texas endangered species activity book

7/28/2019 Texas Endangered Species Activity Book

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TexasEndangered

SpeciesActivity Bookby

Kathleen Marie Jacksonand

Linda Campbell


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The Texas Endangered Species Activity Book

is the result of Texas Parks and Wildlifes

(TPWD) commitment to education and thefertile partnerships formed between TPWD

biologists and educators. Developed by

Kathy Jackson, a teacher at Barton Creek

Elementary in Eanes ISD, the activity book

brings together the expertise and practical

knowledge of a classroom teacher with the

technical knowledge and skills of TPWD

biologists and artists. Both Kathy Jackson

and artist Phuong Nguyen were employed by

TPWD under the summer intern programs

for teachers and students. We hope kids

learn from the book, have fun with the

activities, and develop an appreciation forthe unique plants and animals of Texas.


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TexasEndangered

SpeciesActivity Book

The Black-footed Ferret isEXTIRPATED(no longer exists) in Texas!

Do we want any remaininganimals or plants to become

extirpated also?

This book is devoted toanimals and plants that are

ENDANGERED(indangerof becoming extinct).

Enjoy the stories of eachanimal and plant and when

you read about theBlack-footed Ferret

remember this animal usedto live in West Texas but

doesnt anymore.

by

Kathleen Marie JacksonElementary EducationEanes ISDAustin, TexasFax (512) 263-3086

and

Linda CampbellTexas Parks and WildlifeEndangered Resources BranchAustin, Texas1-800-792-1112

Learn about the Black-footed Ferret.............................................4

the Red-cockaded Woodpecker............................13

the Peregrine Falcon ................................................19

the Greater Long-nosed Bat ..................................22

the Golden-cheeked Warbler ................................30

the Black-capped Vireo............................................31

the Ocelot ..................................................................34

the Whooping Crane...............................................37

the Houston Toad.....................................................44


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There are animals andplants that are in trouble!

Why should we care?

2

Someday you will

be making

decisions that

affect the naturalresources of Texas.

We hope that you

will appreciate the

plants and animals

of our state and

understand more

about how human

activities impact

the environment.

There are less than 100 Attwaters Prairie Chickens left in Texas.Do you think this story could happen one day? We hope not.

Its not the same!

I really wanted tosee them on theprairie like my daddid. I wish we couldhave left some roomfor the Attwaters

Prairie Chicken.

Im sorry. There are no moreAttwaters Prairie Chickens.Maybe you could find a pictureof one in a book.

I remember seeingAttwaters PrairieChickens around herewhen I was a child. Theyare really a neat bird,especially the way they

dance at their breedinggrounds. I want to showthem to my daughter.Where can I see some?


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Texas Is Special

Texas is a big state with many

interesting ecosystems. Anecosystem is a collection ofplants and animals along with thesunlight, soil, air and water thatthey need to live.

An ecosystem may be assmall as a pond or fallenlog or as large as ourearth, which is really anecosystem in space.

When something threatens

the survival of a plant oranimal in an ecosystem,a chain reaction can begin.Since plants and animalsdepend on each other tolive, the loss of one kind ofanimal or plant (species)

can affect many others.

For example, when food chainsare broken, MANY animals andplants can be affected.

Regionsof Texas

3

Color the areas of Texas

Trans Pecos brownEdwards Plateau & Llano Uplift purpleHigh and Rolling Plains redPineywoods greenOak Woods & Prairies and Blackland Prairies orange

South Texas Brush Country yellowGulf Coast Prairies & Marshes and Coastal Sand Plains blue

Trans Pecos

High andRolling Plains

Oak Woods &Prairies

andBlacklandPrairies

Pineywoods

Gulf CoastPrairies &

Marshes andCoastal Sand

Plains

South Texas BrushCountry

Edwards Plateau andLlano Uplift


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Black-footed FerretA True Story

A ferret female and her youngneed at least 100 acresofprairie dog burrows!

The prairie dog communitieshave declined and are now

separated by areas of farmland.This separation caused problemsfor the ferrets.

If prairie dog communities aretoo far apart, young ferretssearching for a home can be

eaten by owls, eagles, hawks,coyotes, foxes and bobcats.

Black-footed Ferrets and prairie dogs are an example of animalcommunities that are part of an ecosystem. If one populationdeclines then it affects the population of another animal or plant inthe ecosystem.

How do you think the decline of prairie dog towns affected theBlack-footed Ferret?

How did the ferrets get enough food?

How did they protect their young?4

The Black-footedFerret was listed asendangered in

1967.

Ferrets live in theburrows made byprairie dogs. Prairiedogs are the mainfood source for

ferrets. In Texas, theprairie dog populationbecame smaller innumber because ofchanges on the land.As the prairie dogtowns disappeared, so

did the Black-footedFerret.

Historical range (shaded) and last knowncurrent range () of the Black-footed Ferret.

USFWSDeanBiggins

TPWDGlenMills


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5

Exampleof a

PrairieDog Town

EntranceDead EndEscape Tunnel

Dry Chamber ListeningChamber

Tunnel toAnother

Burrow

SleepingChamberNursery

Toilet


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Black-footed ferret and prairie dog masks

1. Color and cut out the masks in this section and become aBlack-footed Ferret or a Prairie Dog for a partner talk!

2. After you have cut out and colored your masks, you can holdthem up to your face with your hands. (You could also tape astraw, pencil, or popsicle stick to the bottom of the mask touse as a grip.)

3. After your mask is on, you are ready for your partner talk.Ideas for your partner talk:a. Discuss the loss of your animal community.b. How did if affect you?c. What can people do to fix your problem?

The ferret is tan with a black face mask and a dark saddle on its back.It has black feet and legs and a black-tipped tail.

Prairie dogs in Texas have a

black-tipped tail and areyellowish brown in color.


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Black-footed Ferret Mask


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Prairie Dog Mask


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Draw yourown prairiedog town be sure toadd a Black-footed Ferretin a burrow.


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13

The main threat to the Red-cockaded Woodpecker hasbeen the decrease in large, old

pine trees in the East Texasforest. Many of these old treeshave been cut down to beused as timber for our society.

The Red-cockaded Wood-

pecker is the only species thattunnels into a living pine tree,using the cavity for its shelter.

These Woodpeckers buildtheir cavities in old pine trees.

They prefer trees that are 60-70 years old or even older.

Old pine trees sometimes geta fungus inside their trunk thatsoftens the wood and makesthe digging easier for theWoodpeckers. Red-cockaded

Woodpeckers eat insects theyfind on the trunk and branchesof pine trees. A group ofwoodpeckers may need ahundred acres or more in orderto find enough food to eat.

The Red-cockaded Woodpeckerand the Texas Trailing Phlox

A True Story

Color cues: Rose, pink, or

lavender petals with a purplecenter.

The Texas Trailing Phlox is anendangered plant that sharesthe Red-cockadedWoodpeckers habitat.

This is what the Pineywoods looked like long ago when the NativeAmericans lived here. The spaces you see between the pine trees areimportant in providing habitat for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker andTexas Trailing Phlox. When the brush between the trees grows thickand/or tall, the Texas Trailing Phlox cannot grow and the Woodpeckercannot easily fly to its cavity home in an old pine tree.

TPWDGlenMills

RoyE.Larson

TPWD


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14

In the Pineywoods,when the wildernesswas still undeveloped

by people, fires wouldnaturally sweepthrough an area.

All the plants woulddie except theLongleaf pines. Thesepines were able tolive through a fire.

WOW!

Now people have

stopped fires and thishas changed thePineywoods. Thebrush that used toburn has grown thickand tall in those impor-tant open spaces thatthe Red-cockadedWoodpecker and the

Texas trailing phloxneed for their habitat.

Is this a problem?

Woodpecker Cavity

Did you know?

Resin is the sticky sap that drips down the bark when the Woodpecker pecks at the tree to createits cavity. The sticky sap helps protect the cavity from predators such as snakes.

This is a close up of aWoodpecker cavity in anold pine tree. Scientistslook for resin when identi-fying Red-cockaded Wood-

pecker cavities.

Vocabular y Check:What is resin?

TPWDReaganBradshaw


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Red-cockaded Woodpecker Cavity Peek - Part 1

Cavity Peek

Background Information:The Red-cockadedWoodpecker pecks at the bark of a pinetree until the resin (sticky substance likesyrup) drips down the bark. Some scien-tists think the Woodpecker does this toprotect its cavity from predators like

snakes. The snakes get the resin stuck intheir scales, so that they cant crawl andthey fall off the pine tree.

1. Color and decorate the bark of thetree.Remember to color the resin dripping

down the bark. (It looks like candle wax

dripping down the outside of a candle.)2. Cut the dotted lines around the

outside of the circle of page one. Besure not to cut the dark line.Stop on each side when the dotted line

stops. You might want to push the point

of your scissors into the dot at the

bottom of the circle as a star ting point.3. Cut out the rectangle that shows thetree and cavity hole and glue it to therectangle on the next page. Youshould be able to look and see aRed-cockaded Woodpecker in his cavity.

The Resin islight tan andthe areaaround thecavity thathad beenpecked by the

Woodpeckeris a reddishbrown color.


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Red-cockaded Woodpecker Cavity Peek - Part 2Color the Red-cockadedWoodpecker. Use thecolor cues.

This Woodpeckerhas a solid black

cap and a largewhite patch behindthe eye. The malehas a tiny redstreak at the backof the head (thecockade). It has ablack back withwhite strips and a

white breast withblack streaks.


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The Peregrine Falcon has notonly faced the threats ofhabitat loss and human distur-

bance, it was also a victim ofthe widespread use of DDT(a pesticide).

DDT was banned in the U.S.in 1972. In 1975 only about324 pairs of breeding falconsremained in North America.

Today, due to the help andprotection that people haveoffered and the decrease ofDDT in the food chain,

Peregrine Falcons are repro-ducing well throughoutmost of North America.However, in Texas recoveryhas been slow.

Youcan do your part by

following label directions onhow to properly use anddispose of chemicals and theircontainers. This effort willhelp to keep harmful chemi-cals out of the food chain.

The Peregrine FalconA True Story

An incredible hunter

The Peregrine Falcon is a bird of prey. It lives by huntingother birds. The Falcon preys on small birds like swallows,jays, and blackbirds. When hunting, the Peregrine rises togreat heights, then goes into a steep power dive called thestoop. The speed of the dive has been measured at180 miles per hour (race car driving speed). Falcons strike

their prey at such great speed that the prey is often killedinstantly just by the blow from the Falcons talons (claws).

Peregrines are excellent flyers! They can fly at a speed inexcess of 60 miles per hour. (As fast as you drive on thehighway.) You can recognize this falcon in flight by lookingfor their black helmet.

As youve learned from your science classes, pesticides onthe ground enter the food chain. So when the Falcon eatsits dinner, he may be eating pesticide that is in the fattytissue of an animal that probably ate some plants or seedscovered with a chemical substance such as DDT (a pesti-cide used to kill insects).

Plants, soil and water

Seeds Blackbird Falconcontaminated with DDT

Although eating contaminated food sometimes causesdeath, usually it affects birds by making them unable to laynormal eggs.

Falcons contaminated with DDT produce eggs with shellsso thin that they break when the birds sit on them duringnesting. Falcons nest in high places like mountain ledgesand cliffs.

The Falcon is bluish gray with ablack head (like a helmet). Thebeak is grayish blue. The throatand underparts of the bird arewhite or light tan and scatteredwith black streaks. The ends ofthe tail feathers are tipped inlight yellow-brown. The legs andfeet are yellow and the talons

(claws) are bluish black.

USFWS


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In Texas, we needto protectbreeding habitat

in the westernpart of the state.

Since humandisturbance canbe a seriousthreat to thefalcon, parkssuch as Big BendNational Parkhave visitationrules duringnesting season.

Draw your own food chain for another bird of prey. Use a fish, a Bald Eagle, a leaf, an insect.

A Falcon Story FrameTest your comprehension by filling in the story frame. You may have to go back and reread

the information about the falcon.

1. I have a black helmet andI am a great flyer!

I am called a

____________________________

2. I am a birdof prey.I eat...

__________

__________

__________

Draw anexampleof falconprey here!

3. __________ is a chemical that enteredthe food chain.

Draw a falcon food chain.

4. This chemical caused meto break my own eggs,the shells were so

_______________.

5. Write your favorite falcon facts here!

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Dear Friends,

Thanks so much for

reading my story! Im

pretty unique arent I?

Sincerely,

Perry

Peregrine


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Graphing PollNow that you have read the material about the falcon, test the trivia level of friends and family.

Take a trivia poll - ask tenpeople you know if they canguess the right speed of afalcon stoop.

Step 1. Use the form torecord your inter-view results. Shade

in a box for eachchosen speed.

Step 2. Be sure to explain tothe participants whata stoop is.

Step 3. After you have

interviewed theparticipants andasked them to guessthe speed of afalcons dive, recordyour information onthe graph.

You may need anadult to help youcreate a bar graph.

Participants Speed 60 MPH Speed 100 MPH Speed 180 MPH Higher Speed

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

60 MPH 100 MPH 180 MPH Higher

Peregrine Falcon Speed Guess

NumberofResponses

Example ofbar graph


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The only known Texasroosting site of thisbat is in a cave in the

mountains of BigBend National Park.Scientists are notquite sure why thebats are rare. Onereason might be thatsince the bats arenectar feeders, it ishard for them to findenough bloomingagave plants for largenumbers of bats toeat. Agaves are

being harvestedby people. Also,large numbers ofbats roostingtogether aresometimes

disturbed oreven killed bypeople whomistakenly fearthem.

The Greater Long-nosed BatA True Story

These bats spend thesummer in Texas and therest of the year inMexico. They roosttogether in large groups

called colonies. The batsleave the cave at night tofeed on the brightblooming agave plants.

The Greater Long-nosed Batis special because it has along nose with a very longtongue. This adaptation(special design) allows thebat to place its tongue into aflower to feed on the nectar

(sugar and water) and pollen.

What other animal has along beak and feeds onflower nectar?

Hint: a bird.

MerlinD.Tuttle

MerlinD

.Tuttle


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Color andcut out thehanging bat!Cut around

the tabs andfold ontoa shelf,window, ordoor sill. Becreative you might

want todraw a cave.

Color cues: This bat is dark gray in color.


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Glue top pieces across this line.


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27

foot

wing membrane

earelbow

upper arm

snout (nose)

forearm

wrist

fourth finger

third finger

wing membrane

wing membrane

second finger

first finger

thumb

ankle

Agave flower


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SongbirdsofCentralTexas


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The main reason thesetwo songbirds are en-dangered is that they

have lost their habitat.The growth of cities intothe Hill Country, theclearing of tall juniper(also called cedar) andoak forest, and overgraz-ing by deer and livestock

in some areas have madetheir nesting areassmaller and smaller! Thismeans adults cannot findenough places tonest or food for

their young.

For some of thesame reasons, the

Texas Snowbell isa hill country

plant that is alsoin trouble.

Remember, altering ahabitat affects not onlyanimals but plants also.

Songbirds of Central Texas

The Golden-cheeked Warbler

A True Story

Golden-cheeked Warblers arrive in the Hill Country in March tonest and raise their young. The juniper/oak woodlands of centralTexas are the only areas in the world where these birds nest.

Golden-cheeked Warblers stay in Texas until

July or August. Then they migrate (movefrom one area to another depending on theseason) to Mexico and Central America tospend the winter. They return each year tonest in Texas.

Golden-cheeked Warblers build their nest using strips of juniper bark woventogether with spider webs. After the eggs are laid, it takes about 12 days forthe young to hatch. The baby birds stay in the nest for about nine days.After they leave the nest, they stay close to the adults. In about four weeksthe young birds are feeding themselves and flying well. By August the youngare ready for their trip south for the winter.

Can you imagine what a Golden-cheeked Warbler nest would look like?Draw what you imagine! Reread the paragraph to look for the details of

how the nest is made.The Texas Snowbell waslisted as endangered in1987. This plant likes togrow on limestone cliffsamong spanish oak,cedar, and Texas ashtrees. The flowers arewhite and grow inclusters among leaves

that are very round.

GregW.Lasley

Ja

ckieM.Poole

TheBlack-cappedVireo


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The Black capped VireoA True Story

Black-capped Vireos nest in Texas from April toJuly. They build a cup-shaped nest in the forkof a branch about 2 to 4 feet above theground. Three or four eggs are usually laid.They hatch in 14 to 17days and the chicks areable to fly 10to 12 days after hatching. Vireo

chicks are born with no feathers. Both theparents take on the job of feeding their young.In August, the birds migrate (move to anotherarea) to spend the winter in Mexico.

Black-capped Vireos nest in low level shrubs 2 to 4 feet high (aboutas tall as your school desk).

Since fires used to keep rangeland open and the shrubs short, thevireos had a place to nest. Now that people have stopped range-land fires, these shrubs grow thicker and taller. Also, too manygoats and deer in some places have removed the low-growing nestcover.

Will vireos nest in areas without low-growing shrubs?

No, theyve lost their nesting habitat.

There is a type of bird that, in the old days used tofollow the bison herds as they moved from place toplace on the prairie. Today, the Brown-headedCowbird is often found in areas grazed by livestock.

There are cowbirds throughout Texas, including theHill Country, and they create a problem fro theBlack-capped Vireo.

Female cowbirds lay their eggs in nests built by otherbirds. (This is called nest parasitism.) The cowbirdlays her eggs in the vireos nest and then leaves thevireos to take care of her eggs and young.

The vireo parents are probably too small toremove the cowbird eggs from their nest. So thevireos are left to take care of all the eggs and youngin a nest that is too small.

The problem occurs when the bigger cowbirdchicks hatch first, crush the vireo eggs or chicks, or

receive all the food. Sometimes vireo parents leavethe nest and dont come back. Vireo nests withcowbird eggs dont produce vireo chicks.

What do you think of this story?

Male cowbirds areblack with a brownhead.

male vireo

female vireo

TPWD

USFWSA.Shull

TerryL.Cook


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Golden-cheekedWarbler

Color by Number1. yellow or gold2. black3. white4. grayish green

Female

Male

1

1

2

32

44

3

3

1

4

4

4

3

3

4

2

4


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Black-cappedVireo

Color by Number1. black2. greenish brown3. dark gray4. white

Female

Male

3

2

1

42

1

1

4

2

2

2

4

1

2

4

1

The Ocelot


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A True StoryThe Jewel ofSouth Texas

The Ocelot is one ofthe most beautiful

cats in Texas! He is in

trouble! The thick

brush that the Ocelot

needs for survival hasbeen cleared for

farmland and cities.

Very little is known about the Ocelot because it is sorare and likes to hide in the low, thick brush. They arenot often seen. Since Ocelots are so difficult to observein the wild, scientists attach to the cats collars that emitsounds. These sounds can be heard with special equip-ment. They also use night vision cameras to take picturesof Ocelots moving around in the dark.

The Ocelot population in Texas is very small; possibly nomore than 80 to 120 cats. The Ocelot needs large areasof thick brush habitat for long term survival. The catblends into the brush by having a spotted coat that lookslike the different shades of brown in the thick shrubs.

Most of the thick brush has been cleared away for growing crops and developing cities. Nowthe brush exists only in small, scattered clumps.

That is why it is so important to connect tracts of land, with long hallway-like strips of habitat.This permits the Ocelot to travel from one area of thick brush to another without having tocross dangerous highways or large areas without brush cover.

This is a map of an area in southTexas where some brush has beencleared and some has been left.Draw in a brush strip to connectthe three habitat areas.

USFWSTomSm

ylie


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Draw a poster toadvertise that this isOcelot Country.Make it clear to

travelers that theyneed to watch forOcelots crossing thehighways. Be sure tolet the reader knowthat Ocelots preferareas of low dense

brush.

Show your ideas onhow Texans canconserve or createOcelot habitat.

Draw an OcelotColor cues: Theupper parts of the Ocelot are grayor beige with dark brown or black spots Theunderparts are white with


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Get an encyclopediaor another sciencebook to look up theanswers to thesequestions. You mightwant to check yourschool library.

1. Bobcats andOcelots look verysimilar. Manypeople and evenscientists canmistake them

when the animalsare far away.There are twoparts of theirbodies that makethem different.Can you identifythese two parts?

2. Are Bobcatsendangered inTexas?

Color cues: The upper parts of the Ocelot are gray or beige with dark brown or black spots. The underparts are white withblack spots. This cats long tail has dark rings. The backs of the rounded ears are black with one central white spot.

Draw a Bobcat

The Whooping Crane


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The rare Whooping Crane isanother victim of habitat loss.

Whooping Cranes have beenon the endangered species listsince 1973.

Due to conservation efforts,

Whoopers have grown innumber from only 14 in 1938to over 160 wild birds in1995. A great success story!

A True Story

Aransas NationalWildlife Refuge

Bosque del ApacheNational Wildlife Refuge

Monte Vista NationalWildlife Refuge

Grays Lake NationalWildlife Refuge

Wood BuffaloNational Park

Canada

Main flock

Foster flock

Whooping Cranes travel 2,500 miles twice ayear to and from their nesting grounds innorthern Canada and their wintering groundsin Texas. In the northern U.S., whereWhooping Cranes used to nest, marshes havebeen drained for crop production. Also,Whooping Cranes are extremely sensitive to

human disturbance on the wintering grounds.Collisions with power lines and fences, alongwith shootings, have threatened safe migration.

Wildlife officials decided to use Sandhill Cranes (a close relative) to act as foster parents. These

foster parents hatched and raised four Whooper chicks in 1975. The Sandhill Cranes then led theWhoopers on an 850-mile migration. (A shorter and less difficult trip than the Aransas-Canadamigration route.) Unfortunately, the Sandhill Cranes couldnt teach the Whooping Cranes how tobreed properly, and now the foster Whooper flock numbers less than 10. Scientists now believeWhooping Crane parents are better for Whooping Crane chicks.

Another way to improve Whooper numbers is by raising a captiveflock (a flock of birds held in captivity to produce eggs).

Wildlife scientists have removed extra eggs for incubation (warmingeggs so they will hatch) in a laboratory setting. This way most of theWhooper eggs in a nest will produce young. People in costumes thatlook like Whooping Cranes teach the chicks how to eat and survive.The young birds are released back into the wild.

Since 1993, Whooping Cranes raised in captivity have been releasedinto the wet prairies of central Florida. This flock (which does notmigrate) now numbers 15 birds.

A Whooping Crane chickis cinnamon in color.

TPWDB

illReaves

USFWS


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Can you find the picture of theWhooping Crane using the cluesfrom Whooper Trivia? Circle it!

There are a number of birds that may

appear similar to the Whooping Crane inflight. This similarity and the fact that theWhooping Crane is large and easily spottedare reasons for mistaken shootings.Remember, the Whooping Crane is seen insmall flocks of two to fifteen.

Whooper Trivia

The tallest bird in NorthAmerica

Mates for life

They usually lay two eggs,one of which will most likelybe successfully raised

Named for its call a loudtrumpeting whoop

Eat crabs which areswallowed whole

Their feet are the size of ahuman hand

Making a Crane


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mobile.

Color, cut andtape the WhoopingCrane together.The wings aredesigned forhanging theWhooping Cranein flight.

Color cues: Adultbirds are white withred on the top of thehead and black underthe eye. When inflight, the Whoopersblack-tipped wingfeathers can be seenand their long legs

extend beyond thetail feathers. Thebeak is long, straightand greenish gray.

The eyes are yellow.Whooping Cranechicks are a reddishbrown color.cu

talo

ngdashed

line

and

tapeto

oth

erhalf


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cut along dashed line and tape to other half


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Complete these tables!

A i ti t t k f Wh i C t d l


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A scientist takes one egg from a Whooping Crane nest and leaves oneto be raised by the parents. This insures that half the eggs produceyoung Whoopers in protective captivity.

For every 10 crane eggs laid, how many would have been taken out byscientists and raised in captivity?

Complete the chart to find your answer.

Wild Flock

2 4 6 8 10Cranes

ScientistsRaising Eggs 1 2in Captivity

There are 5 wild groups of cranes migrating from the Texas coast toCanada. Each flock has 12 birds in it.

How many might arrive in Canada if none are shot, hurt by powerlines, or die in some other way?

Group 1 2 3 4 5

Cranes12 24Arriving

43

The Houston Toad and theLarge-fruitedSandVerbenaBoth the Houston Toad and


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Large fruited Sand VerbenaA True Story

the Large-fruited Sand Verbenalive in areas of natural vegeta-tion with sandy soils.

Habitat loss is the main reasonfor the decline of the Houston

Toad. Areas of sandy soil withnatural vegetation have beenreplaced by cities or planted topastures. The grasses in planted

pastures often grow too thickfor the toad to move through.

Also, many of the small shallowponds that the toads use to laytheir eggs have been drainedor changed so that they nolonger provide good breedingsites.

Toad Trivia

Males gather in small groups around temporary bodies ofwater, such as rainpools. Their unique mating call is a high

pitched trill lasting up to 15 seconds.

The females are attracted to this call. Females lay their eggsin long strings in the water. Some females produce as manyas 6,000 eggs at a time, but most produce 1,000 to 2,000eggs. The eggs hatch within seven days, and the tadpoleschange into toadlets (metamorphosis) in 15-100 days. Thenthe little toadlets leave the pond to begin their life on land.

The Houston Toad is an endangered amphibian. Houston Toads areknown to exist in only nine Texas counties. The toads occur only in areasof deep sandy soil within these counties. The largest known populationof Houston Toads exists in and near Bastrop State Park.

Because Houston Toads are poor burrowers,they need loose sandy soils so they can digdown and cover themselves with soil. Byburrowing into the sandy soil, they are pro-tected from cold winters and hot dry summers.

The Houston Toad will travel long distances tofind water for breeding and egg laying. Some-

times the toads cross busy roads and are killed.

City expansion has caused many habitatchanges. Wetlands may be drained or tempo-rary ponds made into permanent ponds orlakes. The permanent water attracts predatorssuch as snakes and fish.

Recent studies show that bites from fire antscan be a major cause of death for youngtoadlets moving out of the breeding pond. Theuse of pesticides and similar chemicals may alsocontribute to the decline of toad populations.

Large-fruited Sand Verbena flowersare pink-purple.

BruceG.Ste

wart

P.Williamson


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Spin a Stage

Cut out the circle, thencut along the dotted lineto create a view space.Color the stages of toaddevelopment on Part 2,and use a brad to con-

nect it to Part 1.

Spin to view the stages ofa toads metamorphosis.

Color cues: Toads have aspotty pattern of dark brown,gray, green, and yellow.

Tadpoles are dark brown orblack. Eggs are like clear jellywith a dark spot (the embryo)in the middle.

Part 1

THE HOUSTON TOAD

cu

tout


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1


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Cut out the circle andattach it to Part 1 with abrad. Spin the circle toview the stages of thetoads development.

Part 2

Eggs laid inlong strings

in thewater

Tadpole

growingin

thewater

Tadpole

developin

g

legs

Tadpole

continuing

togrow

Tadpol

elegs gro

wingT

adpoletail

getting

smaller

Toad

iscomp

letely

developedand

leaves

the

water

for

drylan

d

2

3

45

6

7

From what you already

Challenge Activity

Situation:


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y yknow, list as manydifferences as you canbetween a frog and a toad.____________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW! Go to theencyclopedia or other

reference book and see ifthe differences you listedare correct. Add anydifferences you read aboutthat were not on youroriginal list.____________________________________________________________________________________________

What do the Houston Toadand the Large-fruited SandVerbena have in common?_______________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Your family has just bought some land in Houston Toad habitat and wants to build a new house. Usingthe space below, draw a birds eye view map of your house, yard and land. Follow the directions at thebottom so you can help protect the Houston Toad.

Directions:1.Draw a small breeding pond in the southeast corner of the property.2.Draw a road in the northwest corner.3.Draw a stream running along the south edge of the property.4.The eastern half of the property has deep sandy soils with scattered oak trees

and shrubs. This is Houston Toad habitat. Draw it on the map.

5.Draw your house in an area that is not Houston Toad habitat.6.Use native plants to landscape your house and yard.7.Keep native plants along streams and near breeding ponds.

Use this compassto help you drawyour map.

Note to Teachers and Parents

This activity book was developed to provide information and foster an appreciation for the native


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y p p ppplants and animals of Texas, particularly those species that have declined in number due to humanimpacts. The activities were designed to help students acquire basic knowledge concerning theinterdependency of plants, animals and people. Responsible citizenship, cause/effect relationships,and conflict resolution are significant themes in the activity book. A primary goal was to designactivities that integrate science, social studies, language arts and math concepts.

Although this activity book was developed primarily for use by individual students working alone orwith a parent, the book is flexible enough to be used as a teaching base for content curriculum ingrades three through five. Teachers may wish to modify the activities or change the organization ofthe material based on the instructional delivery used.

A number of Texas Essential Elements are addressed in the activity book. These include:Science

Explore the environmentDescribe changes that occur to objects and organisms in the environmentIdentify cause and effect relationshipsState similarities and differences

Social StudiesAccept consequences for ones decisionsIdentify ways behavior could be changed to solve a particular environmental problemIdentify rights and duties of citizens in their environmentMap interpretation

Language ArtsUse specialized and technical content area vocabularyAcquire reading vocabulary related to concepts being learned

Engage in creative dramatic activitiesRetell a storyFollow written directions

MathExperience number concepts using tangible models or non-standard familiar units of measureEstimationGraphing


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PWD BK R3000023 (5/98)In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, thispublication is available at the Texas State PublicationsClearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.

texas endangered species activity book

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