What rare animals lurk in the Lone Star State’s shadows? Curious Texas investigates

By Zacharia Washington | The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS — Texas is home to a large and diverse range of animal species, however some of them are considered rare or infrequently encountered by the public.

A reader asked Curious Texas: Are there any medium-to-large animals in Texas that most people are unaware of because they are hardly ever seen?

Curious Texas asked the experts and learned about a few special species that can be found in the state but have almost mastered the art of staying hidden and avoiding humans.

Spoiler alert: one of them looks like a prehistoric dinosaur. Or Bowser from Mario Kart. But readers can be the judge.

“There are more creatures around us than we actually believe,” said Jaime E. Jimenez, biology professor at the University of North Texas. “There are many that are around and that are very cryptic.”

The following species are “hardly ever seen” in the state, but do call Texas home. Texans can now be on the lookout for them as they spend time in nature.

Ocelot

The ocelot is a medium-size wild cat that can be found in far South Texas, near the Rio Grande Valley, Mexico, and South and Central America, said Sam Kieschnick, urban wildlife biologist at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Due to their spotted and patterned fur coats, ocelots are often compared to jaguars and leopards. According to the Big Cat Rescue, ocelots typically weigh up to 35 pounds, stand at about 16-20 inches tall and can reach lengths of 28-35 inches.

Jimenez has seen them in Guatemala. He described them as “beautiful animals” with the ability to hide very well.

“They blend very well. … They’re very nice stripes and patterns on their faces and body makes them very cryptic and difficult to see,” Jimenez said.

An ocelot rubs its head and paws against a tree Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 16, 2022, in its new habitat at Gladys Porter Zoo. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

Ocelots are considered to be both nocturnal and crepuscular, Kieschnick said, meaning they are active at dawn and dusk, or at night, and spend their days resting.

The ocelot is a protected and endangered species, with fewer than 100 in the U.S. today, roaming between South Texas and Mexico, according to The Nature Conservancy. This is a large part of why they are hardly ever encountered.

Ocelot numbers are dwindling in the U.S., and specifically Texas, primarily because of loss of habitat, Kieschnick said. They require and are restricted to a thorny shrubland, or thornscrub, habitat, and “we don’t see much of that in Texas anymore,” he added.

“It sucks that we don’t have a huge population here in Texas,” Kieschnick said. “They’re doing fine in South America, Central America … but unfortunately, here in Texas, we just have a couple populations of ocelots.”

Alligator snapping turtle

The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and, in Texas, can be mostly found in the Houston area.

“These guys are just massive prehistoric dinosaur-like critters,” Kieschnick said. “Big, big, big guys. They are definitely apex predators, but their M.O. is to stay hidden, too.”

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, male alligator snapping turtles can weigh up to 249 pounds and reach lengths of up to 29 inches. The creatures’ shells have three rows of spikes, which gives them their prehistoric appearance.

The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and, in Texas, can be mostly found in the Houston area. (Dreamstime/TNS)

These animals carry a pretty powerful bite. Jimenez said the bite of an alligator snapping turtle is capable of breaking human bones.

In Texas, the alligator snapping turtle is a threatened species, which means they face high risk of extinction and are protected under state law. To see one of these in nature is rare, Kieschnick said, as they spend a lot of time in murky, muddy waters.

It would be a “tough find,” Kieschnick added. However, he said, if you do happen to see one — do not try to pet it.

Other rare, ‘hardly ever seen’ animals

Mountain lions, also referred to as cougars, number in the thousands in Texas. Despite the cat being an apex predator, it still tends to want to remain hidden, similar to the alligator snapping turtle.

Kieschnick said he receives so many calls of people thinking they’ve seen different animals, but when it comes to a mountain lion, or even an ocelot, it’s highly unlikely.

“[They’re] probably a lot less common than people perceive them or think that they see [them],” he said.

There have been a few “rare” sightings of the cat in North Texas in the last few years, however. One mountain lion sighting was in Rowlett in 2020, and there were three separate sightings last year in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with the last one in Plano.

But mountain lions are not protected in Texas, so people can kill them, which is unfortunate, Jimenez said. But like the ocelots, mountain lions hide very well and are difficult to see.

Mountain lions, also referred to as cougars, number in the thousands in Texas. Despite the cat being an apex predator, it still tends to want to remain hidden, similar to the alligator snapping turtle. (Dreamstime/TNS)

River otters, however, are doing really well in Texas, especially the D-FW area, Kieschnick said. Even though they are not uncommon, he said it would be a “good day” if someone spotted one.

These creatures can be found in most waterways, such as the Trinity River, Kieschnick said. However, it’s important to note: river otters are definitely not sea otters.

Kieschnick has only seen the critters as roadkill.

“I have never seen a living river otter before,” he said. “They’re just so secretive. They are so secretive that I have not been lucky enough to see a live one.”

Most of these animals go unseen, because they are just shy, Kieschnick said, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“You want to maintain the shyness of these critters,” he said. “You want them to stay shy, because a shy bobcat, a shy river otter, a shy coyote is a healthy coyote. It’s a healthy bobcat. It’s a healthy organism.”

The 2020 mountain lion sighting in Rowlett was captured on a trail camera, which Kieschnick said is one of the most effective ways to catch these animals in action.

If you’re out in nature, however, Jimenez said the best way to increase your chances of seeing one of these shy creatures is to “stay quiet.”

“Even if you are walking around, stay quiet. You will see more wildlife species than if you are making noise,” he said. “So stay within the path or trails and not move too fast, and you’ll see a lot of things — especially in the mornings or in the evenings for mammals.”

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