Texas Nature Trackers - Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept Program

10/30/2026

Texas Pollinator Bioblitz is wrapping up and this is the last weekend to contribute!
It is also Bat Appreciation week so I thought I would talk a little about a wonderful bat species that we have here in Texas, that is also a pollinator, the Mexican long-nosed bat, Leptonycteris nivalis.
This bat species spends most of its time in central Mexico but follows Agave spp. blooms north in the spring and summer, with some individuals making it to the high elevation of the Chisos mountains in the Big Bend region of West Texas.
They are strong fliers, and like hummingbirds, are able to hover, feeding on nectar and pollen. These endangered bats depend on the plants for food, and the plants benefit from the bats as pollinators. With less than 50% of the population remaining, restoration of agaves has been identified as a priority for conservation initiatives.

And though you will not see this pollinator species in Texas this weekend, you can still get out there and document our many other gorgeous pollinators!

Learn more about the Mexican long-nosed bat here: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/mexlongnose/

Thank you iNaturalist observer for your photos of these important bats!
(CC-BY)
@ juancruzado (CC-BY-SA)
(CC-BY-NC)

TY to photographers for sharing photos with TPWD. Up close image the face of a Mexican long-nosed bat. Photo Credit: Juan Cruzado-Cortes (CC-BY-SA) (TXSWAP.org)

10/30/2026

Happy Halloween weekend everyone! Please share your costumes in the comments below! This Pine Siskin is wearing a spooky ghost costume (iNaturalist observation by user dnvarga CC-BY-NC). Actually, this individual is leucitic, meaning it has lost pigmentation. This can happen across taxa for a multitude of reasons, from disease, genetic conditions, injury, or random mutation.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69794066

10/28/2026

Eyes on wildlife 👀 🦌

Watch for these signs of New World screwworm, a devastating pest that can kill infested animals 👇

- Wild animals with large, open wounds, or wounds that don’t heal.

- A live wild animal that has a foul, rotted flesh odor.

Keep your distance, but please report it right away to your local wildlife biologist 👉 tpwd.texas.gov/screwworm

10/26/2026

WOW!!! 265 naturalists documented 1,331 species across over 8,000 observations during last week's TMN annual meeting! Master Naturalists amaze us every single day!

Please provide your identifications here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?project_id=2026-tmn-annual-meeting

10/16/2026

Happy ! Or should I say... video Friday!! Next week at the TMN annual meeting we will be training Texas Master Naturalists on how to participate in our Great Texas Bat Bridge Survey, a collaborative project with TxDOT! If you cant join us next week, don't fret! We will be coming to San Antonio area to lead at least one more training for local TMNs.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is partnering with the Texa...

10/13/2026

Edit: I (Wendy) got too excited about an observation of a Whooping Crane. Since the location is obscured, I did not see that it was documented at the San Antonio zoo where they rehabilitate injured Whoopers. This shows the importance of marking your observations as "captive" on iNaturalist!

Whooping Cranes are on the move!! They are on their migration south, and it is especially important to document where they stop along their migration route on the way to their wintering grounds. This photo observed by (CC-BY-NC) on iNaturalist was in Central Texas in a man made shallow pond! Add your observations to the iNaturalist project Texas Whooper Watch.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/407840117

10/09/2026

Happy early World Migratory Bird day! This day is celebrated twice a year, once in spring and once in fall. Tomorrow, October 10th, birders are encouraged to document avian species as they migrate to their overwintering sites.

Here are a few migratory birds documented recently in Texas. Get out there and see what species you can add this week!

Thanks to these talented observers who shared their photos with a Creative Commons license on iNaturalist. 

Tennessee Warbler, , CC BY
American Bittern, , CC BY-NC
Piping Plover, , CC BY
Common Yellowthroat, , CC BY-NC-ND
Hooded Warbler, , CCBY-NC

10/01/2026

09/11/2026

Happy Photo Friday! It's that time of year where our Texas bats are out in force. Summer bat pups are now flying and they need to eat! September is a great time to observe bats at one of the many Mexican Free-tailed bat maternity colonies we are lucky enough to have here in Texas.

Explore bat-watching sites in Texas, and learn about bat-watching etiquette here: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/bats/bat-watching-sites/

Photos are recent iNaturalist observations of bats in Texas. Thank you to these observers for your amazing photos!

Mexican Free-tail bats in flight, , (CC-BY-NC)
Eastern Red Bat in a tree, , (CC-BY-NC)
California Myotis, , (CC-BY-NC)
Mexican Free-tail bats emerging from Bracken cave, , (CC-BY-NC)
Rafinesque's Big-eared bats,

Note: Bats may be cute but please remember, like all wild mammals, bats can carry rabies. You should never handle a bat unless you are trained, have the appropriate permits and have pre-exposure rabies vaccinations. If you find a sick or injured bat, call your local wildlife rescue and they will provide instruction and/or connect you to a certified bat rehabber. If you touch a bat with bare hands, or receive a bite or scratch, please seek immediate medical advice from your doctor or local emergency room.

07/24/2026

Happy Moth Week! Enjoy the fleeting beauty of some of our native Texas moths. Some of the most recognizable and large moths, in the Saturniidae family, do not have mouth or digestive parts as adults and live short lives in this lovely form.
Enjoy them while they last. I’ve included several silk moths, as well as some other interesting specimens.

How to help moths? Plant native trees!

Want to see more moths? Come to a moth party or Blacklighting event, or even better, host your own!

All you need is a sheet and a black light to get started. Here at TNT, we are somewhat obsessed with moths. 😍

Many thanks to the iNaturalist observers in Texas who snapped these pictures. Keep up the good work!

Moth ID and photo credits in captions.