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
Stories and updates on some of the state’s many animals
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!…
Critters
November 20, 2020
Meet the Carrion-Craving Falcon That’s Taking Over Texas
Crested caracaras used to range no farther north than Texas’s southern tip, but now they’re expanding across the state—perhaps because of climate change and habitat loss.
Critters
August 19, 2020
A Texas Program Has Achieved Remarkable Success in Protecting Rare Sea Turtles. So Why Does the National Park Service Want to Defund It?
The world’s most endangered sea turtle has made an impressive comeback, attracting thousands of visitors to North Padre Island, but now advocates say it may be at risk again.
Critters
August 11, 2020
Sit, Stay, Wait: What Training a Puppy Taught Me About Pandemic Life
Rewarding and ignoring are the two key tenets of dog training. They’ve helped me get through this summer, too.
Critters
July 23, 2020
Why Black Bears Are Returning to Texas
Contrary to what a viral video suggests, it’s unrelated to the pandemic.
Critters
May 20, 2020
Meet the Ocelot Whisperer
Documentarian Ben Masters tracks some of the few Leopardus pardalis that are left in Texas.
Critters
May 7, 2020
New to Backyard Chicken-Keeping? Here’s Some Eggspert Advice
As Texans flock to the hobby in record numbers, we convened a virtual staff roundtable to share tips.
Critters
May 5, 2020
As the Pandemic Inflames Old Fears, Texas’s ‘Bat Man’ Urges: Don’t Blame Bats
Merlin Tuttle has spent his career dispelling myths about bats. Now he’s defending them once again.
Critters
April 2, 2020
An Unintended Consequence of Social Isolation: More Encounters With Texas Wildlife
In Houston, officials say people are coming into more and more contact with otters, owls, and other animals.
Critters
October 17, 2019
The 12 Most Dangerous Critters in Texas
These creatures—some creepy crawlers, some fearsome beasts, some microscopic threats—can and will kill you, maybe.
Critters
August 13, 2019
Zebra Mussels Are Infesting Texas Lakes. There’s Only One Way to Stop Them.
The invasive species hitches rides on contaminated boats from one body of water to the next.
Best Thing In Texas
April 25, 2019
The Best Thing in Texas: An Escaped Kangaroo Takes a Wimberley Walkabout
This marsupial on the lam from an exotic wildlife ranch has become the talk of the Hill Country.
Critters
March 25, 2019
The Tragic Tale of Zero the Hero Dog
A heroic pet was shot and killed protecting his family in Houston, proving once more that dogs are the best of all of us.
Critters
March 22, 2019
Life, in Dog Years
My father always pampered his pets. So when he fell ill and moved in with us, it was no surprise that his corgi came to rule our home. What I didn’t expect was for Trilby to care for me after Dad was gone.
Best Thing In Texas
March 21, 2019
The Best Thing in Texas: This Fella Brought a Dang Longhorn to a Petco
It's the opposite of a bum steer.
Politics & Policy
March 20, 2019
The Texas Lege’s Culture War on Austin Has Come to a Cuddly Ceasefire
A step towards a less partisan future. Or at least a furrier, friendlier one.
Critters
February 4, 2019
Y’all! Look at These Two New Baby Lemurs at the Houston Zoo
Current hobbies include clinging to their mothers's fur and waiting to grow up.
Critters
December 3, 2018
George H. W. Bush’s Dog, Sully, Is a Very Good Boy
A few words on Sully, the former president’s late-in-life pal.
Best Thing In Texas
November 12, 2018
The Bessssssst Thing in Texasssss: A Pet Boa Constrictor That Ended Up in a Fort Worth Goodwill Is Back Home
The snake’s owner was terrified that someone was going to steal his pet.
Arts & Entertainment
October 8, 2018
Root, Root, Root for the Amarillo Sod Poodles
When the finalists for Amarillo's new Double-A baseball team were announced, they raised eyebrows. But thanks to a catchy song, sod poodles are winning over Amarilloans.
Outdoors
September 24, 2018
Meet the Next Generation of Texas Hunters
Austin’s Greater Calvary Bible Church believes the sport is a training ground for essential life lessons. Here’s how the congregation’s efforts defy hunting trends across the state.
Outdoors
September 21, 2018
Behind the Lines: How to Hunt Like a Texan (and Talk Like One Too)
Emily McCullar on hunting's place in her life, plus a tour through her glossary of hunting terms.
Art
September 21, 2018
Randal Ford on Photographing ‘The Animal Kingdom’
For his latest book, photographer Randal Ford took a walk on the wild(life) side.
Outdoors
September 21, 2018
The Best Deer Hunts in Texas
Whitetail season is nearly upon us. Here are the destinations that belong at the top of every hunter’s bucket list.
Outdoors
September 21, 2018
How to Talk Like a Hunter
A brief primer so the next time you get an invite to your buddy’s deer stand, you won’t booger things up.
Outdoors
September 21, 2018
Notes on Life, Death, and Family From a Hill Country Deer Blind
"We both watch the blood and steam spill out into the winter air. At this point, it is not unusual for at least one of us to cry."…
Outdoors
September 21, 2018
Jack Brittingham and the Obsessive Quest for Ever-Bigger Trophy Deer
The gear is better, the antlers are grander, and the price of admission has shot way up. Welcome to the new world of Texas hunting.
Outdoors
September 21, 2018
Has Hunting Become a Rich Man’s Game?
The deer industry is booming. Participation in the sport is not.
Film & TV
September 19, 2018
Great-Grandma Avenged Her Mini Horse by Shooting the Gator She Thinks Ate It. This Story Deserves the Hollywood Treatment.
And here's how we'll make it. Get the agents for Sissy Spacek, Debra Winger, and Margo Martindale on the horn!…
Best Thing In Texas
September 18, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: A Purple Heart Recipient and the Dog Who Served Alongside Him Were Reunited in San Antonio
The two wounded warriors—both Purple Heart recipients—had an emotional reunion.
The Culture
September 5, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: Meet Emotional Support Alpacas Willie, Waylon, and Tex
The cowboy hat-wearing trio warmed hearts at the Texas Rural Health Services center in La Grange.
Ranching
August 24, 2018
Who’s Killing Buck Birdsong’s Cows?
Life on the ranch was hard enough already, and full of uncertainty. Then a string of dead calves turned up, and everything pointed to murder. But why? And how? A Longview mystery.
Critters
July 31, 2018
The Great Stroller-Shark Saga of 2018 Has Come to an End
Miss Helen is safe and sound after being stolen from the San Antonio Aquarium over the weekend.
Critters
July 20, 2018
A Texas A&M Kingsville Professor Dressed As a Cockroach at a Corpus Christi City Council Meeting to Protest Palm Trees
That’s one way to approach the issue.
Critters
July 20, 2018
Meet Luna, an Eight-Week-Old White Lion Cub Who Lives in Tyler and Is up for Visitors
She’s one of just a few hundred white lions in the world.
Critters
July 2, 2018
Man Accused of Releasing a Rattlesnake Into a Neighbor’s RV After a Fight
According to police, the Caldwell County man bit the snake’s rattle off before he released it.
The Culture
June 6, 2018
Here’s a Horrifying Reminder That Severed Rattlesnake Heads Can Still Bite You
A nightmarish tale. Er, head.
The Culture
May 23, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: Drivers Rescue a Horse on the Highway
No horses were harmed in the filming of this video. In fact, one was saved.
Critters
May 21, 2018
Why Are So Many Baboons Escaping From Their Cages in San Antonio Lately?
Spoiler: We have no idea, but 2018 is wild.
Country Notes
April 18, 2018
The Snakebite That Almost Killed My Cat
My cat was a fearless hunter who stalked the countryside—until she squared off with a rattlesnake.
Critters
April 11, 2018
Why Do Dogs In Houston Attack More Post Office Carriers Than In Any Other City?
San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth all place in the U.S. Postal Service’s list of the top fifteen worst offenders, too.
Critters
January 9, 2018
Why There Are So Many More Animals on Planes Over the Holidays
Not all of them are trained service animals.
Critters
January 3, 2018
Sea Turtles Are Getting Hypothermia, and Texans Are Saving Them
Emergency crews are on a mission in a half-shell.