Critters
May 20, 2020
Meet the Ocelot Whisperer
Documentarian Ben Masters tracks some of the few Leopardus pardalis that are left in Texas.
Critters
Stories and updates on some of the state’s many animals
Latest
151-200 of 419 Articles
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
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.
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.
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
October 16, 2019
Somebody Help This North Texas Family Find Their Giant Tortoise
Mr. Mabel needs to come home.
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.
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?
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!)
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.
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
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.
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.
Critters
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.
Health
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.
Sports
October 31, 2017
Being a Raccoon Doesn’t Stop Gattis McCann From Rooting for the Astros
Meet the furry good luck totem of Houston Heights.
Critters
October 27, 2017
Furry Friday: Houston Zoo Animals Cheer on the Astros
The zoo’s residents are no fans of the Dodgers.
Books
October 18, 2017
The One-Question Interview: Nate Blakeslee
We sat down with our former staffer to talk about his new book, 'American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West'.