottle-feed a baby skunk.
Critters
April 7, 2022
Texans, Meet Your Adorable, Bloodthirsty New Neighbors
Given the choice between an influx of vampire bats and an influx of tech bros in Patagonia vests . . .
Critters
April 1, 2022
Apocalyptic, Acid-Spewing Crazy Ants Invaded Texas. Now Scientists Have a “Silver Bullet” to Obliterate Them.
Even nastier than fire ants, the insects disable electronics and swarm over people and animals. UT researchers have found a pathogen that destroys them.
Critters
March 10, 2022
Why Do Abandoned Peacocks Keep Appearing in an Austin Park?
Just before the start of mating season, someone dropped off three peacocks at the Austin park. The flock has been on edge ever since.
Critters
February 23, 2022
Meet the Texas Woman Who Punched a Shark in the Face
Conroe native Heather West was snorkeling near the Florida Keys when she fought off a six-foot lemon shark.
Critters
February 22, 2022
How the Turtle Lady of South Padre Helped Save the Kemp’s Ridley
Ila Loetscher took costumed turtles on late-night TV and founded a nonprofit that has rescued thousands of the creatures.
Critters
February 8, 2022
California Has a Feral Hog Problem. We Have Some Suggestions.
You need a (Sid Miller–type) hero.
Critters
January 27, 2022
The Spider Lady of East Texas Aims to Ease Your Black Widow Fears
Nacogdoches researcher Ashley Wahlberg, whose arachnid collection is nightmare fodder for many, says spiders help us more than they hurt us.
Critters
January 26, 2022
Why Scientists Keep Discovering Strange New Wasps on the Rice University Campus
The newest species is named after the grad student pub Valhalla, on whose grounds it was found.
Best Thing In Texas
January 10, 2022
A Rio Grande Valley Woman Just Broke the U.S. Record for Most Birds Spotted in a Year
Tiffany Kersten saw 726 species in 48 states, setting a new record for the mind-boggling achievement birders call a Big Year.
Best Thing In Texas
December 17, 2021
Diego the San Marcos Tortoise Comes Home After 38 Days on the Lam
This is a reunion we all can shellebrate.
Critters
December 15, 2021
In Search of the Jaguarundi
Every year, dozens of Texans report sightings of this elusive cat. But scientists are increasingly skeptical that it’s here at all.
Critters
December 7, 2021
Texas Intensifies Its Fight Against “Zombie Deer Disease”
But many breeders say the new regulations go too far.
Critters
November 29, 2021
At a Camel Conference in the Hill Country, Cameleers Swap Tips (and Watch Out for Slime)
Need help saddling your 1,300-pound dromedary? The Southwest Camel Conference is the place to be.
The Texanist
November 4, 2021
The Texanist: Where Did All These Bright Green Parrots Come From?
A longtime San Antonio resident is thrilled—but puzzled—by the presence of monk parakeets in her hometown.
Critters
November 2, 2021
Monarch Butterflies Are Migrating Across Texas. Here’s How to Raise Your Own.
You’ll need the right kind of milkweed and plenty of patience.
Critters
October 25, 2021
River Otters Are on the Rise in Texas
The elusive, playful creature is even popping up in downtown Houston.
Critters
October 21, 2021
Squirrels Gone Wild!
Why the fluffy-tailed rodents are making Texans nutty this year.
Critters
October 1, 2021
Goodbye to a Ghost: East Texas’s Ivory-billed Woodpecker Is Now Officially Extinct
So is a little fish that swam along the San Marcos River.
Business
September 13, 2021
This Texan Aims to Resurrect the Woolly Mammoth to Save the Planet
Ben Lamm’s latest company, Colossal, hopes to reverse climate change by reintroducing the long-extinct creature to the Arctic. What could go wrong?
Critters
August 25, 2021
The Ugly Ducklings: Ten Lesser-Known Texas Endangered and At-Risk Species
These humble creatures don’t have the star power of ocelots and whooping cranes, but they’re just as crucial to their ecosystems.
News
August 25, 2021
If a Mountain Lion Didn’t Kill Christopher Whiteley, What or Who Did?
The sheriff blames his death on a big cat—but animal experts aren’t buying that theory.
Critters
August 12, 2021
How Texas Wildlife Crossings Are Saving Lives and Money
From South Texas’s simple ocelot culverts to San Antonio’s pioneering land bridge, these passageways can reduce car accidents and help animals thrive.
Critters
July 28, 2021
Do Not Fear the “Land Lobster From Hell” Skittering Across West Texas
Yes, it has fearsome pincers and shoots acid when threatened. But it’s essentially harmless!
Critters
July 13, 2021
The Pandemic Pups Are Not All Right
As dog owners return to offices, pets are struggling with separation anxiety. We asked Texas dog trainers for their best advice.
State of Mind
July 7, 2021
State of Mind, Episode 4: Life, in Dog Years
Mimi Swartz remembers her days caring for her father, and the dogs who took care of them both.
The Texanist
July 6, 2021
The Texanist: Am I the Only Person Seeing a Lot More Bugs This Summer?
A very wet spring has a San Antonio woman looking for some relief from an arthropod invasion.
Critters
June 9, 2021
Red Wolves Are on the Brink of Extinction, but a Texas Breeding Program May Help Them Make a Comeback
Fewer than twenty red wolves remain in the wild. At Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, biologists are trying to change that.
Critters
June 2, 2021
Benji Is One Down Dog
Adriene Mishler’s blue heeler, Benji, is one of the most famous canines in the country, but he hasn’t let it go to his sweet, soft little head.
Meanwhile in Texas
May 10, 2021
A Brief History of Tigers on the Loose in Texas, 2021 Edition
Joe Exotic has a lot of competition. The big cat seen roaming a Houston neighborhood this week is just the latest.
Meanwhile in Texas
April 28, 2021
How Now, Escaped Cow? And Later, Gator. Two Loose Critters Snarl Houston Traffic.
The unrelated incidents both ended safely for the animals.
Best Thing In Texas
April 23, 2021
Whooping Cranes Are Nesting in Texas for the First Time in Over a Century
One of the rarest birds in North America is making a comeback.
Critters
April 23, 2021
The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again?) of the Texas Ostrich Industry
In the ’90s, Texans lost their minds—and their shirts—investing in ostriches and emus. But some think the industry could take flight again.
Critters
April 15, 2021
Chasing Down Birds of Prey With Ornithologist and Musician Jonathan Meiburg
His new book traces the evolution of caracaras—a strange and beautiful type of falcon.
Critters
April 15, 2021
A DNA Zoo Maps the Mysteries of All Creatures Great and Small
Scientists at a Baylor College of Medicine lab in Houston are sequencing the genomes of the world’s animals, one strand at a time.
Books
April 5, 2021
How the Elephants at the Houston Zoo Helped an Austin Author
S. Kirk Walsh used her time with the animals and their caretakers for her new book, ‘The Elephant of Belfast.’
Critters
March 12, 2021
The Ballad of Boots and Stumpy, the Bad Boys of the Birding Center
A turf war disturbs the peace in Port Aransas.
Critters
March 10, 2021
Do Thousands of Bat Deaths Mean Texans Will Face a Mosquito-Ridden Summer?
Last month’s winter storm decimated the state’s populations of the winged mammals, which may have lasting ecological effects.
Critters
February 28, 2021
Axis Deer Had Overrun the Hill Country. The Winter Storm Devastated Them.
Exotic species brought to Texas from Africa and Asia fared poorly in freezing temperatures.
Critters
February 17, 2021
In South Padre, Texans Have Rescued More Than 4,000 “Cold-Stunned” Sea Turtles
Conservationists worked to bring the endangered animals to shore—but getting the turtles warm amid a blackout is the next challenge.
Critters
January 27, 2021
Muscovy Ducks Are Protected in Parts of Texas. A Houston Subdivision Is Debating Their Slaughter.
The birds have been waddling around the Copper Grove neighborhood for years, but now some residents are crying fowl.
Wildlife
January 20, 2021
How Texas Hunting Went Exotic
Sprawling ranches. Rare animals. Rich folks with guns. Welcome to the state’s booming business of stalking wildlife from around the globe.
The Culture
December 18, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: A West Texas Animal Shelter
Plus: the pleasures of pickling, a feminist take on the Mexican Revolution, and a Georgetown jeweler.
Best Thing In Texas
November 24, 2020
The Best Thing in Texas: Hundreds of People Are Knitting Tiny Sweaters for a Hairless Possum in Lubbock
Are possums ugly? Not when they’re wearing tiny purple sweaters, they’re not!