Texas Almanac, 1980-1981 Page: 23
[710] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
TEXAS GULF COAST 23
:f a
i
t i fs4
\ y cI,
1
i'1Seafood harvesting is a favorite pastime along the Gulf Coast. Here a visitor looks for clams in Matagorda Bay.
species have been identified along the Texas coast.
Several of these are very unique creatures to Texas,
such as the whales and dolphins, which would not be
included among Texas animals except for the variety
of Texas biology provided by the waters of the Gulf.
Land mammals include such variety as: oppossums,
three species of shrew, moles, two species of gophers,
seven species of bats raccoons, mink, otters, weasels,
three species of skunk, badgers, coyotes, fox bobcats,
ocelots, jaguarundi, two species of squirrels and 15
species of rats and mice (including muskrats).
One of the rarest Texas mammals is the Red Wolf.
Red wolves are now found only in the salt marshes
around Galveston Bay. (See Index for Predator Control
article.) Loss of habitat to civilization and possible
hybridization with coyotes have worked against the
continuation of the red wolf as a successful species.
A plentiful large rodent on the Texas coast is the
Nutria, resembling a round-tailed Beaver. Nutria are
not native to Texas, but were introduced from South
America. Nutria were brought here to control un-
wanted vegetation in lakes and farm tanks, but have
multiplied their numbers to the point where they can
pose a threat to coastal farm crops. Beaver also
inhabit coastal stream banks, but confine their food
choices to trees and shrubs and their activity to fresh-
water areas. Natural predators like the wolf and bob-
cat are disappearing from the wild, which often
creates an unmanageable increase in smaller species
which their predation had controlled.
In the brushlands along the coast, game animals
like the Javelina and Whitetail Deer abound.
In Gulf waters, the Bottlenosed Dolphin is common.
Pilot whales occur somewhat more often than other
whales, but the records include Gulf-stream Beaked,
Goose-beaked, Sperm, Pygmy Sperm, Common Fin-
back, Blue and Black Right Whales.Perhaps most amazing, even though scanty, of all
mammal records of the Texas coast is the fact that the
Blue Whale, capable of growing to a hundred feet in
length, the largest animal ever to live on earth-is at
least a possibility in Texas coastal waters!
Reptiles of the Texas Coast
The Texas coast has a wide variety of reptile life,
ranging from the giant sea-turtles and alligators to
numerous small snakes and lizards.
One of the most distinctive of these creatures is
the Gulf Marsh Snake. It is identified by its dark green
or brown color with creamy colored stripes.
There are a variety of other snakes found in the
dunes and mainland areas. A few of the more common
non-poisonous snakes include the Texas Glossy Snake,
Texas Indigo Snake, Western Coachwhip Snake and the
Checkered Garter Snake. In the poisonous category, the
Western Diamond-back Rattlesnake and the Texas Coral
Snake both occur on and near the coast. The poisonous
snakes are more commonly found in remote areas and
are seldom encountered by tourists.
In open sandy areas, the Keeled Earless Lizard is
found in abundance. This small lizard is generally
found in the hotter parts of the day, running from bush
to bush over the loose dune sand. Males are fairly dark
in color with faint stripes on their body and two dis-
tinct black marks on their sides. Females are the color
of the sand and in spring their stomach turns bright
pink.
The Slender Glass Lizard is often mistaken for a
snake. This long, golden lizard with black stripes has
no legs and must glide through the sand like a snake.
They are common and active during the day and
easily lose their tail when captured. They may be dis-
tinguished from snakes by their lack of specialized3
atiy
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Texas Almanac, 1980-1981, book, 1979; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth113815/m1/25/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.