Texas is so reptile friendly that not all the many lizard species found in the wild there are native, but the Texas banded gecko is! These colorful little lizards can easily fit in the palm of your hand. Scientific Name: Coleonyx brevis Habitat: Southwest Texas, rocky ground They are more likely to rattle visitors and strike during a confrontation instead of slinking away.

Unlike some other venomous snakes, Western diamondbacks are considered aggressive. These keratin segments vibrate and make an infamous buzzing sound when a rattlesnake shakes its tail. Rattlers shed skin, or molt, as they grow, and each time they molt, a new segment of keratin–the same substance in human hair and fingernails–shows up on the tips of their tails. Texas is home to at least nine species of rattlesnake, but the Western diamondback rattlesnake is one of the best known. Scientific Name: Crotalus atrox Habitat: Varies (forests, hills, deserts) Baby cottonmouths should not be handled: They can bite just like grownups! Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Source: iStock Like other pit vipers, they give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. They’re venomous, but the odds of getting bitten are low as long as you stay out of their way. Scientific Name: Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma Habitat: Swamps, lakes, rivers, ditchesĪlso called water moccasins, cottonmouth snakes are easy to spot: They’ll hold their heads up out of the water when swimming, and when they open their mouths, their throats are blindingly white. These scrappy, carnivorous burrowers can dig holes faster than humans and survive for 10-12 years in the wild. Other creatures on a typical badger’s menu include pocket gophers, rabbits, insects, and anything else they can get their paws on. Look out, rattlesnakes! The speedy digging badger is not only unafraid of you, he’ll happily eat you for dinner. They are omnivores known to eat and damage farm crops, but will also consume insects and other invertebrates, scavenge carcasses, or kill live prey. El Paso County is the only part of Texas believed to not have a wild pig population. Originally imported from Europe as a food source during colonial explorations in the 15th and 16th centuries, they’ve been wreaking havoc across the American Southwest ever since. Famous for their belligerent nature and dangerous tusks, wild boar are not animals to tangle with lightly. Wild hogs, feral pigs, razorbacks, whatever you might call them, wild boar are both instantly associated with Texas in the popular mindset and an invasive species. Scientific Name: Sus scrofa Habitat: Statewide, especially in agricultural areas It is home to an estimated 250 alligators. Although alligators are apex carnivores that will eat just about any land or water animal they can catch, amazingly, nobody in Texas is known to have died from an alligator attack.īrazos Bend State Park is a good location to visit alligators in their own habitat.

Full-grown males can be up to 11 feet long. They prefer the east side of the state.Īlligators’ upper teeth are visible even when their mouths are closed. Most Americans think of southeastern states like Florida when they picture alligators, but they’re not only native to Texas, but they’re also the state’s biggest native reptile. Scientific Name: Alligator Mississippiensis Habitat: Rivers, wetlands Here are some of the most recognizable wild animals in Texas. The warm, humid climate in most of Texas, combined with all these easy food sources, makes it ideal for reptiles and amphibians, too. Spiders, crustaceans, and insects are everywhere. One of the first things any Texas newcomer will notice is the incredible variety of invertebrate wildlife. What kinds of animals live in Texas? Texas is a huge state filled with amazing animal habitats, including hills, deserts, lakes, rivers, grasslands, and more.

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