Other Wildlife

Mammals

Virginia Opossum

A relative of the kangaroo, the Virginia opossum is the only marsupial native to the United States. Following two week gestation period, the young are born in a helpless and immature state, but with well developed fore-limbs. The young climb unaided to the fur-lined pouch where development will continue for another two months.

Gray Squirrel

Eastern Mole

Fox Squirrel

Evening Bat

This warm brown to dark chocolate colored bat has short and sparse fur with thick leathery and rounded ears. They live in woodlands and small colonies in tree cavities behind loose bark and in Spanish moss. They locate their prey, insects, by echolocation.

Southern Flying Squirrel

A secretive member of our wildlife community, the Southern Flying Squirrel is more often heard than seen. This small squirrel scampers up trees, launches itself into the air and uses the flap of skin (patagium) stretched between its front and back legs to glide up to 350 feet! Flying squirrels use their tails as rudders to help them steer while gliding. It feeds on a wide variety of foods including mushrooms, nuts, insects, and even baby birds.

Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Cotton Rat

The Cotton Rat inhabits grassy areas, such as the Nature Center’s Meadow, feeding on vegetation, insects, and small animals. These 8-14 inch creatures leave tracks where fore and hind prints overlap with a combined length of .5 inch. They are stocky rodents that have a tail that is shorter than the length of the body.

Nine-banded Armadillo

The armadillo is one of Texas' most unique and recognizable mammals. Its shell-like covering is not hard and bony like a turtle, but tough and flexible. It provides good protection from thorns and braches but little insulation. Armadillos will shiver and seek the warmth of their burrows when temperatures drop below 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

The armadillo's diet consists primarily of insects and other invertebrates which are located almost exclusively by smell. The body form reveals much about its feeding strategy. The compact legs are supplied with four toes on the front feet and five on the hind, each terminating with a large strong claw well adapted to digging.

Raccoon

The diet of raccoons is quite varied. More than one half is plant material-particularly acorns, berries, and other fruits. The remainder of their diet consists of insects, small mammals, crayfish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. You will see their tracks widespread on our Nature Center trails and along the margins of ponds.

Swamp Rabbit

Swamp rabbits are a familiar sight in wet areas throughout the forest. When necessary, these rabbits will take to water to escape predators or ford flooded sections of forest. Young are commonly born in fur-lined grass nests built in shallow depressions at the base of fallen trees, brush piles, and thickets.

Coyote

Weighing in 20-40 pounds, the Coyote is the largest and most charismatic mammal that frequents the Nature Center. It is the size of a German Shepard with a grizzled tawny coat and a bushy tail that sports a black tip. These wild dogs typically range widely in their search for food which includes rabbits, mice, squirrels, and other small mammals. They also eat birds, frogs, toads, snakes, insects, carrion and many kinds of fruit.

Coyotes are very wary of people and will often dart into the brush when seen (these dogs can move up to 30 mph!). Their movements in the Nature Center are most often detected by the scat, footprints, and remnants of rabbit kills that they leave behind.

 

Amphibians and Reptiles

Gulf Coast Toad

These 2-5 inch yellowish brown to black amphibians have a broad, dark lateral stripe bordered above by a lighter stripe. They also have a third light stripe beginning on the head and running down the middle of the back. They are most active at twilight and have a wooden rattle-like call.

Copperhead

This venomous (but not aggressive) snake can be found in woods, fields, and swamps where its color patterns blend into the background perfectly. Up to 40 inches long, they are non-active and prefer to be left alone. They eat frogs, snakes, mice and some insects.

Southern Leopard Frog

This frog is about half the size of a bullfrog with a more pointed head. Color varies from green to golden brown in a pattern consisting of spots and conspicuous back ridges. Leopard frogs may forage well away from water, but must return to lay eggs. Call: A series fo laughing-like notes interspersed with short trills.

Coral Snake

This reptile is the most venomous snake in North America (it is a member of the same family as the cobras, mambas, and sea snakes). Fortunately, coral snakes are typically shy animals that hunt at twilight and dusk and will often seek shelter under logs if happen upon by a human.

They dine on snakes, lizards, and frogs. They have red, yellow and black rings, with the yellow rings narrower than the red and black and the yellow and red bands touching. They can grow up to three feet long.

Bull Frog

This robust frog is the largest frog species in North America. Its color varies from green to dark gray or brown. It is usually observed sitting motionless at the edge of the water, sometimes holding down a territory. The diet ranges from insects and crayfish to small frogs, mammals, and occasionally birds. When startled, young bullfrogs commonly squeal as they dive into water. Call: A deep, "jug-o-rum"

Ribbon Snake

This non-venomous slender snake has three bright yellow stripes alternating with dark brown down the length of its body, which can grow up to three feet long. These nervous and fast moving snakes are commonly found near water eating salamanders, frogs, tadpoles, insects, and earthworms.

Green Anole

These insect and small spider eating lizards can grow up to 8 inches. Found in shrubs, vines, and high in trees, they can change color from vivid green to dark brown. They shed their skins several times a year, and usually eat the shed. Males are combative, displaying their extended dewlaps in confrontations.

Broad-banded Water Snake

This non-venomous snake (also known as the Southern Water Snake) appears dark brown to almost black with narrow yellow-orange bands. It is common around ponds and flooded areas where it can be seen basking on longs, branches, or shrubs. The diet of the Broad-banded Water Snake consists of crayfish, fish, frogs and salamanders. A moderately stout snake, it ranges from 20 to 30 inches in length.

Ground Skink

With a dark brown, smooth, and glossy appearance, these skinks eat insects, spiders, earthworms, and other small invertebrates. These diurnal creatures live in wooded areas with abundant leaf litter and can grow up to 5 inches long.

Red-eared Slider

These turtles get their name from the conspicuous red stripe behind the eye on young specimens, and their habit of sliding into the water when disturbed. They are basking turtles commonly occupying logs or sunny banks along ponds and streams. Sliders are primarily vegetarians, but they will eat worms, crayfish, insects or fish.

Five-lined Skink

This dark brown creature is named for its five light-colored stripes from head to tail. These stripes fade with age, and in some adult males, they are not visible. They live in humid environments with plenty of decaying wood, leaf litter, gardens and compost heaps and eats insects, spiders, earthworms, crawfish, other lizards, and small mice.

Box Turtle

These good natured, mild mannered, long-lived turtles live on land, but need shallow fresh water for soaking, wading, and drinking. They are olive tan to black and feed on some fruits, berries, and vegetables, but mostly slugs, snails, crickets, cockroaches, earthworms, insects, and insect larvae.