In the first image you see a young specimen of Ulmus crassifolia, also known as the cedar elm tree. Visible on this tree are places where the bark has been stripped away down to the white wood underneath. In some parts of Texas, you can see activity like this on small branches and twigs due to the activity of rats. Obviously, something larger has been busy here.

In this image, another young tree has been nearly stripped of bark along its trunk.

Closer inspection of the trunk shows places where large teeth have been at work and have scored the trunk. Porcupines range into western Texas where they feed on various kinds of herbaceous plants during the year. They will also eat the inner bark of some types of trees. From the looks of the trees in these photos, they enjoy young cedar elm bark considerably.

In this last image, you can see where the porcupine was able to feed close to the ground and avoid having to climb for his dinner. Porcupines are largely nocturnal, but they can be seen about in the daytime. I have yet to encounter a live one of these large rodents and I am looking forward to seeing one peeling tree bark one of these days.

The post Invisible Porcupines appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

On a cool morning in March 2017, I was traveling towards home after a productive photo safari. I chanced upon three Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus, in a field of winter wheat. The morning was cool and the wind was blowing. All three deer were bedded down in the wide open space of this field. Naturally, I was struck by this opportunity, I parked near by, and began to approach these deer. The older female pictured here was the first to jump up, she studied me closely as I approached. She didn’t look too pleased to see me.

The eight-point male was the second to arise and begin browsing the winter wheat. In this picture, the younger female is bedded down where they were when I first saw them. The male looks like he is sticking his tongue out at me but he had just been grazing on the winter wheat.

Throughout my years in the field, I had always encountered deer droppings in neat little piles. I have seen cattle do their business and I figured that deer did theirs the same way, and it always made me wonder how they got theirs to land in such neat little piles. As you can see, their method of delivery is much like I’ve seen many a dog or cat use. Needless to say, I am no longer curious how they make those neat little piles of droppings.

The size of the male and young female is relatively smaller than the older female seen above. These could be a breeding group, or the younger two may be related to the older female. The two younger animals acted as a pair while the older female acted more like a parent supervising younger animals.

The last picture shows the young buck with all four feet off of the ground as he and the females left my vicinity because I had broken their fight or flight barrier.

The post Lessons I’ve Learned About Mule Deer appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

This image shows a European Wild Hog in sedges near a marsh. Sus scrofa is the parent species to the domestic hogs we raise and consume for food. Pigs belong to the order Artiodactyla which means even-toed ungulates. These creatures walk on their third and fourth digits which are flanked by the smaller second and fifth digits. Artiodactyls include camels, hippopotamuses, deer, giraffes, sheep, goats, cattle and antelopes. Sometimes this group is called the cloven-hoofed mammals.

Wild Hogs are a nuisance species in Texas because they breed throughout the year and can produce litter sizes averaging between 3 and 12 piglets. Their long lifespan of 5- 20 years means that one female could add 15 to 240 individuals to the population.

Since they are omnivores, they feed on roots, nuts, grain, plant stems, insects and their larvae, other small animals and even carrion. Thus, they can become destructive to farmers when a large band decides to eat their crops.

Furthermore, they pose a traffic hazard along highways where individuals and family groups can be found crossing roadways. These large mammals can create serious problems for motorists because they are most active in the early morning and evening when the light conditions make them difficult to see.

Since there are few or no natural predators, wild hog populations expand. Some folks hunt these animals for food. Some landowners shoot them and leave them for the vultures. Wild hogs can pose a danger to humans who encounter them while on foot. Your best bet is to leave them alone and withdraw from where they are without upsetting them because they will attack when they feel threatened.

The post European Wild Hogs, Ham And Bacon To You And Me! appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

Here we see an urban squirrel enjoying her pecan while sitting on the top bar of a chain link fence. These little creatures make use of whatever is available for moving about in their environment. The species pictured here is Sciurus niger, the Fox squirrel.

Most people think squirrels just eat nuts. Here we see another urban squirrel enjoying some grass from the lawn. Some folks have trouble with these little fellas raiding their bird feeders, too.

This squirrel is in the top of a pecan tree. If the tree had all its leaves, the color of her underbelly would make her difficult to see. From above, her fur makes it hard for a predatory bird to tell her from the branch she is on.

The post Urban Squirrels 2 appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

I used to live in the Fort Worth area and our home had two mature live oaks in the front yard and 4 mature pecan trees in the back. Consequently, we had lots of fox squirrels, Sciurus niger, on the property and in the neighborhood.

Fox squirrels are active, interesting creatures and always fun to photograph. The first image shows one of our neighborhood residents on my front porch on a hot September afternoon.

The second image shows her spread-eagle on the terrazzo surface trying to soak up some cool. This location is shaded most of the day by the huge live oak trees.

The third image shows my furry friend up in the live oak tree after she noticed me with my camera. Fox squirrels are playful animals and generally very confident about their abilities to avoid predators. Unless they have been made fearful of humans, you can usually count on getting pretty close to squirrels living in the neighborhood. It makes it fairly simple to make pretty photos.

The post Urban Squirrels appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

Dasypus novemcinctus also known as the Nine-banded Armadillo is an insect and small animal eater that came into the United States from Mexico about 130 years ago. Since that time, it has expanded its range through out the Gulf states and is pushing into Kansas, Missouri, and South Carolina.

They enjoy warm forested country with nearby water and soft diggable soils. They don’t survive in areas that undergo extreme cold for long periods. The family Dasypodidae has 9 genera and 20 species and it is the most successful group of the living Edentata which also contains the anteaters and sloths. The Edentates evolved in the Americas and once had a North American species of ground sloth, Megalonyx, that was as big as a cow. Edentata means no teeth, which is not true for the armadillo. They have some but not all of the teeth regularly found in mammals. Armadillo teeth are enamel free, peg-like, and are found only in the upper jaw of the cheek region. Armadillos lack incisor and canine teeth of other mammals because they don’t need them to eat insects and small soft-bodied animals that they encounter on their snuffling and digging trips through woodlands.

In the second picture, our friend is sitting on his haunches and you can see the large claws of his front feet as well as the sparsely hairy underbelly. These animals are unique among mammals because of their armored skin. They have a shield-like carapace over their shoulders and their hips and rump. In between there are 9 flexibly connected bands for which they are named (novemcintus means nine bands).

The last picture shows our armored friend plowing through the leaf-litter looking for insects and whatever else he might find. These little guys don’t see well and spend their time snuffling about. When startled, they will jump up and run from their tormentor. If cornered they will try to burrow into the soil so only their hard parts are exposed. If they get into their burrow, they can hold on so strongly they cannot be removed easily. Thus, their armor, speed and burrowing abilities defeat most predators.

Armadillos can become problematic when they invade yards and gardens and use their digging skills to prospect for grubs and worms. Some folks try to use live-traps to catch them for relocation. This is a hit or miss proposition with these guys. Some folks say just grab them by the tail and drop them into a large container to haul them somewhere for release. I wouldn’t do that without a thick pair of leather gloves on my hands. The sharp edges on the tail plates plus the tendency of these fellas to try and spin their body while you are holding the tail will lead to deep cuts on unprotected hands. I recommend leaving them alone and enjoying them for the curiosities they are.

The post The Nine-Banded Armadillo, An Invasive Species appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

This is a picture of an Eastern Cottontail rabbit Sylvilagus floridanus. She used to live in my yard until she was killed and eaten by a stray cat in our neighborhood. She was a gentle creature and had become tame enough that we could approach her within ten feet before she fled.

I shot these pictures of her over a 30 minute period when she consumed several Goatsbeard and Dandelion wildflowers.

Stray cats and dogs present not only a health hazard to humans but they will prey on wildlife and reduce their numbers. Please spay or neuter your pets and confine them to your property. That way, we can have bunnies and birds to enjoy.

The post A Bunny Tale appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

This nice specimen was seen near Flomot in Motley Co. Texas. Mule deer are so named because of the length and size of their ears. Odocoileus hemionus is different from the White-tailed deer in terms of their ears, their antlers, and their tail markings.

As the mule deer antlers form they split in to y shapes as they grow. Each branch of the Y can subdivide to produce more branches. This deer has had 2 subdivisions before reaching the terminal tines. On White-tailed deer, their tines branch as offshoots of the main branch of the antler and lack the splitting and resplitting of branches seen in mule deer.

The tip of the tail in the mule deer is black and is held down when fleeing. White-tailed deer lack this mark, and raise their white-flag when they flee.

Finally, well fed mule deer tend to be larger than white-tailed deer. The ranges of both species overlap in this part of Texas, and you can see both kinds of deer. Without antlers, ear size and tail color and tail display are the way to tell them apart.

Beware of approaching either kind of deer in the fall when the rut is occurring, males can and will attack people.

The post 10 Point Mule Deer Buck in Wheat Field appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is the common prairie dog seen on great plains of North America. The two in the picture are engaged in grooming. These two are also undergoing seasonal molting of their fur as evidenced by the line across the midsection of the animal on the right (above). Periodic shedding of fur occurs in many mammals, as pet owners know. During molt, the Prairie Dog’s fur looks patchy or abnormal as it is shed and replaced. Shed lines like those seen here are typical of the rodents. When complete, the animal has a new set of “clothes”.

Aside from the humorous stretch, notice the shed-line on this animal. Compare the fur on the head side of the line relative to the fur on the tail side of the line. The shedding and replacement will continue until the entire prairie dog has new fur.

The post Prairie Dogs Enjoying Life appeared first on GJM Nature Media.

These two white-tail bucks (Odocoileus virginianus) were having a sparring match when I pulled up. From what I could tell, they seemed to know each other and the one on the right is an older animal.  It struck me as a training session for the younger animal because it was more like wrestling than fighting for mates. Also, these two left together when the lesson ended

The post Older White-tail Buck Shows a Younger Buck What Yield Means appeared first on GJM Nature Media.