Passport to Texas

Tobusch Fishhook Cactus

Conservation: Texas Tobusch Fishhook Cactus Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sometimes the best course of action is no action at all. At least that’s the stance Texas Parks and Wildlife botanist, Jackie Poole, takes when it comes to the endangered Tobusch Fishhook Cactus and the insect grubs that eat it.

09— And that’s a real problem, because one of these insects is only known to lay its eggs in Tobusch Fishhook Cactus; so, it’s basically as rare as the cactus.

Jackie says in the case of the Tobusch cactus – and its nemesis the Tobusch weevil – the best botanists can do is observe.

28—We’ve just been studying it for the last 10 or 15 years to see if there’s some kind of cyclical nature to this predator/prey relationship—where you have a big prey population buildup, like a lot of Tobusch fishhook cactus are out there, and then all of a sudden the insect population starts to boom because it has so many cactus to lay its eggs in. And then the cactus goes away and then it crashes, and then you just go through this cycle back and forth.

Other variables could also come into play to explain these fluctuations, making a hasty solution no solution at all. Patience is necessary.

13—That’s right. And that’s the main thing I think with endangered species. I often tell people to just to take a deep breath, because you just need to sit back and think about it and look at it and not think that the sky is falling.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and funds diverse conservation projects in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Sea turtle receiving GPS, Image courtesy Corpus Christi Caller Times

TPW TV: Eye in the Sky Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Understanding where wildlife goes provides valuable information to help manage species. Dr. Donna Shaver uses the newest GPS technology in tandem with satellites orbiting12-thousand miles above earth, [fade in ocean ambiance] to track endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles on the Texas coast.

07— We’re conducting this tracking because we want to get an idea about the habitat usage by these adult females.

Dr. Shaver is with the National Park Service.

13— We want to see where they’re going in the marine environment, which is where they spend the vast majority of their life; where they’re going for migration as well as for foraging when they’re done nesting.

[lab ambiance] It takes Dr. Shaver and her team about three hours to prepare a turtle for tracking.

18 – We have to sand the shell; we put down the first layer of epoxy, then we’ll affix the transmitter. Then when it’s on there solid, we will paint the surface to help prevent barnacles from adhering onto that area where it [the transmitter] has been applied.

See how Dr. Donna Shaver uses GPS and satellite technology to track endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles on the TPW PBS TV series during the week of January 26. Check local listings.

08— We’re one step closer towards recovering the species someday so that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

That’s our show…Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Ocelot image, courtesy Texas Coop Power

Endangered Wildlife: The Ocelot Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ocelots once roamed throughout Texas, Mexico, and into Arkansas and Louisiana. Jody Mays says today, only a few survive in the thick brush and shelters of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

:14—As far as we know, there less than 100 ocelots left in the United States. The ocelot’s range has disappeared, and now they only occur in the southern most tip of Texas, and that’s the only place in the whole United States that they occur.

Mays is a Wildlife Biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Laguna Atascosa Natural Wildlife Refuge. She explains reasons for the population decline.

:41—Usually with an endangered species, you have multiple impacts that they get hit with. For the ocelot, the biggest one was the habitat loss. Some estimates say that over 95% of the native habitat in Texas has been altered. A lot of the thick habitats have been cleared for agriculture, and for development, and for other purposes. Another associated impact with that is habitat fragmentation, and that’s where, you say, have one large piece of thick habitat that gets cut up into smaller pieces that are farther and farther apart. Loss of genetic diversity is another big issue, and that’s as a result of this habitat loss and fragmentation.

That’s our show for today…with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… helping to fund the operations and management of more than 50 wildlife management areas in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Whoopers in flight.

Wildlife: Where to See Whooping Cranes Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

According to Parks and Wildlife biologist Leeann Linam, sightings of migrating whooping cranes, which winter in Texas, started in October.

21— Mid-October is traditionally the early arrival time. By mid-December they should all be in Texas. So, from there, we’ll take a look and see where they’ve chosen to spend their wintering time this year. And they’ll remain on those wintering grounds until late February to early or mid-March, when some migration movements will start, and by mid-April they’re mostly gone from the state.

Some of the birds are still moving through Texas and depending on where you live – you might be able to catch a glimpse of them heading toward the coast.

23 – Well, the center of the migration path probably passes over Wichita Falls, western Tarrant County – Fort Worth area – down across Waco, just east of Austin, probably. Then, from there on down to Victoria and the Texas coast. So, that’s the center of the flyway. And from that center, 100 miles to the east and the west are the greatest possibilities of seeing them.

Look for a large white bird with black wing tips that’s flying in a group of three to six. If you miss them on the way here – you can always catch them on their way back to Canada in spring.

Learn more about whooping cranes and the Whooper Watch program on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Pair of Whooping Cranes

Wildlife: Whooping Crane Recovery Update Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Parks and Wildlife biologist, Leeann Linam, has a long history with Whooping Cranes.

11— [chuckles] well, I may age myself here, but we moved to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge when I was 12. And so I guess that means about 40 years or so I’ve been involved with whooping cranes.

Whoopers winter at the refuge, where Leeann’s father worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Yet, after 70 years of conservation—and a low of 15 birds—there are still fewer than 300 members in the migrating population.

24 – Part of it is the nature of the animal, itself. Whooping cranes are one of these birds designed to be around for a long time. They live 25 to 30 years and more (in captivity). They don’t reproduce until they’re four or five years old; they usually only raise one chick successfully per year. So it just takes a while. You just have to be patient and provide the right conditions for a long time and then the numbers start to add up.

As their population increases and becomes more widespread, maintaining an accurate tally of the birds becomes a challenge. Whoopers are moving farther up the coast away from their traditional wetland habitat.

07 – Some in the rice country in Horton County and most interestingly, in Central Texas, we’ve had some whooping cranes wintering in Williamson County.

Tomorrow: where to see migrating whoopers.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and funds diverse conservation programs in Texas…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.