Badgers live predominantly solitary lives in a variety of habitats from plains, to prairies, to farmland, or at the edges of woods and thorn thickets.

Badgers dine on ground squirrels, rats, gophers, and mice. Sometimes, they eat snakes, birds, and reptiles, as well.  

“The American badger has a flat body with short legs and a triangular face with a long, pointed, tipped-up, nose. It has long brown or black fur with white stripes on its cheeks and one stripe running from its nose to the back of its head. It has small ears on the side of its head and long, sharp front claws.” Source: Nature Works (NH PBS)

“The American badger mates between July and August, but the embryos don’t really start to grow until December or February…The female gives birth in March.  She has 1 – 5 babies in an underground nest lined with grass.” Source: Nature Works (NH PBS)

You may learn more about the American Badger at the following sites:

• Texas Parks & Wildlife on Badgers
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Badgers
• iNaturalist Observations for the American Badger
• iNaturalist Observations for Mustelids (Family Mustelidae)

The post The American Badger by Camille M. Rich appeared first on El Mesteño Ranch and Arboretum.

After capturing this cool, little bat twice now on trail cam video, I was curious to learn a little more about bats in the state of Texas. Consequently, I began a basic fact-finding mission by checking the Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) Website for bat information. I was able to locate the TPWD Bat Webpage at the following web address:

https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/resources/texas-junior-naturalists/bats

After reading through the information on this TPWD webpage, along with navigating through and reading information contained in some of the articles that were included in the links on the TPWD Bat Webpage, I learned some really interesting, helpful things about bats. They are as follows:

• Texas is home to 32 of the 47 species that live in the United States of America.
• The largest known colony of bats in the world is Bracken Cave Preserve near San Antonio, Texas.
• The largest urban bat colony in the United States can be found in Austin, Texas, at the Congress Avenue Bridge.
• Bats need drinking water sources that are clean and easy to access—meaning no obstructions that would make it difficult for them to fly in and drink water.
• Bats are protected by the state of Texas. This state protection for bats includes both urban and natural habitats.
• Most bats do not have rabies. However, we should avoid activities where we could get bitten. Safety for us and for the bats! A win-win.

• Mexican free-tailed bats are found to be the most common bat found throughout Texas.
• The Texas State Legislature named the Mexican free-tailed bat as the “state flying mammal” in 1995.
• Mexican free-tailed bats are migratory, and they spend their winters in Mexico.
• Mexican free-tailed bats can fly up to 100 miles, round trip, in just one ((1) evening in search of food. 
• Mexican free-tailed bats are great for insect control for both humans and agricultural crops, because they can eat up to two-thirds of their body weight in insects each night!

Thank you for visiting the El Mesteño Ranch website!

Please stay tuned for more incredible bat footage as I keep a good thought (and fingers crossed) that this little bat—and many, many more of its friends—become regular vistors at the water’s edge!

SOURCE:

Texas Parks & Wildlife Bat Webpage: “The Crowded Skies on Texas Summer Nights,” A Year in the Life of a Mexican Free-tailed Bat,” and “Bat-Watching Sites in Texas.”

The post The little bat returns to the watering hole! appeared first on El Mesteño Ranch and Arboretum.

Snoop and Chicle regularly hang out at the watering hole. On this particularly hot, humid day, Snoop decides that some splishing and splashing is called for!

The post Playing in the water…… appeared first on El Mesteño Ranch and Arboretum.

Texas is home to 32 of the 47 species of bats in the United States. That is incredible!

When I saw this little bat spinning, diving, dipping and soaring above the watering hole, my heart skipped a bit out of pure joy! I hope there are more of these little bats around!

The post Bats on the Sand Sheet appeared first on El Mesteño Ranch and Arboretum.

(If this video doesn’t load in your browser, CLICK HERE to see this video on YouTube.com)

The post Little Mouse. Big Snack. appeared first on El Mesteño Ranch and Arboretum.

The post Coyote Track appeared first on El Mesteño Ranch and Arboretum.

An important part of the food chain in all parts of Texas, Cottontail rabbits are frequently thought of as being rodents, like rats and mice, but, they’re not rodents at all. They are classified in their own order called, Lagomorphs.

The post Desert Cottontail appeared first on El Mesteño Ranch and Arboretum.