Contact Information

Texas Nature Trackers
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
(800) 792-1112 ext. 8062
tracker@tpwd.texas.gov

 

Texas Nature Trackers: Herps of Texas Reptile and Amphibian Resources


Reptiles and amphibians are more important than you might think. No, not as the sources of warts and princes, but as a barometer of the health of the environments we all share. At an international conference in 1989, scientists all over the world became alarmed at what appeared to be dramatic declines in some amphibian populations. Then, in 1995, a group of school children in Minnesota were the first to notice an alarming rate of malformed limbs in some frog populations. Because amphibians use wetland habitats during at least part of their life cycle and because they have permeable skin, ecologists believe that declines in amphibian populations and malformations may serve as early warning indicators of broader changes in ecosystems.

Contributing reptile and amphibian data to Herps of Texas gives you a chance to help us understand what frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, lizards, turtles and all other herps are telling us about the health of Texas ecosystems. Texas hosts 71 types of amphibians and 160 types of reptiles, ranging from cave-dwelling salamanders and eel-like Amiphiuma to desert snakes and ocean-swimming sea turtles. As you explore Texas, help us learn more about where these important creatures live by documenting them with the iNaturalist app.

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