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Texas Mammals 3 rd_ 6th
1 group- 40 mins classroom, 20 mins-touring mammals
2 and 3 groups- 20 mins- fur, adaptations, reproduction
20 mins- teeth, endangerment
20 mins- tour mammals

What do you mow about mammals? Fur, drink milk, warm-blooded How do mammals
learn? From their parents What are people? Mammals. How do you mow? We have hair

Show killer whale picture. These are mammals because when they are babies, they have
fur around their mouths.
Show stuffed armadillo- Is this a mammal? Yes, you can see the hair underneath. Pass
around. Armadillos always have 4 babies at a time.

FUR AND ADAPTATION

What does "adaptation" mean? What is the annadillo's adaptation? Armor. What is the
bat's adaptation? Flight How does this help the bat? Has a special niche. Can getfood in
a place other mammals cannot (air) Show bat.

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Mammals also have furs that adapt to the habitat that they live in.
Show rabbit fur. Where do you think this rabbit lives, in the cool, or in hot areas? Cool.
They live underground.
Show javelina picture. Where do you think this lives? Dessert. Favorite food is the fruit
of a prickly pear cactus. Show javelina fur. Fur protects against spines of cactus and also
traps cool air close to body to keep them cooled off. Pass fur around.

Mammals also have furs that are used to camouflage.

Show prong homed antelope picture. These live in west Texas where it is hot. The fur is
hollow so cool air traps inside to cool off. Pass fur around.
Show opossum picture and fur. "Wbere do opossums live? Trees How does the color help?
Camouflage

Mammals also use their fur to communicate messages.

Show raccoon picture. Is this animal nocturnal or diurnal? Nocturnal. Raccoons use their
. strip'ed tail to tell other raccoons where a good hunting place is. They wave them in the
air. Show white tailed deer picture. The white underneath is a warning sign to other deer
that danger is around. The white of a skunk is also a warning to other animals to keep
away.

Mammals also use their fur for defense.

Show quill. Quills are adapted fur on the back of the head, neck, back and tail of

•u porcupines. If a predator approaches the porcupine, they will turn their back to the
predator and flares up the quills. They then back up and swing their tail at the predator.
The quills are sharp and have little hooks that make it difficult to remove the quills.
 Show Rabbit. Rabbits have many adaptations. What do you notice about the rabbit? Are
rabbit's prey or predators? prey. What do they eat? Plants. What eats l"abbits? Owls,
bobcats, coyote. The fur keeps them warn underground. Color helps in camouflage. Eyes
can see in every direction so predators have a hard time sneaking up on them. The large
ears help to hear predators, also works in transpiration. Feet are very strong. They can
hop fast and far. They zig-zag~ avoid predators.

REPRODUCTION

How are mammals born? Most are born live from their mothers. But some are born in
eggs. Show picture of echidna and platypus. Some babies are born precocial. These are
babies that can walk and see soon after being born. White tailed deer, horses, cows all
have precocial babies. 'White tail deer live in herds. The babies need to be able to follow
the herd after being born that is why they need to be able to walk. Show picture of hare.
The difference between a hare and a rabbit is that a hare's babies are born precocia!. They
can walk and see soon after being born, where as a rabbit's baby are altricial, which
means it is small, pink, no fur and its eyes are closed. Do people have altricial or
precocial babies? Altricial.
,. .
-:.

Show mice. Mice have a short life span so they have many babies. They have babies at a

• -',
time, and will have several litters per year. The babies are altricial. This means that the
babies are helpless when they are born. They need their parents to care for them and feed
them and move them around.
V,--L.---__·___
TEETH

Show deer skulZ. Notice all the teeth are flat and smooth. They eat soft parts of plants like
leaves and thin branches. They use their long tongue to gather food.

Show porcupine skull. These have incisors and flat teeth. They eat the hard parts of plants
like bark and the trunks of trees. The incisors grow continuously tlrroughout their life.
They must wear down the teeth by chewing.

Show bobcat picture. What does this animal eat? Meat. What type of animal eats only
meat? Carnivore. This skull has only sharp teeth for tearing at the meat.

Show opossum picture and skull. This animal has both sharp and flat teeth. This means
that he eats both plants and meat. This makes him what kind of eater? Omnivore. Would
a opossum have a harder or easier time getting food? Easier.

Show opossum Pablo. What do you notice? Tail, hands, fur. How do they have babies? In
pouches, they are marsupials. What other marsupials can you think of? Kangaroo,
wallaby. Are there any other marsupials in Texas? No. Opossums are food generalists.
They will eat anything, so life is easier for them.

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 ENDANGERMENT

Even with all these adaptations, some mammals still become endangered.
Ocelot. Show picture. Ocelots live along the Rio GTande River. They are endangered
because they were hunted for their fur. Ocelots need a wide range of area to live because
they need to hunt. They are loosing their habitat due to ranchers on the Rio Grande River
and they have only pockets of land to live on instead of large expanses of land. Their
habitats are being cut into smaller areas and the ocelots that live there have small groups
to breed with. This is causing inbreeding and many of the new ocelots are sick or
deformed.

Fe"et. Show ferret. Do ferrets live in Texas? No. They used to live here. The black-
footed ferret live in the U.S. They only ate one type of food, the prairie dog. They were
food specialists. Farmers did not like the prairie dogs because they dug holes into the
ground and their cows and other livestock would step in these holes and hurt the~elves.
The farmers began killing off the prairie dogs. Without the prairie dogs, the ferrets had
nothing to eat and they began dying as well. Scientists thought the black-footed ferret
was extinct until the 1970s when a man brought a dead one to a taxidermist. The
taxidermist told scientists and they found 20 more black footed ferrets. They were
collected and are now being bred and released. They feed them through holes so that they
learn to hunt underground when they are released. What do the black-footed ferrets
need to do to survive? Adapt.

TOUR THE ANIMALS

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 Mammals • Characteristics

The mammal characteristics we cover with kids are:

• Warm-blooded
.. F..ur-Or-hair
• Bear live young
• Produce milk
• Differentiated teeth - 3 ~ ~ ~ olt-~ j ~s

From a scientist's point of view, there is more: ~....Ms ~ .J..~

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• Mammals have true hair, sebaceous (sweat) glknds riJ.t;, bait~ (NtN'- I
• They are homeothermic (warm..blooded) ..:::'/,.0 ,u:~;tJ /;U . ...

.
• They breathe with a diaphragm, have a 4 ..chambered heart, etc. MaKes ~~$IM ~
aw characteristics: single lower jaw bone, the dentary, which forms a effic.;eMl-
•
I? \0 joint with the temporal or squamosal bone in the skull. (Reptiles -have
multiple bones in the lower jaw, and the jaw joint is between the articular
bone on the jaw and the quadrojugal bone on the skull; these bones also
conduct sound to the ear) w 4Wf ~
• Dental characteristics: differentiated teeth, two ~ets of teeth, precise
occlusion of teeth (molars fit together precisely)
• Skull: three middle ear bones (not just the stapes), bowed cheekbone,
u secondary palate. (Reptiles have many more individual bones in their
skulls, which are less rigid). A different set of muscles move the jaw than
in reptiles, for more efficient chewing.
• Other skeletal characteristics: 3-region spine, no cervical or IlJ!llbar ribs,. "J
limbs are canied under the body 7 GANVi t:M. ~~. fe,pfile& ~ ~ b ;.u-+:;;:;;;r
• Mammals lactate (make milk) and most give live birth

How did mammals get to be this way? .When did these traits develop?
Just before the Permian age, there was a large planet..wide mass extinction. Primitive
reptiles developed into a number of different lineages, one of which was the synapsids.

Synapsids ~s~ ~~
Pelycosaurs (including sail..backs, like Dimetrodon. Extinct at end .of Permian)
Early Therapsids di~tuIed /~
Other Therapsid groups J:, ~
Cynodonts ~ ~.'(r~~ -Iv 3. )~
Other Cynodont groups
Mammalia

Therapsids diversified through the Permian and Triassic ages, until they gave rise to true
mammals by the end of the Triassic. Then, all but Mammals went extinct. ~ S~$I·,ls leA
 Mammals • Evolution
Mammalian characteristics appeared a few at a time:
• Synapsids all have cheekbones, and a single opening in the skull for the jaw
muscles.
• Therapsids (which lived about 260-208 million years ago) had more mammal- {i~ do~
like features, including differentiated teeth. Their bones and nasal structures
indicate they were probably warm-blooded. They probabiy had hair. Many later
therapsids show reduction of skull and jaw bones and more rigid skulls.
• Cynodonts had mostly lost cervical and lumber ribs. In cynodonts, the reptile. ~~/~: I
jaw joints were very small, and in some groups a second joint developed between ~ ~
the dentary and the temporal or squamosal bone. The bones in the original joint r~le ~,,~
continued to conduct sound, and eventually became the incus and malleus in the ~~ ~
inner ear of mammals. _ ~~-/i
• By the end of the Triassic, true mammals had appeared, with aImo~the complete 6-H~'~
mammal pac~e of characteristics. 'f1?e E,Ossible exceptions are lactation and ~~
mammal-stylelive'birth. ~~ 1fM46 -l1MJrPfied ~ ~s •
• Mammals were there the entire time dinosaurs were around, but they were mostly
small, and are often mown in the fossil record mostly from teeth. There were
numerous groups, the relationships are unclear, and the methods of birth are
usually unknown:'
• After the dinosaurs were gone, mammals really came into their own, at least in 0.,
most of the world. A number of megafaunas of large mammals have come and
gone since then. .
• At least three lineages of mammals survived the post-Triassic extinction to the
present dRy: the monotremes, marsupials, and placental mammals. All these
groups lactate, but mammaUan live birth is at different stages of development in
th~ L.i~ Ioir-tt. "::ti~~ (Mt-0/lr<- r..,0r+t.. b.tSi~ b ~
fui.t ~~-;:--t,;~~ \O\&t.u.. vlV/i' ~11 1AJcI.o 11 '0
Live Birth
Many animals from many, lineages give live birth (e.g. insects, crustaceans, sharks, bony
fish, amphibians, reptiles). In these cases, the female must still make large eggs with
enough material to make an entire baby.

Monotreme mammals lay small, rubbery eggs, but they do lactate. Marsupials have taken
the first approach to reducing investment in the egg, and nourishing the fetus later. They
give birth to their young at a very early (really fetal) stage, and nourish them with milk at
their teats to complete the offspring's development. At one time marsupials were
di~buted worldwide, but now survive only in the Americas and Australasia

Placental mammals have an even better answer. Their fetuses make a new organ, the
placenta, which allows them to develop within the mother's body for extended periods of
time, and start ~om very minimal eggs.
 Orders of Mammals ~ ~tf"(. fa~ ·

Prototheria (egg-laying)
Order Monotremata (duck-billed platypus and spiny anteaters)

Metather.ia.(marsupial~ P~'17 AI trH.e p9;4 ~~ ~ n-f fJlAMd-

Order Didelphimorphia (American marsupials, including opossum)
Order Dasyuromorphia (marsupial carnivores)
OrderPeramelemorphia(bandicoots) ., S.~~ O)1U ~~
Order Di.protodontia (kangaroos et.al~ ~ ~~.rt::; ~
Order Microbiothenia /~t:J ~ ~ ~
Order Paucituberculata P\tAIvf ~ J ~ •

Eutheria (placental mammaJ~ •~~~fj::

Order Insectivora (moles, hedgehogs, shrews) ~~~~
Order Dermoptera (flying lemurs)
Order Pholidota (pangolins and scaly anteaters)
Order Tubulidentata (aardvark)
Qrder ·Xenartbra..or Edendata (sloths,..armadillas,JiD.te~

7< (order Chiroptera (megabats and microbats - about 1000 species)

lOrder Primates (marmosets, tamarins, lemurs, tarsiers, etc.)
u (Order Lagomorpha (pikas, rabbits and hm:esj "
~ lOrder Redentia (squirrels, beavers, gophers, mice, rats, porcupines,
cavies, etc. - another big, successful group)

Order Cetacea .(baleen whales and toothed w~

-Ie Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates - pigs, hippos, camels,
giraffes, deer, pronghorns, antelope,
bovines, sheep and goats - the third largest group)
Order Peiissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates - horses, tapirs,IhinosJ

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Order Carnivora (cats, mongooses, dogs, bears, pandas, raccoons,
hyenas, weasels)
Order Pinnipedia~.seals, sea lions, wa.Jmses~

~~ {Order Hyracoidea (h~

. Order Proboscidea (elephants)
Order Sirena (manatees and dugongs)
u Texas Mammals Info

What are the basic mammal characteristics?

• fur
• milk
• live birth
• warm blooded
• learning brain
• differentiated teeth

Why are there so many mammals? How have they survived so long?

Adaptations- changes over the years so that they are better able to survive in their niche.
Examples: armadillo: adaptation is armor, Owl : night predator

Mammal visitor: Mexican Freetail Bat

Go over mammal characteristics
Adaptations: nocturnal, flying, flat! big ears for echolocation, nose flap

Fur Adaptaions
*javelina pic-lives in desert so fur isn't thick so that the animal stays cool and it provides
sun protection, eats flower from a prickly pear cactus so it's fur is brittle to let it get close
to cactus
u *Pronghom pic- antelope in West Texas, show antlers and fur
*Opossum pic- show fur, camouflage is adaptation for hiding
*Racoon Pic- tail signal is adaptation for communication
*Deer pic - sticks tail up so that white the whit underside is visible, communication
adaptation.
*Porcupine quill- (From Africa-Big) Porcupines in TX aren't that big, Quill adapted kind
of fur for protection.

Mammal Visitor-Rabbit
Go over Mammal characteristics
Adaptations- big ears for hearing (they can turn them) and thermoregulation, eyes on
side(prey animal) so they can see all around, nose for smelling, big feet to jump far plus
they jump side to side, long claws for digging burrows and getting food, Camoflage, fur
thick for warmth, Teeth constantly grow just like rodents however they are in their own
group because they have top and bottom incisors vs rodents just have those type of teeth
on top of mouth.

Teeth Adaptations
*Deer skull- Teeth for eating soft parts of leaves and the sharp sides of the teeth are for
scraping bark off trees in winter.
*Porcupine skull- N. America porcupine skull has incisors that grow (not a rodent
though), eats the hard part of plants (like rabbit) like roots, stems, so that it files down
u their teeth
 *Bobcat pic and skulI- Carnivore, all sharp teeth for eating meat
u *Opossum pic and skulI- flat and sharp teeth- omnivore, gives it a lot of choices for food

Mammal Visitor:Opossum
Go over mammal characteristics
Adaptations- Big tail for holding onto things and for balance walking in trees; He can
grab onto things with a114 feet; marsupial- only one in U.S, only the strongest make it
because they have to crawl into the pouch, there are only 13 nipples and a lot of babies;
lots of babies so generations come quickly and the population grows fast.

Mammal Visitor: Mice

Go over mammal characteristics
Adaptations- lots of babies, generations come faster and population grows more quickly,
learning brain adaptation, altricial vs. precocial babies, 2 mammals that don't give live
birth

Show Jack Rabbit Pic- Belongs to the Hare family, not rabbit, precocial vs altricial rabbit
White tailed Deer pic- precocial babies
Ocelot pic- Rio Grande River, Endangered due to hunting for fur, talk about what
endangered means. Also endangered due to need of a wide home range. Farmers with
big ranches and suburbs create pockets and inbreeding, causes deformities and immune
deficiencies

Mammal Visitor: Ferret

Mammal Characteristics
Adaptations- flexible for crawling around in holes, ears flat against head for crawling
underground, good sense of smell, communication through musk. Talk about Black
footed Ferret.

What do Animals need to do to survive? Adapt to their surroundings through fur, teeth,
eyes, smell, scent, etc.

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 THE KIDS' WIL~..(.JOOK

FOOD HEI
.~ HtlJI,
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The armadillo Is one of the strangest and most fascinating

mammals found In North America. this odd little creature Is
~ INStl.Ts
only about the size of a house cat. It's covered with hard,
BIRO"S'
horny plates. Whenever possible, the armadillo escapes
. danger by scuttling Into brush so thick that most enemies can't
!=ollow It. or It dives Into its burrow. • •
W ebbs

Its tough
well, covering
however, serves
if it can't escape V~ry~~~~§!~i~§;~ ~~e.~
the armadillo
by running
into a burrow or dense brush. Then it
curls Itself Into a ball to protect Its . .,~~~
soft underside. In this position, It
can also kick Its enemies very
hard with Its strong hind legs
and long claws. This defense
makes many enemies think
twice about having armadillo
fordinnerl
The armadillo belongs to a
special group of mammals that
Includes sloths and anteaters.
Most armadillos live In South
and Central America, but the
nine-banded armadillo also
lives In a small section of the
southwestern United States.
Fun reads: Ask at the library for
lust So Sto~ies: The Beginning
.)f the Armadillo by Rudyard Kipling.
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THE NINE-BANDED ARMADILlO • .

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Lool( at l1y Armor

The first Europeans to come to South and
Central America were Spanish, and they
gave the armadillo Its name. Armadillo
(pronounced arma-DEE-Yo In Spanish)
means little armed (or armored) one.
The armadillo doe~ Indeed look almost
like an animal in a suit of armor, and the

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comparison Isn't silly. The armor worn by
knights In olden days had big plates held
together by flexible joints, so that the
knights could move. Well, the armadillo
uses much the same system. It has one
big plate covering the front part of Its
body, another big plate covering the
rear, and nine flexible bands In the middle
of Its body. These bands, of course, give
our armadillo Its name of "nine-banded. "
let·s compare: Look at pictures In a
library book or an encyclopedia of the
armor that knights used to wear, or go to
a museum that has real suits of armor on
REAl!
FR.ON-r_ display. Then study the armor worn by
Pt..It"8
PLAT' turtles and armadillos. Which animal has
armor that Is the most like the armor
humans used? Think of the advantages
t\eA" and disadvantages that each kind of
f£,I\1'£ armor has. Which kind of armor would
you rather have, and why?
-rA't... fLA1'E-~
 THE KIDS' WILDt.. (,OK

fOOD HEY·'- •

Ofllt\IMH otl..s

@
I n Virginia, In 1612, the famous Captain John Smith became the
first European to describe an opossum, or possum, as It Is known
for short. He wrote, In what seems to us the strange spelling of
that time, "An Opassum hath a head like a Swine, & a talle like a ~WDR"'S.
MILE

rat, and Is of the Blgnes of a Cat. ,.

That's a very good description. It's not hard to tell a possum when
you see one for the first time. With Its long, naked tall, It looks a little"
like a rat, although It's a lot bigger - about the size of
a house cat, In fact. The base of Its tall Is black,
_
--::;;3 .;;;i?fb~,,-:-~----.;;:o
• I .m GA~MG E
~ f,IRPS'
and so are Its short, rounded ears. It has a --.
t6C7S

e
very long, pOinted face that's nearly
white, with a pink nose at the end.
The "fur on Its body Is usually light NII'S
gray In the North, but Is often
darker In the South.

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t
A mouthful: The possum has Ie
50 teeth - that's more than any other tl
mammal that Isn't a marsupial. How many do C
other mammals have? Try to count your teeth? Ask your C
friends how many teeth they think a dog, a cat, a mouse,
or a whale has? Then ask a grown-up to help you look In the C
encyclopedia to find out the number of teeth these mammals k(
actually have, How close were you and your friends? A
 .
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. .
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THE OPOSSUM •

-
Like all marsupials, possum
babies are so tiny and unde-
veloped that they couldn't
possibly survive without the
protection of their mother's
pouch. They're born blind,
deaf, and hairless.
Right after birth, the tiny
possums travel about two
Inches to the pouch, where
they nurse on their mother's
milk for about three months.
Some of the babies can't
even manage to travel that
two Inches, and die before
they reach the pouch.
After about three months,
the young possums come out
of the pouch. About a week
later. they begin traveling with
their mother on her nightly
feeding expeditions. Often
they'll ride by clinging to her
long fur (not by hanging from
her tail), but sometimes they'll
scamper along beside her.
Then, after a few more weeks,
they're on their own.
So very tiny: Newborn pos-
sums are no bigger than a
raisin. They're so tiny that a
teaspoon can hold an entire

ANorth Wherever their mother goes

(and she travels a long way
each night looking for food),
litter of them!
Try It: Fill a teaspoon with 10 -

AmerltaD her babies ride with her In the

pouch. Male possums go their
15 raisins. Can you believe
how tiny these creatures are?

Marsupial separate way after mating

and have nothing to do with
raising the young possums.
No wonder they are such
fragile newborns.

The opossum Is a marsupial, which Is a mammal that carries Its tiny

young In a pouch until they're big enough to come out Into the
world. Marsupials are among the world's most primitive mammals,
but they seem to have been highly successful In surviving for a very
long time. One advantage marsupials have Is that they can carry
their babies with them. This allows the mother to search for food In
a much larger area than she could If she had to return often to a
den to feed her young.
Marsupials are common In Central and South America, and of
course, Australia Is famous for such marsupials as the kangaroo and
1!o~1 ) . However, the opossum Is the only marsupial found In Nortr )
- ca. )
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.-IE OPOSSUM • 23

Opossum is the name which Native
Americans gave this animal, and It's
not surprising that they had legends
about something that was so coml."",
mon In parts of North America. The
Creek Indians, who lived in what are
now Alabama and neighboring
states, created an Interesting legend
to explain how the possum got his
long, naked, ratlike tall.
The possum wonted to be as handsome as the
raccoon, so he pointed a mask on his face. But
the other animals just mode fun of hIm, so he
decIded that he wanted his furry toll to have
rings, like the raccoon's.
Possum asked the raccoon how to have a
ringed toil, and the raccoon told him to wrap
strips of bark oround his toil and then hold his toll
in the fire. Possum did this, but the fire burned 011
the hoir off his tOll, ond his toil remoins naked to
this very doyf
Tell a tale: Imagine that you're
an American Indian of long ago.
entertaining your people with
stories around the fire at night.
Make up your own legend about
why the possum has such a long.
pointed face with so many teeth.
Use your imagination to create
the most interesting story you can
think of.

LIFE (AN BE SHORT

One of the most unusual things about this un-
usual animal Is Its short life span. For its adult size,
the opossum Is one of the shortest-lived animals
In the world. A house cat often lives for 15 years
or more, but possums In the wild rarely live to be
more than 2 years old - and most don't even
last that long. Why? No one knows for sur-e, but
possums seem to live life at a very fast pace and
wear out quickly.
Even so, the species has been able to sUNive
because the females have so many babies at an
early age. The mother has her first litter of 10 - 15
babies when she's only 6 - 9 months Old. If she
lives long enough, she'll have another litter in
another 6 - 9 months.
.. _- -- -.-------------- .------------_._-----------_.. ---_ ... _- /
/
/
 ,.... f'"
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24 • THE KIDS' WILDLIFE BOOK
PLAYING POSSUM
H ave you ever heard the expression
.. playing possum"? It means keeping so
still that something seems to be d~ad. Some
people think that the opossum ploys dead
when it's in danger. Possums often do ap-
pear to be dead when they really aren't but
they're not exactly pretending. The possum,
with its very small brain, isn't smart enough
to think, or pretend. Instead, It just reacts
automatically, much like you do when you
blink when someone waves a hand In front
of your face. This is called a reflex action.
A possum threatened by a predator first
shows its mouthful of sharp teeth, growls,
and hisses almost like an angry cot. If that
doesn't work, the possum may try to run
away. But if the predator, such as a dog,
coyote, or human, grabs the possum, it goes
.r
I ;-
~ i
c c
~o ~o
limp with its eyes wide open and seems ~o be
dead. Sometimes this works, and the predator
loses interest: the possum may continue to
appear dead for several hours.
Coyote and possum game: Here's something
you can play with two or more people - the
more people (opossums), the funnier It gets.
Put on some favorite music; all the opossums
then dance away with all sorts of silly gyra-
tions. The person who Is the Coyote suddenly
turns the music off, and the possums must
freeze Into total stillness. Don't move a muscle;
don't change to a more comfortable position.
Coyote walks around and tries to make you
smile, lough, move, scratch an itch. If you do,
Coyote will have caught you and you will be
out. Last one left gets to be Coyote next time.
,r
~o
f:0
Using Its feet
The possum is said to sleep while hang-
Ing by Its tall, but biologists who spend
a great deal of time watching wild
possums have never seen this done.
Possums sometimes wrap their long tolls
around a branch, but they do this more
for balance than to hang by the tall.
The confusion Is probably because of
the possum's unusual hind feet. Four of
its toes have sharp claws, but the fifth
has no nail and Is placed almost like
the thumb on a human or a monkey.
This means that the possum can grip
a branch with Its hind feet just the way
a monkey can with its front feet. A
possum can easily hang from a branch
by Its hind feet. and It's these feet,
rather than its tail, which make the
possum such a great climber.
!
:
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 c (,nE OPOSSUM • 25

••••••••••••
~ ____~-=: HeME:-=__________
• .SWEET:
:••••••••••••
HeME = P ossums usually rest in some
sort of den. Like their taste
in food, possums aren't fussy about a den, as
long as it provides some shelter and protection
from enemies. A possum den can be in a hollow
tree or log, an underground burrow. an old
• RAN$ME MAP • woodchuck hole, a brush pile, a culvert, or even
Where are we?: After you find underneath a building. Possums otten use a
RANGE As you've noticed,
there are range maps
for each animal In this
yourself on the range mop, flip
through this book and draw a
number of dens, too. As they roam around their
territory in search of food, they may sleep in one
MAPS book. These maps tell
you where each animal
picture of each animal that lives
where you do. Post this on your
den for a night or two, then move on to another.
and then to still another. It doesn't matter to the
species lives In North America. It is impor- refrigerator so that you will know possum, as long as it can find food nearby.
tant to first find where you live on the what animals to look for when
you go out exploring.

- - -. -.- - .
map. That way you will know If there is
likely to be a chance for you to see a
partIcular type of wildlife near where you ma 1~,Y.!,f!~I~r-·---
live. Perhaps you visIt a grandparent or
good friend In another part of the coun-
try. Begin noticing whIch animal species
you might look for on your next visit. MarSUPial ancestors of the possum
Occasionally you'll hear about an were among the early mammals.
unusual sighting of an animal - perhaps The oldest marsupial fossil was found
because of a mild winter. Well, the in Alberto, Canada and is about 85
opossum has actually permanently million years old. That means that
changed Its range over the years. It was • marsupials evolved during the age
once mostly seen In the southeastern of dinosaurs. At that time, most of
United States, although It came as far the continents were part of one
north as Ohio, Indiana, and VirgInia. huge land mass which we now call
SInce then, however, the possum has Gondwanaland.
steadily Increased Its range. This may be
due partly to a very gradual warming of
the climate. Also, people have carried
possums to new places without realizing
It by car and plane. So keep an eye out;
you never know when you will see an /
/
animal out of Its traditional range. /
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 After an existence of 100 million years, opossums are not likely to ever
U become extinct because of people. They have adapted very well to human
encroachment and have actually prospered. There are more opossums in
densely populated human areas than there are in the woods! Because of this
however, individual opossums do not fare well at times. Besides falling
victim to cars, they are also killed by cats and dogs, and poisoned by our trash.

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A mouthful: The possum he

50 teeth ~ that's more than any othe
mammal that Isn't a marsupial. How many de
other mammals have? Try to count your teeth? Ask you:
friends how many teeth they think a dog, a cat, a mouse
or a whale has? Then ask a grown-up to help you look In thE
encyclopedia to find out the number of teeth these mammal~
actually have. How close were you and your friends';'
 c
.-..... ,-....
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Whew! 1l Skunk!
-
B ave you ever seen or smelled a skunk? Almost every Skunks aren't quick to spray their scent;
one tias, because skunks are very common. Their they only do It If they're frightened or
strong, long-lasting scent certainly helps to repel most feel very threatened. The striped skunk
predators. simply lifts Its tall and sprays when
When we think of skunks, we usually think of the striped danger threatens, but the spotted
skunk that weighs up to 14 pounds, the size of a house cat. skunk has a very odd way of
This black animal with the white stripes on Its back Is a defending Itself; It stands on
familiar sight throughout most of North America. Sometimes Its front feet when It sprays
Its stripes are so wide that they come together, and Its Its scent. Skunks can spray
whole back Is white. But there are other skunks In North scent for about twelve feet.
America, Including the spoffed skunk - only weighing A skunk can fire two or three
about a pound - which Is also widespread and common. full blasts of spray In quick
Most members of the weasel family are active all winter, succession If it has to. Then It
but not the skunk - at least not In cold northern areas. has to recharge Its scent
Although the skunk doesn't hibernate, It will take to glands - but that's not much
Its den when cold and snow arrive and stay there help, because this only takes
for weeks until the weather warms. about half an hour!
It's hard to tell how the story
got started that a skunk can't
spray If It's picked up by the tail.
~WHR1'5FOR People who have tried It have
found out to their sorrow that It
r----~ DINNER , - Isn't true! Baby skunks are very
cute, and people sometimes
think It's safe to pick them up. It isn't,
L ike opossums and raccoons,
skunks will devour almost
anything. They feed on earth-
for two reasons. First, a baby skunk can
spray Its powerful scent when it's less
than four weeks old, so watch out! If
worms, Insects, nuts, garbage, you don't want to smell like a skunk
dead animals, grain, mice, yourself, It's best to leave ALL skunks
eggs, berries - just about alone. Second, skunks can carry robles, 5
everything an animal could so It's not safe to handle them at any f
possibly eat! age, ever. I-
f
t
 THE WHITE-TAILED DEER • 75

I food for When warm weather foods -like grasses and mushrooms - are no longer
around, deer eat different foods, mostly browse, or the tender tips of twigs.
In the fall, acorns and beechnuts are an Important part of their diet; they
"t({f SHAll ~
~~~
I Thought help build up body fat needed to survive especially cold, hard winters.
Have you ever heard of anyone In your area trying to feed deer during a
r···~ ~ t~'t··,
: ~ me yJ\t\'(
very hard winter? Well-meaning people often try to give deer hay or grain
when the deer are in danger of starving. Unfortunately, It doesn't help, and
can harm the deer. Deer depend on bacteria and other tiny organisms
(called microorganisms) in their stomachs to digest their food, and these
:A
•
•
:
good deer wintering area
(sometimes called a deer-
yard, although nothing like a
:
•:
•
:
microorganisms change according to the deer's seasonal diet.
• barnyard) has dense groves of tall •
In the winter, when deer feed on browse, the microorganisms
: conifers - at least 35 feet tall. The :
In their stomachs can't digest things like hay and grain.
• thick tops of the conifers (ever- •
That's why deer can starve to death in the winter even
with stomachs full of hay
•
• greens that have needles and •
•
• cones) catch much of the snow, •
andgralnl
: keep it from reaching the ground, :
: and also help to break the wind. :
• With less snow on the ground, It's •
: much easier for the deer to make :
• trails and move around to seek •
: food. Good wintering areas are :
• very important to the survival •
: of deer in severe northern winters. :
: Environmentally yours: Find out :
: from your local conservation officer :
• where there are deer wintering •
: areas near you, and then stay out :
• of them In the winter. Urge others •
•
• to stay out of them, too. Why? ••
: Because if deer are disturbed by :
• humans or by dogs, they burn a •
: great deal more energy running :
• away than they would otherwise. •

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In a severe winter, deer can die

·~ ..............
: because of this extra energy lossl
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my ~I~Y SNVftfJ:'
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Skunks and their relatives (weasels, wolverines, ferrets, badgers, otters, minks)
belong to a group of mammals called "mustelids" which is Latin for "mouse
catcher". All of the mustelids have a gland under their tail that produces a smelly
liquid called "musk".

The skunk can spray this liquid up to 15 feet and can spray when only a few days
old. The chemical in the spray has a burning effect which will cause temporary
blindness if it gets in the eyes.

Only the spotted skunk does a head stand before it sprays. A striped skunk will
stamp its front paws as a warning.

Tomato juice or vinegar is really the best way to get the smell off of hair or skin.
Clothes must be bleached. There is a product called SKUNK OFF available at pet
stores, that has shown mixed results.
u
The skunk's bold black and white pattern is a warning to other nocturnal creatures.

A skunk has poor eyesight,poor sense of smell, poor sense of hearing (its ears are too
furry). Its only good sense is its sense of touch.

A skunk uses its long front claws to dig up grubs, worms and other small animals.
Skunks are omnivores and will raid trash cans and eat carrion off roadsides.

A skunk's biggest enemy (besides humans) is the Great Homed Owl. The owls
cannot smell and often prey on skunks.

Baby skunks will folow their mother in single file behind her until they are 6
months old.

Skunks carry rabies. They are also one of the most serious carriers of rabies since
they can be sick with it for a long while before they die from it. Skunks are the
number one carrier of rabies in Texas. You should not try to handle a skunk.
Skunks that are out during the day are SICK. They may have either rabies or
distemper. If you see a skunk wondering around in the daytime, call animal
control.
u
 USEFUL ANIMAL FACTS
COTTONTAILS
Cottontails are prevalent in the meadows at the ANC and it is not uncommon to
see them on the walks. They nest all year, so it is possible to see young at any time.
u The newborns are altricial (hairless and blind at birth) and stay in the nest for
about two weeks before they begin exploring. The mothers often leave the young to
forage and it is very important to stress to the students that no newborn mammals
should ever be disturbed. The cottontails prefer feeding at dawn and dusk; they eat
grasses, weeds, buds, and twigs. Life is very difficult for these beautiful
mammals, and the average life-span is only six months. The most likely predator
at ANC would be the owls. .

OPOSSUMS ~
The common opossum is fascinating because it is the only North American
marsupial. A litter of twenty babies could fit into a teaspoon! They develop in the
mother's pouch and are often seen riding on her back when they first emerge. The
opossum has 50 teeth--more than any other land mammal in the U.S. They are
best known for "playing possum", an involuntary reaction brought on by a
threatening situation. The slow-witted opossum is omnivorous and will eat fruit,
grains, small mammals, insects, eggs, and birds. The female opossum carefully
constructs a nest for her young out of any soft materials she can find, and she
carries these with her tail. The opossum is completely nocturnal.

RACCOONS
The chiefly nocturnal raccoon is never seen on trail ~alks, but because it is a great
favorite witl1 the children it is a good idea to point out possible habitats apd discl.:1ss
its' habits. Raccoons prefer maJting dens in hollow trees or in rock crevices and - .
they·nest near lakes or creeks. when possible so that they may easily find food in the
water at night. This intelligent mammal is omnivorous, and might eat rodents,
rabbits, eggs, insects, fruits and nuts, and o( course, the .fish, frogs, and crayfish
in the creeks. Raccoons are bright and playful, and are well-known for their
.highly coordinated and s.ensitive paws.
ROCK SQUIRRELS·
Plump and playful rock squirrels are often spotted- on the rock ledges. along the
trails. They are only active during the day, and can be seen returning your stares
as they sunbathe lazily. Rock squirrels are ground dwellers and prefer to make
dens under rocky ledges or even in the soft ground of a hillside. Unlike tree
squirrels, they do not like to eat nuts, and choose seeds, grasses, fruits, and
occasionally insects and meat as their staple diet. The females can be seen
carrying nesting materials in their cheek pouches in the spring. It is a treat to see
two rock squirrels chasing and wrestling, and if you are quiet enough they will
give you quite a show.
FOX SQUIRRELS
These squirrels are a common friendly face for most of the trailwalkers. Most at
home in tree branches, their fast and playful antics are always entertaining on the
trail. It is possible to find the large squirrel nests on ANC trails and the students
always enjoy spotting them. These attractive rodents eat nuts, berries, fruit, an
assortment of buds, pine cones, and even mushrooms that would make humans
quite ill! Female squirrels are attentive mothers who train their young to bury food
stores and to avoid predators.

_ .J
NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO
Armadillos, while mostly nocturnal animals, are rarely seen along the ANC
trails, but they make their presence known by the evidence of their burrows and
tbheir conspicuous hrootings. m~~!h tdheir long ,. ~~~erfuldclaws they dig for larval ('\
eetles, ants, eart worms, pe es, and SI ar un erground creatures.
Roots, berries, amphibians, reptiles, and bird eggs make up only a tiny percentage
of their diet. Armadillos are, of course, mammals, despite their shell-like armor.
They do have a sparse amount of hair, and they give birth to live young. There are
always four babies of the same sex, genetically identical quadruplets from a single
egg. Although armadillos can swim, they have an odd habit of walking across a
stream on the bottom! .
 14~I
Fore I 2

I~A
lI;nclI2~1

YOU MAY KNOW TEXAS WilDLIFE, Bur

00 YO(J KNOW7NEIR TRACKS? SOME
lll(E mE RABBITAND POSSUM liRE - Hind
I~~'"
~G
- TR.ACKS OF THE OOtlles-
EASILY RECOGNIZED. OTHERS S(JCH I~ TIC PI6 AilE. ABOUT
AS THE COYOTE, PEER, PECCARY, AN£) _ Q1~ __ TWICE THIS SIZS •
BOBCAT MAY BE. CONFUSED WITH Fro"t.
71fEIR DOMESTICATED COUSINS TilE
00(7, PIG, ANOIIOQ5E{AT. TRACKS
ARE EtlSllYFOllOWEO IN SNOW OR
L.OOSE SAND, BUTPRINT~- MAPE IN
SOFT MUO ARE BEST FOR STUDY .

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';' t 7 MONG/lEJ.lJ(I(.
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TRACK'S OF 71/£'~
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COTTONTAIL RABBIT
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RACCOON
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FWD Leaflet 9000-1 '"~.. ,~~.
Printed for Your Information by TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
 COMMANDMENT~
OF SHOOTING SAFETY
"'i ~
Treat every gun with the respect due a loaded gun. This
- ~ is the cardinal rule of gun safety.
U (J

Guns carried into camp or home must always be unloaded.

'.-.,
~'!
taken down or have actions openi guns always should
.;:~o
be encased until reaching the shooting area.

Always be sure that the barrel and action are clear of

obstructions.

Always carry your gun so that you can control the direc-
tion of the muzzle. even if you stumble. Keep the safety
on until you are ready to shoot.

[~: Be sure of your target before you pull the trigger.

t:;!Jo

Never point a gun at anything you do not want to

shoot.

Unattended guns should be unloadedi guns and ammuni-

:'~/? tion should be stored safely beyond reach of children
:..; 0
and careless adults.

Never climb a tree or a fence with a loaded gun.

Never shoot at a flat. hard surface 0. the surface of

water.

~L~) c' Do not mix gunpowder and alcohol.

~iG~>W~~
buted by TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE

Austin: Texas
 Cats Texas
by W. B. DAVIS
Head of Dept. of Wildlife Management
A&M College
MONG TEXAS BRAGS listed a "first" the In addition, Texas can claim as residents the moun-
A is in
variety of kinds of wild cats that roam her spacious
acres.
tain lion, whose range embraces most of North and
South America, and the bobcat, which ranges from
Four Central American cats (jaguar, jaguarundi, oce- central Mexico northward into Canada. In fact, there
lot and margay) range northward into the brushland is only one native wild cat living north of the Rio
south of San Antonio from Mexico. The jaguarundi and Grande and the Gulf of California which is not found
the margay occur in the United States only in this brush- in Texas. It is that lover of cold climates-the Canadian
land; the other two are found also in Arizona. lynx.

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.. _._- .......

, ,','
Puma. 01' Mountain Lion
T HE MOUNTAIN LION is an unspotted cat. Males
may be as much as 8 feet, 6 inches; females, 6 feet,
71h inches. Weight of three males averaged 184 (160-
227) pounds; six females, 118 (105-133) pounds.
The mountain lion now, because of continued perse-
cution, is common nowhere except in the more remote,
thinly populated sections.
Retiring and shy by nature, and largely nocturnal by
habit, :the mountain lion is seldom seen in its native
haunts.
The food of the lion is almost entirely animal matter,
but, as the domestic cat, it occasionally eats grasses.
The chief item of its diet is deer. But the high percent-
age of predation on deer is beneficial from a game
management view in most instances because the lion
tends to prevent overpopulation of deer-a serious prob-
lem in many areas where the lion has been extermi-
nated. The lion disposes of sick and diseased deer.

Bobcat
T HE BOBCAT IS a medium-sized, reddish brown
cat about the size of a chow dog. Length of the
adult is about 3 feet, 6 inches. Weight is 12 to 20
pounds, occasionally up to 36 pounds in old, fat males.
The bobcat's food consists mainly of small mammals
and birds. Among the mammals found in bobcat stom-
achs, wood rats, ground squirrels, mice and rabbits
supply the bulk of the diet. Occasionally deer are
killed and eaten, but most of the deer meat found in
bobcat stomachs has been carrion. The bobcat also
preys upon domestic sheep, goats and poultry. The
predatory damage is not great, except- in rare instances.
The bobcat is the only native Texas cat which is other reddish. Length of males is about 3 feet, 6 inches,
important as a fur animal. of which the tail is more than haH.
The jaguarundi, a denizen of the dense, thorny thick-
Byra Cat, 01' jaguarunJi ets of South Texas, reportedly eats rats, mice, birds
and rabbits. Of all the cats, this one excels in ability

T HE JAGUARUNDI is about twice the size of an

alley cat. It has two color phases, one grayish, the
to spring and jump, considering its size. No informa-
tion is available on home life, growth and develop-
 mente Anyone having the opportunity to study this in-
teresting cat should do so and report his .findings for
the record.
This cat is too rare in the United States to be of
economic importance. The clearing of brushlands in
the Rio Grande Valley threatens to destroy its habitat
in Texas and to add it to the growing list of 'Vanished
Texas Animals."
Bl Tigre, or Jaguar
T HE JAGUAR is the largest and most robust of the
spotted American cats. Large males may grow as
long as seven feet and weigh up to 200 pounds. This
cat is now extremely rare in Texas. Its food habits are
not well known. In Mexico it is known to prey on pec-
-u
caries and in the Amazon region it catches fruit-eating
fish using its sharp claws as gaff hooks, and it probably
preys on deer and large ground-dwelling birds when
such items are available.
Dr. E. W. Nelson reported that it is also fond of sea
turtle eggs. The jaguar roams the beaches on spring
nights, digs up the turtle eggs and enjoys a delectable
repast.
This large cat is not common enough in Texas to be
of economic importance. (If you know of records of
jaguar kills in Texas, please write the author.)
Domestic, 01' Peral Cat
WLE
THE DOMESTIC cat
W has adapted itself in extraordi-
nary fashion to man's customs, it has
not altogether lost its wild traits. Of-
ten sleek, sleepy, and well-behaved
by day, the cat, by night, may be-
come a stealthy and sl'rious predator.
In the course of a bobwhite quail
experiment in East Texas, cats killed
8 quail and 10 cardinals in the ex-
perimental traps, on olle occasion 6
quail at one time.
Cats also are known to catl'll and
consume cotton rats and pocket
gophers, and according to shldics in
T(~xas, cats COllsume Attwah'r prairie
chick('n, m('adowlarks, chick('n flt'sh
and featl11'rs.
Margay
~,
S IMILAR TO THE OCELOT in color and color
pattern, but,smaller and more slender is the margay.
Total length is about three feet. Little is known of its
breeding habits and food, but opossums are included in
its diet.
It is known from Texas only on the basis of one
specimen taken at Eagle Pass by Col. S. Cooper almost
100 years ago. Hunters and trappers should take par-
ticular pains to save all skins and skulls of the spotted
cats and send them in for positive identification. It
seems unlikely that the margay is as rare in Texas as
records indicate.

Ocelot
HE OCELOT IS THE MOST beautiful Texas cat.
T Itis unique in that no two ocelot pelts are alike.
Adult males may be as much as 3 feet, 10 inches long;
females up to 3 feet. Weight is 20-35 pounds. Although
the ocelot's food habits have not been determined com-
pletely, Dr. Nelson found that birds, including domes-
tic poultry, are captured on their roosts, and rabbits,
wood rats, mice of many kinds, as well as snakes and
other reptiles are important items in the ocelot's diet.
The beautiful cat is of slight economic importance
in Texas. Its raw pelt commands a price of from $6 to
$10 as a curio. Also, it has some value as an object of ~
sport when hunted with dogs. Its population in the
United States is being reduced year by year, chiefly by
predator control activities of the Fish and Wildlife
Service and the clearing of brush in the Rio Grande
Valley. Its complete extirpation in Texas is anticipated
in the near future. 00

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PWD Leaflet 9000-22 Reprinted from TEXAS GAME &'FISH, August 1962
April 1977