Texas Wildlife Association presents....

Kid’s Quarterly Mini-Mag!

P o s t c a r d s f r o m N a n c y . . . By Carolyn Bierschwale

June 2012 Vol. 6 No. 2

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Howdy, Friends! Grant the Gopher and I have just returned from a trip to

the East Texas town of La Porte, a coastal area near Houston which gained fame early in Texas history as the location of the Battle of San Jacinto. To date, it has been 176 years since that fateful day in April when Texas finally won its independence from Mexico during this eighteen-minute battle. At the Battleground State Historic Site, Grant and I were fascinated by the San Jacinto Monument, the tallest stone monument in the world that is dedicated to the battle heroes and others who contributed to the independence of Texas. We rode the tower’s elevator to the observation floor at 489 feet above the Battleground. From there we could see the busy Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay, and the surrounding marshes. San Jacinto also offered a two-and-a-half mile trail tour of the Battleground that is developed to walk us through sites and markers of the events leading to Texas’ independence. Along the way, we learned facts such as when the battle started, the significance of the different camps, and how many lived and died. I was able to imagine all of the spying, planning, fighting, and surrendering. It was amazing and a little eerie to stand on some of the exact spots where these events took place. One night, Grant had a hare-brained idea to hike the battleground trail…in the dark! He thought it would be bold and daring to creep around this historical place with only flashlights and our vivid imaginations of the legendary battle. We set off on the trail just after sunset and quietly recited the facts while acting out the battle scenes. We were pointing our flashlights at each other and laughing until… “Did you hear that?” asked Grant. “I figured we were the only ones out here.” He aimed his flashlight at a tree further down the trail. At that moment, I saw several yellow-green orbs slowly bobbing up and down near the ground and up near the tree branches.

“G-G-Ghost lights! It’s the battle soldiers!” I screamed with fright. As Grant and I slowly inched closer together, we saw something gray and scruffy, with a long and naked tail, waddle out of the shadows of the trees. In an instant, we both dropped our flashlights and started running as fast as we could toward the beginning of the trail. It wasn’t until we were off of the battlefield grounds that we slowed down enough to catch our breaths. The next day, in a brave attempt to retrieve the flashlights we left behind, we returned to the battlefield trail. A tour guide met us there, holding our two flashlights and smiling. “Let me guess,” said the guide, chuckling. “You saw ghosts last night.” Grant bravely replied, “I’ve heard of ghosts showing themselves as glowing spheres, which is what we saw.” I nodded my head to agree. The friendly tour guide smiled and explained, “Those orbs you saw were more likely the eyes of a common resident around these parts, the opossum. These animals are most active at night, hunting for food on the ground or in trees. The reason you could see their eyes is because of an adaptation in the eyeball that allows them to see in the dark. The structure is called the reflective tapetum lucidum and its function is to bounce light onto the back of the eye, the retina, to create better night vision. What you saw was the reflection (bounce) of the light from your flashlights.” “Oooh,” Grant and I said in unison. Though we were a little embarrassed for thinking we saw ghosts, we were glad to have learned something new. Opossums sound like interesting creatures. I’ll bet my next ghost sighting that there are many other amazing facts we can learn about these animals. Happy Trails!

Nancy Nine-band

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Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) have joined forces to offer youth hunts that are safe, educational and very affordable. We sponsor introductory, instructive youth hunts for deer, turkey, hogs, javelina, exotics, dove, small game, waterfowl, varmints and other species. Normally, we provide mentors, lodging and meals.

Our GoalsTo preserve the hunting heritage in Texas for present and future generations.To instill in youth a basic understanding of practical conservation measures.To encourage wildlife habitat access, enhancement and management.To teach the basic skills, values, techniques and responsibilities of hunting.To promote the highest ethical standards in hunting.To give our youth an initial, positive, safe, educational, mentored hunting experience

Our MissionThe Texas Youth Hunting Program

was established to increase the numberof youth participating in wildlife

and hunting activities and to promotethe hunting heritage in Texas.

To participate in the Texas Youth Hunting Program, you must ...Be 9 to 17 years old.Complete and submit the Texas Youth Hunting Program Application at www.texasyouthhunting.com

To hunt with TYHP, youth must ...Complete the Hunter Education Program for Texas or another state and be able to provide a copy of your

� ����������������� ����������� ���������������� ��� �������� �� ���������������� ����������������������� to hunt with TYHP, regardless of age. Call Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) 792-1112 for more information and a schedule of upcoming Hunter Education Courses in your area.

Have a valid Texas hunting license and appropriate tags or stamps when required.Be accompanied by a parent or guardian.Complete a TYHP Hunting Application that lists your choice of hunts by priority. Select hunts by Hunt Number

from Hunt Schedules available through the website.Complete the TYHP forms located in the Youth Hunter Documents section of the website. Completed

documents must be brought to your hunt!Submit your Hunt Fee, as instructed, to secure your position when you are selected for a youth hunt.

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Scavenger’s Word Search

Conservation Comment

Directions: First, use the clues below to fill in the blanks with a word from the article “The Opportunistic Opossum.” Then, find and circle the answers in the puzzle.1. Active at night: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 2. Plant and animal eater: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 3. Structure that holds baby opossums: __ __ __ __ __4. Long, thick, and hairless body part used for balance: __ __ __ __ 5. The opossum has 50 of these: __ __ __ __ __6. Means “able to grasp”: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 7. This animal is an opportunistic eater: __ __ __ __ __ __ __8. Type of animal that carries young in a pouch: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __9. To escape predators, opossums will “play –“: __ __ __ __10 . Opossums are good climbers in a: __ __ __ __

Fisher Reyna Education offers professional development and a website subscription to provide resources in reading and writing. They work to better connect teaching and testing. See them at www.fisherryena.com. TWA and Critter Connections have partnered with Fisher Reyna Education to bring authentic children’s content in reading language arts.

F D N M K T J S R O M H M D G

H A E J J U Y M L P T Y U Q V

Z K O A I E B F P E T L S E Y

K T S E D H W D E L M C S A G

W T T F R Y X T J A K A O A P

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V O U B C B V S J N Y F O F R

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E L A I P U S R A M O P Q W N

J Q D Q R M I F B G Z P K Z S

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Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

By Carolyn Bierschwale

Virginia Opossums, often called “sanitation engineers,” play an important role in keeping the environment clean and clear of food waste and carrion. Although they are highly adapted to live near human areas such as neighborhoods and farms, they are rarely ever the cause of serious problems for humans. Opossums are rarely rabid (having Rabies) and are resistant to most infectious viral diseases of cats and dogs. They are, however, a host for fleas and can contribute to the parasite’s population. If you don’t want opossums hanging around, make sure your pet’s food is not left outside and your garbage can lids are tightly shut.

The life span of an adult opossum in the wild is two-three years, due to predation, human activities such as death by

vehicles and trapping, disease, and starvation. It is important to remember that it is illegal in most states to care for or keep opossums, and any injured or orphaned animals should be directed to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. To locate one in your county, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/rehab/list/.

Immature opossum and opossum walking by Grady & Maxine Allen

Resting on a tree stump by Russell Graves

c o r n e r

critter

suggests they still resemble the earliest opossums and have existed relatively unchanged for at least 50 million years. The term opossum comes from the American Indian word “apasum,” which means “white animal.”

This animal is often feared by people due to a misunderstanding of its physical appearance and has the reputation of being a repulsive and aggressive pest. The species has adapted well to human habitation and can be seen around garbage bins, under buildings, and up in attics. Scientists who study opossums, however, are fascinated by their ways of life and hope that knowledge of the species will rid people’s fear of the odd and unknown.Physical Description: A Face Only a Mother Could Love

In general, the opossum is about the size of a large house cat and can weigh up to 12 pounds. With the tail, total body length is between 2 and 3 feet and males tend to be larger and heavier than females. They have an elongated head with dark eyes that seem almost ‘pop-eyed’ and a slender snout leading to whiskers and a pink nose. Looking straight-on toward the head, the opossum appears to have a triangular face with two round ears at the top.

The fur can be light to dark gray and is often described as looking unkempt (scruffy and untidy). The hind feet are very much like human hands, with an opposable large toe that helps with grasping tree branches. Skillful fingers on the forepaws allow the opossum to hold and maneuver prey while feeding, as well as firmly place down on limbs while climbing. This terrestrial (land-dwelling) animal’s feet are plantigrade, meaning shaped so that the opossum walks on the soles of its feet, rather than on its toes like other mammals.

Perhaps the most revealing (and “icky” to most people) part of the opossum is its tail. It is thick and mostly hairless, giving it a scaly appearance. This prehensile (able to grasp) feature is mainly used as a safety line while climbing and for balance when walking. It is actually a myth that they can hang upside down from trees by their tails.

Senses & Behaviors: The Big BlufferOpossums prefer woodlands close to water but are highly adaptable

to live in marshes, prairies, and farmland. As nocturnal animals, they dwell in dark spaces like outbuildings, hollow trees, rock crevices, and under piles of debris. In addition, their senses are designed to help with nighttime habits. A good sense of smell and touch help to locate food. Though its sense of vision is relatively weak, the opossum has wide-open pupils, a special eye adaptation that allows for better intake of light to see in the dark. Sensitivity to environmental sound is observed, as even a finger snap will cause the opossum to wince and react, but this also helps to detect other animals.

Typically social only during breeding season, opossums vocalize by hissing, growling, and screeching when aggressive, or by simply making a metallic “clicking” noise (similar to two marbles touching together) when non-aggressive. Generally non-aggressive, a cornered opossum’s open-mouth display of fifty fearsome teeth may ward off an offender, though it will rarely attack. Opossums also possess a unique adapted behavior designed to escape predators called “playing possum.” This performance is also known as “playing dead,” describing the act of appearing dead so that any threatening bobcat, eagle, dog, or other predator might lose interest or give the opossum seconds to make an escape. Diet: Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Opossums are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat whatever is available at any particular time. They are considered true omnivores, with a diet ranging from insects, grubs, and eggs to flowers and fruit. Snails, slugs, lizards, frogs, small rodents, earthworms, snakes, young rabbits, small birds, grasses, berries, and grains are also included in their menu. They are known to raid chicken farms, gardens, pets’ food bowls, and garbage piles after other animals. Also scavengers, opossums will often feed on carrion (dead meat), which helps to keep the environment clean. Reproduction: A Pouch Full of Preemies

As a marsupial, a female opossum will give birth to a litter very early, after only 12 days of gestation (development). Each year, she may have two litters of up to 18 offspring the size of honeybees. Though blind, deaf, and hairless, these babies are equipped with the essential body parts needed to crawl from the birth canal up to the pouch on the mother’s underbelly. With a keen sense of smell and navigation, tiny claws to crawl up her fur, and a large tongue to attach to a teat, the baby opossum is ready to complete its development in the pouch for another 60 days. The babies are weaned at around 100 days after birth and continue to grow to become solitary and independent.

By Carolyn Bierschwale

What kind of animal might you get if you crossed a cat with a kangaroo, a monkey, and a rat? Though the creation of such an animal from different species is impossible, it may be easy to imagine the characteristics that would stand out. What traits, or features, of this animal might help it to move, eat, care for its young, and escape predators? Can you picture a cat-sized mammal with a thick rat-tail that can wrap around tree limbs, a mouth full of sharp teeth, feet shaped like hands, and a pouch to carry its babies?

The key to any animal’s survival lies in its adaptations, a collection of specialized body parts, behaviors, instincts and skills that allow for a better chance of survival. This imaginary creature may seem to be right out of a science fiction novel, but the existence of such an animal may not be so far from reality. One of Texas’ many species which shows a unique assembly of traits and adaptations is the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana). The opossum is a mammal: a warm-blooded animal that is covered with hair and nourishes its young with milk. Opossums give birth to live young like

most other mammals, but during a stage much earlier in development. Like the kangaroos and koalas of Australia, the Virginia Opossum is a marsupial in which the female feeds and carries her young in a pouch outside of her body until they are grown enough to leave.

Among some of the oldest animals of North America, the Virginia Opossum is the only marsupial and species of ‘possum’ that occurs in Texas. They occur statewide except for the dry west (Trans-Pecos region) and high mesa (Llano Estacado) of the Panhandle. This is an interesting species because it shares characteristics of both modern and primitive (ancient) mammals. Opossums are sometimes considered to be “living fossils” because scientific evidence

References:Texas Parks and Wildlife, “Wildlife Fact Sheets.” http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/speciesKrause, William J. and Winifred A. Krause. The Opossum: Its Amazing Story. Columbia, Missouri: University of

Missouri, 2006. http://web.missouri.edu/~krausew/Histology/Home. 10 Apr 2012.Burnie, David and Don E. Wilson. Animal. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc., 2001.

The Opportunistic

OpossumOpossim playing dead by Grady

& Maxine Allen

Up close and personal by Rusty Ray

Hanging on by a prehensile tail by Russell Graves

Baby opossum with mother by Wyman Meinzer

Opossum showing his teeth by Grady & Maxine Allen

Opossum tracks by Russell Graves

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Color Me Big, black, leathery, hairless ears with white tips

Virginia OpossumDidelphis virginiana

Face is white

Pointed snout

Long, pinkish, scaly, prehensile tail. End of tail is whitish

zoomschool.com

Long gray or black fur

Black base of tail

Five toes on each foot

Big toe on hind foot is clawless and opposable

Short legs and pink, clawed

feet

Pink nose

Sensory whiskers

Black eyes

Using its tail for balance by Wyman Meinzer

…that the Virginia Opossum originated and evolved in South America, but is now the only marsupial found north of Mexico?

…that though the opossum was well-known to the Native Americans, it was the first marsupial European explorers

encountered and studied? As the common name Virginia Opossum suggests, this animal was named in the state of Virginia.

…that an adult male opossum is referred to as a “Jack,” a female is a “Jill,” and a pouch baby is a “Joey?”

…that the opossum can voluntarily use its tail to complete other tasks, like coil around and carry bundles of grasses and leaves to

their dens or sleeping places?

…that opossums are very strong swimmers?

…that the Virginia Opossum is virtually resistant to snake bites, as they show little to no reaction to poisonous venom?

Did you know...

Opossum in a tree by Rusty RayImmature opossum coming down a tree

by Wyman MeinzerTaking a water break by Wyman Meinzer

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There are as many as 42 different species of oaks growing all over the state of Texas. If you count the species that cross pollinate as well, there could be as many as 50 or more. Oaks can be small shrubs, like the Davis Mountain Oak of West Texas, or enormous trees, like the Texas Live Oak. Did you know the largest Texas Live Oak grows in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge? It does and it is as tall as a six story building at 67 feet. Its branches spread over 100 feet wide, which is almost one third of a football field. That’s a lot of shade.

Leaf OutThe leaves of oaks are simple and are not divided into leaflets. Their edges can be wavy, smooth, or jagged like teeth. Many oaks have leaves that are shiny on top and dull or slightly fuzzy underneath. This is because they have small hairs on the underside of the leaf and none on the top. Some oaks are similar to evergreens because they appear to keep their leaves year round. However, they are not true evergreens, because in the spring the older leaves fall to the ground as the newer leaf buds appear. Other oaks, like Red Oak and Shumard Oak, have leaves that turn different shades of orange and red before falling in the autumn.

AcornsMost oaks are monoecious meaning they have separate male and female flowers found on the same plant. Both types of flowers are on spikes that hang downward, called catkins. The male flowers are usually found on the longer catkins and the female flowers on the shorter. Once the female flowers have been pollinated, they produce the fruit, which we call the acorn. The acorns have a hard shell with one seed inside. Acorns are eaten by large mammals like the black bear, white-tailed deer, cattle, sheep, goats, feral hogs and javelina. A term used for acorns, and other nuts eaten by animals, is mast. Acorns are also eaten by smaller mammals like opossums and different species of squirrels. What about birds? Well, turkey, bobwhite quail, green jays, woodpeckers, and various other birds will snack on acorns, as well. Birds also use oaks as nesting sites. And, since the crowns, or canopies, of oak trees are very dense, they are a valuable place of shade for animals and humans alike.

Other UsesSome oaks have a very hard type of wood,

while others are a little softer. The USS Constitution, a ship of the United States Navy,

is said to have used southern live oaks in its construction during the late 1700’s. Live oaks

have also been used to make furniture, along with White Oak, Chinquapin Oak and others.

Different oaks have been used to make wood flooring, cabinets, tools, baskets, posts and

railroad crossties. The Native Americans used live oak acorns to make cooking oil, and its bark was used to make dyes and to create

tannin, a substance used to tan leather.

The Treaty OakIn the city of Austin, Texas there is a live oak

tree said to be anywhere from 300 to 600 years old. According to historians, it is the last

of a grove of fourteen trees known as the Council Oaks. The Council Oaks were used

by Native Americans as a place to meet for celebrations and religious ceremonies. This remaining tree is called the Treaty Oak. It is

said that Indian maidens believed that a drink made from the acorns of this tree would bring

their loved ones home from battle safely. Folklore also says that Stephen F. Austin signed

a peace treaty with the Indians under the shade of this very tree. In 1922, the American

Forest Association inducted the Treaty Oak into its Hall of Fame saying it was a perfect

specimen of a North American tree. The land the tree grew on was purchased in 1937 by the city of Austin with an agreement that the

tree was not to be destroyed and the land was to stay the same as long the tree was

alive. However, in 1989, the Treaty Oak was poisoned by a vandal who poured a large amount of herbicide on it. The tree meant

so much to so many people that a team of scientists was brought together to determine how to save the tree. Many believed the tree

would die. However, through some very extensive and expensive procedures, the Treaty

Oak was saved. Even though the herbicide destroyed almost two thirds of the tree, in

1997, the Treaty Oak began to produce its first crop of acorns since the vandalism. This tree

shows how strong these oaks can be and how they can survive almost anything.

Article and Photos By Rose Cooper

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