Texas is home to 10 different Gould’s ecoregions as seen on the map above. Ecoregions are areas of land that share similar climate, topography, and soils. In this series, we will dive into each of Texas’ 10 ecoregions one Critter Connections issue at a time. Next up – the Post Oak Savanna!
Texas is home to 10 different Gould’s ecoregions as seen on the map below. Ecoregions are areas of land that share similar climate, topography and soils. In this series, we will dive into each of Texas’ 10 ecoregions one Critter Connections issue at a time. Next up – the Edwards Plateau!
Have you ever seen a worm wiggle in the dirt and wondered why it’s there? What about beetles walking through the leaves on the ground or mushrooms growing on the trunk of a fallen tree? While it may not seem like it, these different organisms all have something very important in common. They are all decomposers, a living thing that breaks down decaying, meaning rotting, plant and animal materials, waste and even garbage.
Caves are home to all kinds of interesting animals. A lot of what you will find depends on how deep in the cave you go. At different depths in the cave, you will find different types of cave critters, including a few that look a lot like the wildlife you find outside a cave. The only difference is they have adapted – or changed – to live in a place that is completely dark.
If you have ever been near a still water source such as a pond, wetland or lake, then you have probably seen ducks, but did you know that there are over 20 species or types of duck in Texas?
There are close to 160,000 different species or types of moth in the world and over 350 species in Texas. This is nearly 10 times more species worldwide than their daytime cousin, the butterfly. Moths are insects, which means they have six legs, and their body is split into three parts, the head, thorax and abdomen. They also have two sets of wings connected to their thorax, known as the forewings at the top and hind wings at the bottom. On their head, they have a large pair of compound eyes made up of thousands of individual eyes called ommatidia (om-uh-tid-ee-uh) and a pair of small simple eyes which can sense light. They have a straw-like tongue called a proboscis (pro-bos-kiss) which they use to sip nectar from flowers and they taste using special structures on their feet. Moths smell using their antennae which are typically long and thin or featherlike. Antennae are one of the ways to tell moths and butterflies apart. Butterflies have club
Texas is a large state with many different ecosystems, which allows for great diversity in plant and animal life. This also means that Texas is home to many living things that are threatened or endangered. If a living thing is given the status of threatened or endangered, it means that it is in danger of becoming extinct. A threatened species is likely to become endangered at some point in the future if efforts are not made to improve its living conditions. If a species is extinct, it means that there are no longer any living members of that species on earth. One example of an extinct animal in the wild is the Spix’s Macaw, which is the bird from the movie Rio. In Texas there are over 100 plants and animals that are listed as federally endangered or threatened which means that they are at risk of becoming extinct everywhere. There are another 100 species that are not federally listed, but are state listed as threatened or endangered, which means that they are at risk of extinction within Texas, but may have healthy populations in other parts of the world. Plants and animals are added to one of these lists under a law called the Endangered Species Act. This law was created to help and conserve living things that are in danger of becoming extinct.
The squirrel family, Scuridae includes squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. In Texas there are eight species or types of squirrel including flying squirrels, ground squirrels and tree squirrels. The word squirrel comes from a Greek word, skiouros which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy tail on certain species. Squirrels are rodents like rats, mice and beavers. All rodents have ever-growing incisors, which means their front teeth never stop growing. Their front teeth are orange because they are covered with a hard coating called enamel. Rodents must wear down their teeth so they don’t keep growing into their brain. As they grind their teeth against hard things such as tree bark, the soft tooth underneath wears down, and the enamel sharpens like a chisel. This is a trait found in all rodents.
Foxes live around the world in many different types of habitat from the snowy arctic to the hot desert and even in trees. Some foxes have even adapted to live in urban environments like our neighborhoods. There are three types of foxes that live in Texas: the swift or kit fox which lives in the north western part of the state, the red fox which lives in the eastern and central parts of the state, and the most common, the gray fox which is found statewide.
Texas is home to 10 different Gould’s ecoregions as seen on the map above. Ecoregions are areas of land that share similar climate, topography, and soils. In this series, we will dive into each of Texas’ 10 ecoregions one Critter Connections issue at a time. Next up – the Post Oak Savanna! 
Texas is home to 10 different Gould’s ecoregions as seen on the map below. Ecoregions are areas of land that share similar climate, topography and soils. In this series, we will dive into each of Texas’ 10 ecoregions one Critter Connections issue at a time. Next up – the Edwards Plateau! 
Have you ever seen a worm wiggle in the dirt and wondered why it’s there? What about beetles walking through the leaves on the ground or mushrooms growing on the trunk of a fallen tree? While it may not seem like it, these different organisms all have something very important in common. They are all decomposers, a living thing that breaks down decaying, meaning rotting, plant and animal materials, waste and even garbage. 
Caves are home to all kinds of interesting animals. A lot of what you will find depends on how deep in the cave you go. At different depths in the cave, you will find different types of cave critters, including a few that look a lot like the wildlife you find outside a cave. The only difference is they have adapted – or changed – to live in a place that is completely dark. 
If you have ever been near a still water source such as a pond, wetland or lake, then you have probably seen ducks, but did you know that there are over 20 species or types of duck in Texas? 
There are close to 160,000 different species or types of moth in the world and over 350 species in Texas. This is nearly 10 times more species worldwide than their daytime cousin, the butterfly. Moths are insects, which means they have six legs, and their body is split into three parts, the head, thorax and abdomen. They also have two sets of wings connected to their thorax, known as the forewings at the top and hind wings at the bottom. On their head, they have a large pair of compound eyes made up of thousands of individual eyes called ommatidia (om-uh-tid-ee-uh) and a pair of small simple eyes which can sense light. They have a straw-like tongue called a proboscis (pro-bos-kiss) which they use to sip nectar from flowers and they taste using special structures on their feet. Moths smell using their antennae which are typically long and thin or featherlike. Antennae are one of the ways to tell moths and butterflies apart. Butterflies have club 
Texas is a large state with many different ecosystems, which allows for great diversity in plant and animal life. This also means that Texas is home to many living things that are threatened or endangered. If a living thing is given the status of threatened or endangered, it means that it is in danger of becoming extinct. A threatened species is likely to become endangered at some point in the future if efforts are not made to improve its living conditions. If a species is extinct, it means that there are no longer any living members of that species on earth. One example of an extinct animal in the wild is the Spix’s Macaw, which is the bird from the movie Rio. In Texas there are over 100 plants and animals that are listed as federally endangered or threatened which means that they are at risk of becoming extinct everywhere. There are another 100 species that are not federally listed, but are state listed as threatened or endangered, which means that they are at risk of extinction within Texas, but may have healthy populations in other parts of the world. Plants and animals are added to one of these lists under a law called the Endangered Species Act. This law was created to help and conserve living things that are in danger of becoming extinct. 
The squirrel family, Scuridae includes squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. In Texas there are eight species or types of squirrel including flying squirrels, ground squirrels and tree squirrels. The word squirrel comes from a Greek word, skiouros which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy tail on certain species. Squirrels are rodents like rats, mice and beavers. All rodents have ever-growing incisors, which means their front teeth never stop growing. Their front teeth are orange because they are covered with a hard coating called enamel. Rodents must wear down their teeth so they don’t keep growing into their brain. As they grind their teeth against hard things such as tree bark, the soft tooth underneath wears down, and the enamel sharpens like a chisel. This is a trait found in all rodents. 
Foxes live around the world in many different types of habitat from the snowy arctic to the hot desert and even in trees. Some foxes have even adapted to live in urban environments like our neighborhoods. There are three types of foxes that live in Texas: the swift or kit fox which lives in the north western part of the state, the red fox which lives in the eastern and central parts of the state, and the most common, the gray fox which is found statewide.