Wild Thing

July 2024 Issue

A Bug That Hunts Fish

The giant water bug can capture small fish and deliver a mighty bite.

Story by Bill Rhodes
August/September 2024 Issue

Ibises Were a Symbol of the Ancients

These long-billed birds, like those depicted in hieroglyphics, stroll Texas marshes.

Story by Bill Rhodes
August/September 2025 Issue

The Western Coachwhip Moves Like Lightning

The western coachwhip is one of the fastest snakes in North America.

Story by Gwendolyn Reed
August/September 2025 Issue

Keeping Count of East Texas Squirrels

An East Texas WMA maintains the state’s longest-running squirrel population database.

Story by Eva Frederick
June 2020 Issue

This Is America's Biggest Toad

South Texas’ cane toad has bragging rights as North America’s largest.

Story by Paul Crump
October 2025 Issue

An Ant That’s Not an Ant

Velvet ants are wasps that pack a powerful sting.

Story by Katie Potter
November 2005 Issue

Melanistic (Dark) Deer In The Hill Country.

The opposite of albinos, melanistic deer can be found in a small segment of the Hill Country.

Story by Ben Rehder

Meet the Critters of Texas State Parks

Our public lands are where the wild things are.

Story by Susan Griswold
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