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.
Critters
Stories and updates on some of the state’s many animals
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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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Wes Ferguson![Wes Ferguson's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Peter Holley![Peter Holley's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Wes Ferguson![Wes Ferguson's Profile Photo]()
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!
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Wes Ferguson![Wes Ferguson's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Rose Cahalan![Rose Cahalan's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Peter Holley![Peter Holley's Profile Photo]()
Critters
December 30, 2019
Feral Hogs Are Invading Yankeeland. Northern Friends, Here’s What You Need to Know.
Tips from Texans who trap, kill, and study wild pigs.
By Wes Ferguson![Wes Ferguson's Profile Photo]()
Critters
October 24, 2019
Can the Bobwhite Quail Be Saved?
Once widely hunted in Texas, the beloved game birds have been dwindling in number in recent decades. But a West Texas hunter and professor believes he’s found a way to save them.
By Wes Ferguson![Wes Ferguson's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Wes Ferguson![Wes Ferguson's Profile Photo]()
Critters
October 16, 2019
Somebody Help This North Texas Family Find Their Giant Tortoise
Mr. Mabel needs to come home.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Critters
October 9, 2019
The Cricket Invasion Is Upon Us Once Again
Every year, Central Texas is swarmed with the little pests, causing panic across social media feeds.
Critters
August 26, 2019
Can Texas Bats Be Saved?
If Texas biologists can prevent an outbreak of white-nose syndrome, caused by a fast-spreading fungus, they may provide a new national model for bat conservation.
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.
By Wes Ferguson![Wes Ferguson's Profile Photo]()
Critters
August 1, 2019
Is the Salvador Dalí Dog Up for Adoption in Dallas or Not? A Texas Monthly Investigation
Why is New York trying to steal Texas’s most Instagrammable puppy?
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Critters
July 23, 2019
Should You Shave Your Dog in the Summertime?
Ten years ago, my wife and I saw a listing on Craigslist for an 18-month-old Siberian husky. Within a few seconds of meeting Dio, I knew he was our dog. In the years since, we’ve cared for him in little ways (a grain-free diet that agrees with his sensitive stomach!)
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Critters
May 20, 2019
The Flight of the Texas Fireflies
Although they're on the rebound in Central Texas, these magical flying beetles aren't lighting up the sky like they used to. A New Braunfels expert says they're still out there if you know where to look.
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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Mimi Swartz![Mimi Swartz's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Critters
January 15, 2019
Extinct Red Wolf DNA Discovered in Pack of Galveston Strays
Long live the red wolf.
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.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
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.