Coastal Texas Notes

Coastal Texas Mammals

In April 2022, three independent teams were in Coastal Texas for mammal watching; all three had other interests / work obligations going on at the same time, so nobody’s list is extensive.

Report is posted by Charles Hood, who was traveling with Dr. Jose Gabriel Martinez-Fonseca.

I can be reached at: hoodcw at gmail dot com.

Some notes on things that are NOT raccoons….

Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat

Three teams tried in / around Mustang Island State Park, South Padre Island. CH and Jose walked dunes as well as driving side roads. Found old burrows, maybe old tracks, no living animals. It maybe was too busy (Easter)? Too much moonlight? All three teams dipped.

Coues’ Rice Rat

Night visit to boardwalk where Jon Hall had two in November turned up just “rat sp” in the heat scope (and a sleeping sora, and some raccoons).

Hispid Cotton Rat

Anahuac NWR eg the Butterfly Garden (heat scope helps a lot); Peveto Woods, Louisiana; also Paul Carter had some at Laguna Atascosa at the photo blind near visitor center.

Texas Pocket Gopher

CH and Jose had it at the dirt lot by Days Inn, Port Aransas, Piper Blvd and Highway 361. Paul Carter had two sites: Port Aransas Beach, E Cotter Ave., “in sidewall of dune bank,” and also at Mustang Island State Park.

Llano Pocket Gopher

CH and Jose tried Jon Hall’s site in Mason on the airport road and looked on our own for new sites in Mason and Llano. No active mounds discovered.

Swamp Rabbit

Peveto Woods, Louisiana—common and easy. Paul Carter also had it at Aransas NWR at the observation deck parking area.

Nutria/Coypu

Shoveler Pond auto loop, Anahuac.

Other notes

Paul Carter had a bobcat at Anahuac Butterfly Garden at sunset and a ringtail at South Llano River State Park, Junction, Texas. Axis deer and blackbuck common around Kerrville. For the Mexican free-tailed bat colony, Congress Avenue Bridge, Austin, the emergence varies in size each night; websites track the daily totals. I had not appreciated that some nights < ten percent fly.