Critters
January 31, 2023
What the Heck Is Going On at the Dallas Zoo?
After a leopard escape, the suspicious death of a vulture, and the theft of two monkeys, Texans are anxiously awaiting an explanation.
By
Rose Cahalan
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Critters
Stories and updates on some of the state’s many animals
Critters
January 23, 2023
After a Long Saga, a Weird Little Texas Cave Critter Is Staying on the Endangered Species List
The blind, elusive Bone Cave harvestman was at the center of a right-wing attempt to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
Critters
January 17, 2023
I Wrote a Book Called ‘The Leopard Is Loose.’ Then a Leopard Got Loose in Dallas.
An escape in 1950 inspired my novel. The wildly different public reactions show how much our relationship to animals has changed.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades.
It’s easy to forget that fire ants are actually an invasive species.
Critters
January 12, 2023
Texas Is the Only State That Doesn’t Protect Mountain Lions. Should That Change?
Proposed regulations have prompted an intense backlash from hunters, trappers, and landowners.
Energy
January 12, 2023
Drilling in the Permian Is Lonely Work. A Rig Dog Can Help.
When Bruno went missing, Alex Reyna lost a key member of his oil-field crew.
Critters
November 22, 2022
Please Do Not Touch the “Toxic Toupee,” a.k.a. the “Mortal Mustache,” a.k.a. Texas’s Most Venomous Caterpillar
It’s furry and cute, but it can cause intense, throbbing pain for up to twelve hours!
Meanwhile in Texas
November 21, 2022
Why a Houston-Area Emergency Room Has a “Snake Bucket”
From the man responsible for emptying it.
By
Dan Solomon
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Critters
November 11, 2022
Where to Watch Thousands of Sandhill Cranes Storm the Texas Skies
Each winter, a wildlife sanctuary near the Panhandle hosts one of the world’s largest gatherings of these beautiful birds.
By
Rose Cahalan
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Texas Country Reporter
September 21, 2022
Meet the Patron Saint of Texas Game Fish
Years ago, Kenneth Henneke helped develop a feisty catfish, and now he stocks a variety of species for anglers across the state.
Texas Country Reporter
September 20, 2022
The Legend of Old Rip Was Pretty Unbelievable
I’m not sure I ever bought the story of the Texas horned lizard that survived thirty years in a courthouse cornerstone, but it’s a tale that reminds me why I love storytelling.
Critters
September 6, 2022
5,000 Years Later, Beavers Return to the High Plains of West Texas
Centuries after they were hunted nearly out of existence, an obsessed wildlife ecologist finds evidence that the bucktoothed critters are beginning to recolonize.
Critters
August 24, 2022
Inside the Fight Between Texas’s Most Infamous Prison and Almost One Million Bats
The Huntsville penitentiary wants to tear down the abandoned warehouse where a massive bat colony spends half the year. Locals and conservationists have banded together to find an alternate solution.
Texas Country Reporter
August 18, 2022
The Texas “Moth Man” Is Retired But Still Clicking
Stuart Marcus has spent years identifying and photographing hundreds of species of moths near the Trinity River, but he still has more to go.
Sports
July 28, 2022
The Night That Grasshoppers Killed Texas League Baseball
Fifty years ago, a minor league game in Midland was postponed for the rarest of reasons—a swarm of grasshoppers biblical in its proportions.
Texas Country Reporter
July 21, 2022
This Quirky Hog-Callin’ Champ Was 100 Percent Herself
In 1998, Texas Country Reporter did an episode about Roxanne Ward, a champion hog caller who was quirky, kind, and so unapologetically herself we’ll never forget her.
Best Thing In Texas
June 28, 2022
The Little Turtles That Could: 45 Endangered Sea Turtles Hatch in Texas
“It really is one of the greatest wildlife-conservation successes of our time here in Texas.”
Texas Country Reporter
May 25, 2022
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
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 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 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
Five Texas Jellyfish—and Relatives—to Know
Brush up on (but not against!) these five gelata common to the Gulf of Mexico.
Critters
May 10, 2022
Jellyfish in the Gulf Are as Mysterious as They Are Painful
These translucent, stinging creatures are full of secrets.
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.
By
Rose Cahalan
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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.
By
Rose Cahalan
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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.
By
Cat Cardenas
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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.
By
Wes Ferguson
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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.
By
Wes Ferguson
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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?
By
Tom Foster
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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.
True Crime
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.