Latest news with #TexasParksandWildlife
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Where alligators are found in North Texas, and what to do if you see one
What lives in North Texas, has 80 sharp chompers and can hold its breath for almost 45 minutes? It's not a fish or a turtle. It's the American alligator. These large reptiles are not as scary as they sound. In fact, the American alligator is the least aggressive of all the crocodilian species, according to Texas A&M Agrilife. They are most populated in East and South Texas. So, while sightings in North Texas are rare, they are still present. Now that summer is here, keep your eye out. The American alligator is really only spotted in late spring through fall while the weather is warm — they go dormant when temperatures are 60 degrees or colder. Though alligator attacks are extremely rare, we do share marshes and swamps with the mega-lizards. Here's what you should know about American alligators in North Texas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. There are many differences between alligators and crocodiles. The most defining factor here in Texas is that crocodiles do not live in Texas, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Alligators are grayish-black in color. Female alligators grow to about nine feet long, while males can get up to 14 feet. They only mate once a year during the spring breeding season, and then the females lay their eggs in late June and July. It only takes two months for the eggs to hatch. Alligators only eat one to two times a week. There are no molars within their 80 teeth, so gators swallow most of their food whole. Their most active feeding hours are during dusk and dawn. Per Texas A&M, alligators use their keen sense of smell, sight and hearing to stalk their prey. They are exceptionally sneaky. TPWD says there has never been a fatality from an alligator in Texas. In fact, 'alligators don't normally eat people. Since they have been isolated from humans for all but about five or six thousand years, they don't really understand we're on the menu, unless we teach them,' TPWD said. According to TPWD, alligators in Texas live pretty much anywhere there is water. In North Texas, they are most commonly found in freshwater lakes and rivers. In D-FW, alligators have been spotted in the Trinity River watershed region. Specific sightings also include Lake Worth and Eagle Mountain Lake, according to the City of Fort Worth. During the summer of 2024, the City of Coppell issued an alligator warning due to sightings along Denton Creek. ⚡ More trending stories from our newsroom: →Why 'Last Rodeo' star loves Fort Worth →Price Check: Cheapest produce in Fort Worth for May →These are the most unsafe hospitals in North Texas If you run into an alligator, TPWD recommends the following: Refrain from calling TPWD if the alligator is not approaching humans or posing an obvious threat. Simply seeing an alligator does not mean it is a nuisance. If you hear an alligator hissing, that means you are too close. 'Never make the mistake of thinking that an alligator is slow and lethargic. Alligators are extremely quick and agile and will defend themselves when cornered,' according to TPWD. However, if you see one, back away slowly because it is rare for gators to chase humans. Alligators along the water, basking in the sun, are just trying to regulate their body temperature. Do not alarm them, otherwise they will retreat into water. TPWD considers alligators a nuisance if they are near homes, livestock pens or other urban structures. (This is when you should call TPWD.) If an alligator comes out of the water towards people, this alligator should be reported because it is also considered a nuisance. Alligators will consider pets a food source. Keep your animals leashed up or in fenced yards. If an alligator is on a road, notify TPWD. Never swim in a pond where you may see a gator, especially during night. Though gators can be hard to spot in water, you can sometimes see their eyes pop above the surface. Alligators may pursue fishing lures because they see it as a natural food source. However, if an alligator is following a boat or watercraft can be considered a nuisance. Never feed alligators. If caught doing so, you can face up to a $500 fine and be charged with a Class C misdemeanor. To report an alligator, you can call TPWD at 1-800-792-1112 or a Tarrant County game warden. Though alligators are a protected species by TPWD, they are also allowed to be hunted if the hunter has a valid hunting license and lawful means. Depending on the county you live in (core or non-core), there are different regulations. Tarrant County is considered a non-core county. Hunting season is April 1 though June 30. In non-core counties, hunters are allowed one alligator per season. Those who hunt an alligator in the wild, outside of Texas law, can be faced with a misdemeanor and fine. According to TPWD, violating Texas Fish and Wildlife law consequences can result in any of the following: Class C: $25-$500 Class B: $200-$2,000 Class A: $500-$4,000; Be fined for state jail felonies ($1,500-$10,000 and/or up to 2 years in jail). Face automatic suspension or revocation of licenses for up to five years. Forfeit hunting gear, including firearms, used to commit a violation.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Prestigious award presented to Boggy Slough Conservation Area
TRINITY COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — The Boggy Slough Conservation Area (BSCA) in Houston and Trinity counties has received the 2025 Texas Leopold Conservation Award. This award was presented in the annual Lone Star Land Steward Awards. Trinity County Jail overcrowding burdens local taxpayers, sheriff says 'Texas Parks and Wildlife is pleased to see this award go to such a deserving recipient,' private lands program leader for TPWD Tim Siegmund said. 'Boggy Slough has been a cornerstone of the Neches River corridor for the better part of a century. The careful stewardship by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, and its enrollment into a conservation easement, ensure it will continue to serve as a cornerstone and example of excellent land management for generations to come.' The T.L.L. Temple Foundation, which owns the property, will also receive $10K to help maintain the property. The Texas Leopold Conservation Award, named after conservationist Aldo Leopold, recognizes the achievements of voluntary conservation and natural resource management by American ranchers, farmers and foresters in 28 states. 'These award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold's land ethic is alive and well today,' Sand County Foundation President Kevin McAleese said. 'Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil and wildlife habitat.' Not only is BSCA surrounded by the Neches River but it is also surrounded by around 4,500 acres of forests. Boggy Slough is thought to have 'brought deer back into East Texas' through their restocking program, as well as their management of the property. BSCA's mission is 'to serve as a model of excellence for East Texas through ecological research and outreach to promote conservation, management, and stewardship of natural resources.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Hikers help injured newborn bobcat on New Mexico trail. See it snuggle up to toy
Hikers stumbled across a baby bobcat along a New Mexico trail on Mother's Day, officials said. The tiny newborn creature was injured and all alone on a trail just north of Albuquerque, the New Mexico Wildlife Center said in a May 14 post on Facebook. 'The kitten had thorns and cactus spines stuck in her face and paws, and there was no sign of her mother or any siblings anywhere nearby,' the center said in the post. 'The hikers who found her knew she needed help, so they contacted NMWC for guidance.' The hikers 'gently placed the orphaned kitten in a backpack' and hiked back to their car to bring the kitten to the center's wildlife hospital in Española, about a 70-mile drive north from the trail in Sandoval County, the center said. 'Bobcat kitten 25-146 is one of the many wild babies our hospital team will be caring for this summer, but she has a long hospital stay ahead of her,' the center said. 'Young bobcats stay with their mother throughout their first winter and disperse in the spring, so this baby won't be ready to be out on her own until the spring of 2026!' Photos show the tiny kitten drinking milk from a syringe and resting on plush blankets. Its eyes are still closed in the photos, indicating it was likely born within the last week. Bobcat kittens open their eyes about nine days after birth, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. 'Since 25-146 has lost her mother and does not yet have any foster siblings, our team is taking a lot of creative steps to make sure she grows up wild,' officials said. 'NMWC's bobcat Ambassador Animal, Joni, cannot directly interact with the kitten, but Joni's care team has been giving her blankets and straw to rub her scent on. Those bobcat-scented items can then be used to provide warmth and appropriate scent cues to the orphaned kitten in the hospital!' A photo also shows the kitten cuddling up to a stuffed bobcat toy. '25-146 can also snuggle up to a stuffed toy that makes the sound of a heartbeat, and when her eyes open she will see a toy that looks like another bobcat,' officials said. 'She won't see human faces or learn to associate people with food and comfort, thanks to the camouflage garb our team will wear during feedings.' The team anticipates caring for the kitten for at least 10 months, officials said. 'It's going to take a LOT of food, medical care, and staff hours to raise a healthy bobcat from such a young age!' the center said. Several people shared in the comments that they had spotted the kitten on the trail that day too. A pair of trail runners shared they had stumbled upon the kitten and shared a video showing it tucked between a moss-covered rock and brush along the trail. 'We came across it on our run. At that time it was still tucked in some brush so we left it alone in case mom was close,' one of them said, adding that they worried with the amount of people using the trail that day that the kitten's mother wouldn't be able to make it back to the cub. 'Another friend of ours saw it later and it had moved to the center of the trail.' The person who ultimately took the kitten to the wildlife center also shared their experience. 'So happy to see her looking healthy and alive,' they said. 'We actually found her on the trail. I almost stepped on it, since it was right in the curve of the trail.' That's likely when they called the center for guidance. 'Our initial name for 'him' was McGregor,' they said. 'Now that we know it's a she, we will remember our little adventure with her as McGreta.' It's likely the kitten might eventually be raised with foster siblings, as the hospital typically receives several kittens throughout the summer, officials said in the comments. 'If not, we will still do everything we can to keep this baby wild, fierce, and releasable!' the center said. 'So tiny and adorable,' someone said. 'May she grow up strong and return to the wild!'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
See it: Sea turtle rescued on Texas beach after washing up covered in barnacles, debris
SARGENT, Texas – A loggerhead sea turtle was recently saved after she washed up on the Gulf of America coast in Sargent, Texas, covered in barnacles and other animals. The Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research said their organization was notified of the turtle by a member of the public last week. They then dispatched their Rescue and Recovery team to help the animal. Members found that the turtle was covered in organisms, such as a variety of algae, and had barnacles embedded in her mouth and soft tissues. A photo of the turtle on the beach shows her weighed down by the algae and barnacles. The research center said this was the result of the turtle being sick, which led her to move more slowly and float closer to the water's surface prior to being washed ashore. Baby Seal Rescued After Wandering Streets Of Connecticut City Washing in with the turtle were organisms, such as crabs, shrimp, worms and small invertebrates, the research center noted. The turtle was sent to their rehabilitation hospital, where the animals and plants covering her were removed and where she was placed on a treatment plan. The center announced on Thursday that the turtle has started to eat, but has a long road to recovery. How To Watch Fox Weather To support the sea turtle's recovery, you can consider purchasing from the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research's Amazon wishlist here. Loggerhead sea turtles are found worldwide. While the animals tend to nest along the Atlantic coast of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, Texas Parks and Wildlife said they only sometimes make their way to the Gulf of America coast of article source: See it: Sea turtle rescued on Texas beach after washing up covered in barnacles, debris
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fisherman photographs ‘craziest thing' seen on a fishing pier
: A version of this post was first published on July 9, 2022. Christopher Cls Smith, who spends a lot of time on the water fishing, as evidenced by his YouTube channel Adventure Bro Fishing, came across an unusual sight, one he'd never seen before. 'That was the craziest thing I've ever seen on a fishing pier,' Smith wrote in a post on Facebook displaying his photo. 'I could not believe my eyes.' What he saw, and photographed, was an image of a group of fishermen hauling up their catch of the day—a shark. The scene unfolded at the fishing pier in Port Aransas, Texas, according to MySanAntonio. Smith, who regularly posts fishing videos on his site (and included a short video of this odd sighting), told MySanAntonio he was concerned about how the fishermen were going to make a safe release of the shark, but they wound up keeping the shark and sharing the meat among the people who watched and helped land the shark. Smith believed it was a bull or tiger shark, though the species was never confirmed. From MySanAntonio: "Texas anglers are allowed to catch one shark per day, with a two-shark possession limit, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. According to the Coastal Fisheries Division with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, about 40 shark species are swimming around the Texas waters. The most common are the following: Atlantic sharpnose shark, Blacktip shark, Bonnethead shark, bull shark and spinner shark." Photo courtesy of Christopher Cls Smith. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Fisherman photographs 'craziest thing' seen on a fishing pier
