Passport to Texas

Map of Bumblebees’ Historic Range in Texas

Wildlife: Bumblebee Watching Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Do you like the idea of bird watching, but don’t have the time or patience to learn about every bird out there? Maybe you should try bumblebee watching, instead.

12— Bumblebees could be a new kind of hobby for folks. Birdwatchers have to learn hundreds of birds. There are only nine bumblebees [species] in Texas. And so it’s just a matter of learning their color patterns.

Michael Warriner is an invertebrate biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, and curates the website texasbumblebees.com.

18— In Texas, we have nine bumblebee species. And, fortunately, bumblebees are large bees; they’re pretty noticeable because they have a pattern of black and yellow. But, each one of the nine differs a little bit in terms of how much yellow they have on – let’s say – on the front part of their body versus the rear….

More than a pleasant hobby, tracking these insects – and reporting back to biologists like Michael Warriner – can provide needed information about the status of bumblebees in Texas. What you may not know is …these native bees are facing threats.

16—They’ve lost habitat. Pesticide use is another concern. And also, there’s been the importation of bumblebees from Europe into this country, which has brought in parasites and diseases that may be impacting them. So, there’s a lot of concern how they’re faring in North America.

Find a chart on bumblebee identification and where to report your sightings, when you visit Michael Warriner’s website: Texasbumblebees.com.

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

Courtesy Jessica Womack, via www.texasbumblebees.com

Wildlife: Texas Bumblebee Bye-bye Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[SFX—buzzing]

Bumblebees are the bomb—or per their genus: bombus. Texas has nine native species of this big, slow-flying, black and yellow insect. They’re effective pollinators of our native plant species, and many food crops, too.

But as summer wanes, so do the bumblebees.

18— At the end of the summer, the queen that started the colony gives birth to new queens. The old queen dies and all her workers die. But the new queens mate, find a hole in the ground, spend the winter there, come back out in the spring, and she starts a whole new colony.

That’s a lot of work for one bee…Michael Warriner… an invertebrate biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife… tells us how she does it.

36— In early spring—February and March—the new queen comes out, and she’s foraging. [She] finds a nest site, and she starts making what’s called a “honey pot.” It’s a little waxen thimble, and she fills that with food. Then she accumulates pollen and makes a big pollen ball. Then she lays eggs, and she stays there [tending to the nest and larvae tht hatch]. And those are her first workers. Once her first worker daughters mature, she stays there [in the nest] full time—her main business is laying eggs. But, getting started is pretty much all on her: getting all the food and having the reserves to stay put and raise that first batch [of young].

Learn more about Texas Bumblebees at Michael Warriner’s website: Texasbumblebees.com.

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

Wildlife: Interacting With Wild Critters Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Most of us get pretty excited over wildlife—even the critters we find in our own backyards. Richard Heilbrun, with Wildlife Diversity says contact with these creatures enriches our lives.

62—The best thing to take with you when you go into wildlife habitat is something to enjoy wildlife with—whether it’s a digital camera, or a pair of binoculars, or a field guide. That way you can observe the wildlife, learn a little bit about it, and maybe even have some fun in terms of a challenge, or a game, or a scavenger hunt.

Well, one of my favorite things to do with young kids is to give them a set of objectives. I want you to find a bug. For older kids, I want you to find a butterfly, I want you to find a moth, I want you to find this kind of caterpillar…I want you to observe ten different types of songbirds, and I tell me what they eat by what kind of bill they have. When you give them a challenge it becomes a game, and they get into it and they get excited. Before you know it, they spent their whole day interacting with nature; searching, discovering, developing a sense of wonder with wildlife. And that sense of discovery is what endears them to nature and wildlife and conservation as adults.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and is celebrating 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Wildlife: To Help or Not Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Have you ever spent time outdoors only to come upon wildlife that seems to be injured?

Our first reaction is usually to assist. But Richard Hilebrun, with Wildlife Diversity says not everything is what it seems. Take mother birds, for example.

18—A lot of birds will fake injury to draw you away from their young—and their nest. And so it’s actually a really neat adaptation. You’ll spend 30 minutes, 45 minutes following this –quote—injured mother around, and in the process she’s led you well away from her young.

Sometimes you really do come across an animal in need. In those cases you must exercise reason and caution.

16—If you know that it’s injured—because you know what you’re looking at—you can take it to a wildlife rehabilitator. In Texas, the only people that can nurse young back to health are licensed, permitted wildlife rehabilitators.

Because it’s summer, most of us are outdoors more, which increases our opportunities to come into contact with wildlife…tomorrow…how to get the most out of these close encounters.

07—The best thing to take with you when you go out into wildlife habitat is something to enjoy wildlife with. A digital camera..a pair of binoculars…

Find contact information for wildlife rehabilitators on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and is celebrating 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Wildlife: Prairie Dog Towns Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Prairie dogs live in connected underground burrows called “towns,” which have been known to cover up to 1,000 acres of land!

These colonies are divided into social groups usually consisting of one male, up to four females, and offspring less than two years of age. And San Angelo SP has a prairie dog town on premises.

04—Actually, we have 2 towns- we’ve established one on the north side and south side of the park.

Assistant superintendent, Pat Bales is a fan of the critters, which aren’t dogs at all, but a type of ground squirrel. Pat familiarizes us with their habits.

30—They’re most active during the cool hours of the day, during that time they’ll engage in the social activities- visiting, grooming, as well as feeding of grasses and herbs. And normally whenever they are out feeding like that, they’ll have a sentry and they’ll have a lookout. And their mounds are built up high. They’re kind of unique little engineers. They’ll build one mound, end of their mound higher than the other, and an out hole. The reason they do that: it creates a high pressure/low pressure situation which enables air to continuously flow through there. And down in the burrow itself, they’ll have little compartments where they can sleep, where they can feed.

Prairie dogs were native San Angelo, but various factors reduced their population. Fortunately, thanks to dedicated “dog” lovers – they live happily at the park.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish restoration program supports our series and is celebrating 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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