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Urban CarnivoresCarnivores native to North Texas have adapted well to living in close proximity to humans in our expanding cities, with few exceptions (for example, the reclusive mountain lion.) Carnivores exploit riparian corridors and often minimal natural habitat, along with the cover of night, to live for the most part hidden lives within our urban world. Carnivore species that appear in urban and suburban, as well as rural parts of North Texas include bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, and striped skunks. Gray foxes and red foxes also inhabit parts of the area. |
Urban Wildlife Issues State and local parks departments employ urban biologists whose roles include dealing with issues related to the presence of carnivores and other wildlife in urban settings. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Urban Wildlife Program encompasses a variety of types of public assistance, including public education. The City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department urban biologist, among other roles, speaks to local community groups on urban biology topics such as resident concerns about coyote appearances in their neighborhoods.
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Citizen Science For this issue's Citizen Science column, we turn our attention once again to the versatile iNaturalist app, specifically the project DFW Carnivores. The project describes itself as follows: "For this project, we are interested in observations (including tracks, scat, carcasses, etc.) of rare/secretive wild mesocarnivores (medium-to-large sized carnivores) found in north Texas." To date, over 2000 observations have been reported for the project. (Editor's note: "scat" is a term used for animal feces.)
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Catching a GlimpseOftentimes, daytime observation of carnivores and other other primarily nocturnal animals is a matter of being in the right place at the right time. To increase the likelihood of an encounter, consider a visit to public spaces characterized by enough undeveloped acreage to provide suitable habitat for these creatures. Carnivores common to Cedar Hill State Park include bobcats, coyotes, and foxes, as well as as their raccoon relatives. Other DFW public acreage with prime carnivore habitat may be found at Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge and Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area (LLELA).
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Coyote at the kitchen door : living with wildlife in suburbia
by Stephen DeStefano
"A moose frustrates commuters by wandering onto the highway; a cougar stalks his prey through suburban backyards; an alligator suns himself in a strip mall parking lot. Such stories, which regularly make headline news, highlight the blurred divide that now exists between civilization and wilderness." "In Coyote at the Kitchen Door, Stephen DeStefano draws on decades of experience as a biologist and conservationist to examine the interplay between urban sprawl and wayward wildlife. As he explores what ourinsatiable appetite for real estate means for the health and wellbeing of animals and ourselves, he highlights growing concerns, such as the loss of darkness at night because of light pollution. DeStefano writes movingly about the contrasts between constructed and natural environments and about the sometimes cherished, sometimes feared place that nature holds in our modern lives, as we cluster into cities yet show an increasing interest in the natural world." "Woven throughout the book is the story of one of the most successful species in North America: the coyote. Once restricted to the prairies of the West, this adaptable animal now inhabits most of North America - urban and wild alike. DeStefano traces a female coyote's movements along a winding path between landscapes in which her species learned to survive and flourish. Coyote at the Kitchen Door asks us to rethink the meaning of progress and create a new suburban wildlife ethic."--BOOK JACKET
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Business & Technology Division,Dallas Public Library 1515 Young St., 5th Floor Dallas, Texas 75201 214-670-1400www.dallaslibrary.org |
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