not depauperate. abilities, but now is the time to look ahead, coordinate and plan, before our options Only four species of mammals (eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus; Texas marsh rice rat, Oryzomys texensis; hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus; and the northern raccoon, Procyon lotor) occur on all of the barrier islands. The number of families, genera, and species These changes have virtually eliminated fire as an distinguish questionable specimens with confidence. changed the face of Texas landscapes. may threaten indigenous, free-ranging wildlife, particularly ungulates and their habitat. David J. Schmidly, The Furbearers of Texas (Austin: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 1984). Two important generalizations are evident about the diversity of Texas mammals. and Anica Debelica of Baylor University studied reproductive patterns in three relatively wildlife management and conservation who are able to understand both the biology of of Texas mammals. Table 2 in the 1994 edition of this book listed six mammals (Mexican long-tongued to the oil, nearly 7.6 million liters (2 million gallons) of toxic dispersants were leases within the outer continental shelf region. region are the Pineywoods, Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairies, and Gulf Prairies We face a monumental task, far beyond our existing outside the boundaries of the category to which they have been assigned, as indicated Certainly their situation bears watching; are associated with the mountain regions of the western United States and the tropical right whale, Eubalaena glacialis; sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis; blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus; and sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus), are listed as endangered by USFWS but not by TPWD. The as well as many nongovernmental organizations (e.g., the Nature Conservancy of Texas to mammalogy, and there are more professional mammalogists living in Texas than in surprise, Hice (personal communication) found that the rodents were highly adaptive 7b), and Stephen F. Austin University (Howard 7d), Robert J. Baker, Clyde Jones, Robert L. public reaction. There are several species of terrestrial mammals, or populations thereof, in Texas the leadership of Walter P. Taylor (fig. and species diversity is predicted to decrease in the southern part of the state. I. mexicanus from our checklist of Texas mammals and added I. parvidens. At this rate of population decline characteristic of the deciduous forests and coastal prairies of the southeastern United At this time, the extent of the tawny-bellied cotton rat's Today, the largest mountain lion populations are in the desert of these species have never been discovered within the state. the decline of the bighorn sheep were competition with domestic sheep and the use Changes in life history strategies also may be developing in some bats. Taylor (photo courtesy of the US Geological Survey–PWRC, Biological Survey files); Dobzhansky, Bateson, Mueller, and others during the early and mid-1900s. these habitats are similar from island to island, which is not surprising because edition included only six species in this category. more prevalent in shallow waters near shore and could be especially deleterious to in Texas, both public and private, has at one time or another employed a mammalogist At least five of the larger whales (1 primate, 5 rodents, 2 carnivores, 16 even-toed ungulates, and 2 odd-toed ungulates). scales, and they have had an accumulative effect on our fauna and flora. With the explosion of trained scientific talent, including in both terrestrial and Most of the discrepancy Consequently, we have removed are further narrowed. there were no professionally trained mammalogists living in the state. particularly the upper Texas coast, they have invaded and increased in abundance. During the 1970s, of the life history of most mammals in Texas.