Texas wildlife

Texans share their state with a great diversity of animals, from tiny insects to large mammals. On our wildlife page, you can find wildlife magazine articles, wildlife videos and other wildlife resources.

From Our Pages: Wildlife Articles

Last Stand of the Red Wolf

America’s "other wolf" was reintroduced to the wild after a last-ditch roundup in Texas. read more

Return of the Prodigal Turtle

A Kemp’s ridley turtle returns home after an unexpected detour to Europe. read more

Skill Builder: Growing Native

Wildscaping can turn your lawn into a beautiful home for wildlife. read more

The Greatest Conservation Story You've Never Heard

Federal program has played an essential role in wildlife restoration for 75 years. read more

Wild in the Suburbs

Living harmoniously with animals in the city. read more

The Secret Life of Bumblebees

Large and adorably fuzzy, these important pollinators help produce a bounty of Texas foods. read more

Saving Sea Turtles

Dedicated volunteers continue to fight serious threats to Gulf populations. read more

Radar's Eye on Wildlife

Biologists harness weather technology to unlock the secret lives of birds, bats and bugs. read more

Bayou Beasts

Alligators survive and thrive in Texas wetlands. read more

Angels of Mercy

At wildlife rehab centers across the state, injured animals get a second chance. read more

Wildlife and the Wall

Though I’d read about the fence and seen photos, seeing the border wall with my own eyes bordered on the surreal. While news coverage in the past few years has focused on the wall’s human-related purpose and impacts, little has been communicated about what effects the border fence might have on wildlife, land management practices and ecotourism in one of the state’s most impoverished regions. read more

Skill Builder: Dead Wood Supports Life

That rotting stump in your yard could be a critter condo. read more

Return of the Bighorns

With the help of TPWD and partners, desert bighorn sheep are being restored to the mountains of West Texas. read more

State Bison Herd's History Echoes Across the Plains

The animals, descendants of Charles Goodnight's famous herd, are undergoing changes at Caprock Canyons. read more

A Kiss for a Toad

The Houston toad is endangered, but a zoo's "head start" program could help it make a comeback. read more

What Was That?

Tales of mysterious creatures abound in the land of chupacabras. read more

The Pronghorn Prognosis

These fleet plains animals have been hit by sharp declines in numbers, and biologists are on the lookout for a culprit. read more

When Pigs and People Collide

An explosion in the feral hog population causes problems on ranches and in suburbia. read more

Snake Safety

Of all the critters that skitter in Texas, nothing makes the heart race faster than the slithering kind. But if you see a snake, it's best not to overreact. read more

Beetle Mania

If you aim to collect 40,000 specimens, it helps to be "buggy" over beetles. read more

Giants in the Gulf

Until recently, not many people knew that whale sharks, the world's largest fish, ventured into the northern Gulf of Mexico. read more

Ocelot on the Brink of U.S. Extinction

The ocelot, a midsized wild cat covered in spots and streaks, once roamed the southern states of America, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Arizona. From here, their historic range extended into South America. But over the last century, the U.S. population has been dramatically reduced, and now the cats, along with their natural habitat, have reached a tipping point. read more

Tarantula!

Misunderstood and maligned by many, tarantulas — like bats, scorpions and snakes — often get a bum rap. Despite their fearsome looks, tarantulas are gentle giants, reclusive by nature, harmless to humans and an essential part of our ecosystem. read more

Gone With the Wind? Renewable Energy May Imperil Lesser Prairie-Chickens

Despite wind energy's positive traits, the state's lack of regulations is having unknown repercussions on its wildlife. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages the state's fish and wildlife resources but has no formal regulatory authority over development projects. As a result, the agency must encourage wind developers to embrace voluntary siting guidelines in order to attenuate possible impacts to wildlife. read more