GAME AND FUR-BEARER ANIMAL SPECIES IDENTIFICATION

Table of Contents Introduction Game Animals Fur-Bearing Animals

Introduction There are several classifications of animals and many animals can have more than one classification. It is as important to classify an animal, as it is to identify it.

It is important for a game manager to know how each plant and animal fits into an ecosystem. Every hunter should be able to identify game species from non-game species.

Identification adds to the enjoyment of the outdoors and keeps the hunter from taking the wrong species during a hunt.

Game Animals Game animals include selected mammals that can be hunted for sport. These animals have specific seasons and limits, which are identified in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Outdoor Annual Hunting and Fishing Regulations.

Hunting of any game animals must follow the regulations for taking these species, which include Collard Peccary Desert Bighorn Sheep Squirrel Mule Deer White-tailed Deer Pronghorn Antelope

Collared Peccary (Javelina) Tayassu tajacu Pig-like creatures with four-toed front hooves and three-toed hind hooves. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

It has a short, pig-like snout and a distinct whitish collar across the shoulders of the adult. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

The rest of the upper parts are grizzled black and grayish with a dark dorsal stripe. The young are reddish to yellowish brown with a black stripe down their backs. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Adult javelinas weigh 30 to 50 pounds and travel in small bands. Photo courtesy of the Texas Bighorn Society web camera.

Javelinas can kill or injure dogs and are a menace to deer hunters. However, West Texas ranchers are anxious to restore javelina populations because their feeding habits help control undesirable cacti in West Texas. Javelina territory seldom reaches beyond the Red River to the north or the Brazos River Valley to the east.

Desert Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis “mexicana” Bighorn sheep are large and dark brown in color. Photo courtesy of the Texas Bighorn Society web camera.

Males have heavy, tapering, curled, brown horns. The smaller horns on females have less curl. Photo courtesy of the Texas Bighorn Society web camera. Photo by Claire Dobert courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Weight for rams range from 170 to 340 pounds. Ewes weigh from 103 to 136 pounds. Photos courtesy of the Texas Bighorn Society web camera.

It was once believed that desert bighorn sheep were extinct in Texas. The total population in Texas is very small.

Restocking efforts with wild-trapped sheep from Arizona are encouraging. Photo courtesy of the Texas Bighorn Society web camera.

Bighorn sheep hunting is highly restrictive Bighorn sheep hunting is highly restrictive. Hunting is by permit only in selected areas of Trans-Pecos Counties. Link to Texas Bighorn Society Web Cam

Fox (Red) Squirrel Sciurus niger The fox squirrel is found throughout the state with the exception of West Texas and the bottom tip of South Texas.

Fox squirrels have a reddish or rusty colored underside, with the upper parts of the body being brownish or grayish. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Their tail is usually half of their total length and is cinnamon in color mixed with black. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Gray (Cat) Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis The gray squirrel is found largely in East Texas.

Their numbers are declining due to over-hunting and removal of favorable habitat. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

This gives them a gray tone body color. Gray squirrels’ heads and backs are a rusty, dark yellow. They have gray-tipped or white-tipped hairs on their legs, arms, sides of neck, and sides of rump. This gives them a gray tone body color. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus The Trans-Pecos and parts of the High Plains are home of the mule deer.

Mule deer are 3 to 3.5 feet in height. The average weight of Texas males range from 125 to 300 pounds. Photo courtesy of Gary Kramer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Photo courtesy of Gary Kramer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation

This deer has large ears and a tail that usually has a black tip with a white base and white on the inside of the tail. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Mule deer antlers are bifurcated. The record antler spread for mule deer is 47.5 inches. Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus White-tailed deer vary in weight, antler size, food habits, and color. Photo courtesy of Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service

White-tailed deer are the most abundant big game animal in the state. Texas has about four million of this species, the largest state population in the nation.

Deer, like cattle, are ruminants. White-tailed deer are relatively small, weighing from 70 to 120 pounds. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Top speed is between 30 and 35 miles per hour. White-tailed deer have short ears and relatively long tails. When alerted to danger, they will run with the tail up and erect, exposing the white underside. Top speed is between 30 and 35 miles per hour. Photo courtesy of Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Bucks have antlers with all major points from a main beam. Antlers are actually bone materials that grow from bases, called pedicels. Drawing by Tom Kelley courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Does are usually antler-less. White-tailed deer have a very keen sense of smell and good hearing. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Pronghorn Antelope Antilocapra americana The pronghorn antelope is a hoofed, deer-like animal with horns instead of antlers. Photo courtesy of John Mosesso, NBII

Pronghorn antelopes’ weight averages 90 to 120 pounds for males and about 90 pounds for females. Photo courtesy of Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Pronghorns travel the western half of Texas from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley. Pronghorn can only be hunted by permit in selected areas of the Trans-Pecos, Permian Basin, and Panhandle counties. Photo courtesy of Gary Kramer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation

Fur-bearing Animals Fur-bearing animals are species of mammals that have value mainly for their pelts. Trapping any of these species has specific regulations for taking fur-bearers, as identified by the TP&W Department’s pamphlet, Fur-bearing Animal Regulations.

TP&W Department recognizes ten species with specific value for their pelts, including Badger Otter Beaver Raccoon Foxes Ring-tailed Cat Mink Skunks Nutria Opossum

Badger The badger is found throughout the western half of Texas. Badger prefer the same habitat as prairie dogs and ground squirrels, which happen to be their principle source of food. The badger is a member of the weasel family.

The badger has short legs and a broad body with grizzled, grayish-yellow color to its fur. IMS Photo

The badger is a member of the weasel family. It has a distinct white stripe extending from the near the tip of its nose, over the top of the head, and to the shoulder area. The badger is a member of the weasel family. IMS Photo

There is a false impression that badgers hibernate in the winter There is a false impression that badgers hibernate in the winter. They may sleep for several days during inclement weather, but they do not hibernate.

Beaver Castor canadensis Beavers are members of the rodent family. They are aquatic in nature and are found over a large area in Texas.

Beavers need access to water from a pond, stream, or river. They feed on a wide variety of vegetation, but the inner barks of willows and cottonwoods are preferred. Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Beaver have a large, horizontally flat, and scaly tail. Their hind feet are webbed and much larger than their front paws. Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Beaver fur is a dark, rich, chestnut brown color during the fall. The color fades during the spring. Body under parts are paler and often have a silvery sheen. IMS Photo

Desert Fox Vulpes macrotis This fox species is native to Brewster, Culbertson, and El Paso counties.

The upper parts of the desert fox body are a buffy gray, while the sides, mid-belly, and undersurface of the tail are a clear buff. The throat and posterior part of the belly are white. The tip of the tail is black. Desert foxes have large ears.

Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus The gray fox is the only fox species found in most counties in Texas. The exception is the Panhandle region.

The gray fox has grayish upper parts, reddish brown legs, tawny sides, and whitish throat, cheeks, and mid-line of the belly. Photo by Gary Stolz courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The tail has a blackish stripe on the topside and a black tip. Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Swift Fox Vulpes velox The swift fox species is the smallest of the American foxes. It is found in the High Plains of Texas.

The upper parts of their bodies are a pale yellow, frosted with white and lightly washed with blackish hair. Photo courtesy of Gary Kramer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation

There is a black spot at the base of the tail on the upper side. The backs of the swift fox’s ears are a yellowish brown and the tail is a buffy gray with a black tip. There is a black spot at the base of the tail on the upper side. Photo courtesy of Gary Kramer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation

Red Fox Vulpes fulva The red fox is an introduced species to Brazos, Robertson, and Taylor counties in Texas.

It is about the same size as the gray fox. There is a distinct difference in the cranial characteristics of the two species. Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The tail is a thick bush and has a white tip. The upper parts of the body are bright, golden yellow and become darker along the middle of the back. The tail is a thick bush and has a white tip. Photo by Jim Thiele courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Mink Mustela vison Mink are native to the eastern half of Texas. They are a weasel-like animal about the size of a cat.

Mink have a dark, chocolate brown color. There is a white midline on the underside from the chest to the vent. Photo by Dennis Larson courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Mink are semi-aquatic and prefer small streams. IMS Photo

Nutria Myocastor coypus The nutria is another introduced species to Texas. Native to South America, it was brought to the USA in 1938. Nutria can be found throughout Texas except in the Trans-Pecos and High Plains.

Nutria are members of the rodent family. Photo by Christine Eustis courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It closely resembles the beaver, except that it has a long, round, sparsely haired tail. The unusual thing about the nutria is the mammary glands are near the midline rather than along the abdomen. Photo by John and Karen Hollingsworth courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Opossum Didelphis virginiana The opossum is North America’s only marsupial. The Virginia opossum is the only species found north of Mexico.

It has a long, dense fur with grayish and blackish color phases. The opossum has a long, scaly prehensile tail which resembles that of the rat. It has a long, dense fur with grayish and blackish color phases. Opossum are nocturnal and are found throughout all but the extreme western part of Texas. IMS Photo

Otter Lutra canadensis River otters inhabit a small area in East Texas.

The otter is a large, dark brown weasel with a long slender body. It has a thick, tapering tail. Photo by Gary Stolz courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The otter’s webbed feet have five toes and the soles are hairy. They are mostly aquatic. Photo by Dave Menke courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Raccoon Procyon lotor The raccoon is one species that is located in every county in Texas.

The blackish facial mask is a key identifying characteristic of raccoons. Photo by John and Karen Hollingsworth courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The tip of the tail is black and the upper parts of the body are grayish suffused with orange and heavily sprinkled with a blackish buff. Photo by John Mosesso courtesy of National Biological Information Infrastructure.

Raccoons are nocturnal and will sleep during long periods of inclement weather.

Ring-tailed Cat Bassariscus astutus The ringtail roams over most of the state, except extreme South Texas and Northeast Texas.

The ringtail resembles a small fox. It has a raccoon-like tail, banded with 14 to 16, alternating black and white rings. The tail has a black tip. IMS Photo

Ringtails are another nocturnal species and spend a greater part of days sleeping in their dens.

Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus mesoleucus This skunk species resides in rocky, sparsely timbered areas, such as the Edwards Plateau and the Chisos, Davis, and Guadalupe Mountains of the Trans-Pecos in West Texas. They can also be found in the Big Thicket area of East Texas.

Hog-nosed skunks have a single, wide, white stripe that extends from the top of their head to the base of the tail. The hog-nosed skunk’s tail is white, long, and bushy with scattered black hairs. The rest of their body is blackish brown or black.

Hooded Skunk Mephitis macroura The hooded skunk is a Mexican species and is found in the Big Bend region of West Texas.

The hooded skunk species has two color patterns. One appears to be similar to the striped skunk, but with softer fur and a distinct ruff of long hair on the upper neck. The other color pattern more closely resembles the hog-nosed skunk.

Spotted Skunk (Civet Cat) The spotted skunk lives in all but a few counties of the Panhandle. The spotted skunk has a small white spot on its forehead and six distinctive white stripes from head to tail over the top of the body.

Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis The striped skunk species lives in every county in Texas.

The striped skunk has two stripes that join at the neck region and travel down the sides of the back and down each side of the tail. Photo by John Collins courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduction or redistribution of all, or part, of this presentation without written permission is prohibited. Instructional Materials Service Texas A&M University 2588 TAMUS College Station, Texas 77843-2588 http://www-ims.tamu.edu  2006