Sustainable Wildlife in The American Dream City

Educational outreach with the Sustainable Wildlife Program and Responsible Pet Ownership is provided for all ages.

Out of the 254 counties in Texas, 120 counties have had reports of  Alligators . The City of Arlington is no exception and though rare, alligators have been reported in creeks and lakes.

These very clever and adaptable animals are found all across North America in the country side and in most large cities, including Arlington. They are opportunistic eaters and hunt rodents, rabbits, frogs and fish. They will also eat insects, fruit, grass, garbage and carrion. Because they sometimes will kill livestock or pets, many people consider them destructive pests.  Coyote  attacks on people are extremely rare. Most of the few coyote bites that happen nationally are related to humans feeding the animals.

 Feral Hogs  have been living in Arlington for several years mainly along the Trinity River. Feral hogs cause a lot of property damage mainly due to rooting for food. Hogs prefer to run and escape and are not considered dangerous. Feral hogs, like all wild animals, have a potential to be dangerous especially if wounded or cornered. Caution should be maintained if encountering females with young.

The average armadillo in Arlington is about the size of a cat, weighing less than 20 pounds. Texas Parks & Wildlife states that the birth of armadillo offspring occurs in March and April and that a single fertile egg produces a set of four identical quadruplets born into a burrow with shells that do not harden until adulthood.

 Armadillos  are difficult to trap, and if removed will only create a vacuum effect for others to come in. The lasting solution to eliminate an armadillo presence is to take away their food source. Beneficial Nematodes are a natural way to kill the grubs living in the soil that attract armadillos.

 Bats  are common throughout Arlington. They are nocturnal and extremely beneficial to the environment. They help prevent damage to agricultural crops since they are insectivores and consume large amounts of moths. Since bats cannot fly from the ground, bats need to be placed in a tree or on a wall off of the ground so the bat can take flight.

Learn more about bats in this MyArlingtonTX News article:  Let Wildlife be Wild and Learn How to Be Safe During World Rabies Day 

 Beavers  are considered the largest rodent in the United States, and they are commonly found in Arlington. They reside in areas such as Lake Arlington and other local water sources including our city's rivers, creeks and ponds. Although they are labeled as a rodent, their presence is beneficial to our overall ecosystem. Their activities help create new living environments for insects, fish, birds, and other mammals. Removing a beaver from its environment is rarely a viable solution, because of creating a vacuum effect, causing other beavers to populate the area.

There are two common  foxes  in Texas and seen throughout Arlington: the Red Fox and the Grey Fox. While foxes are beautiful, feeding them can lead to foxes becoming acclimated to people, which can result in lethal control in urban areas because of the animals being seen as a threat.

Seeing a fox out in the day time does not necessarily mean the animal is rabid. On many occasions, kits (young baby foxes) are known to be out playing by themselves showing little fear of people but soon the parents will appear and the kits will be taught to avoid humans. The best method of avoiding a problem with these animals is to deter them from the area by using adverse conditioning called hazing, by making loud sounds such as banging pots or using an air horn.

 Opossums  are found in most areas of Arlington. These are nocturnal mammals that grow to be about the size of a cat. They have beady eyes, are grayish in color and have a long pointed snout. Their tail is long and rat-like, and their paws have opposable “thumbs”. Being nocturnal, opossums are scavengers at night looking for an easy meal, such as unsecured trash, or pet food left outside. At times, they are thought of as somewhat helpful by ingesting insects and small rodents that prey upon gardens. Their diet is eclectic in that they will eat both plants and animals.

 Raccoons  are all across North America and are well established in Arlington. They lose their natural fear of humans when they are fed intentionally or unintentionally. When raccoons take up residence in homes or buildings the best way to remove them is to make their new home uncomfortable. Soak a rag or towel in household cleaner (ammonia is best), shine a bright light into the area they are living and play a radio with talk radio or rock and roll. It is best to do this in the evening before they start moving around so they don’t become accustomed to the deterrents while sleeping. Once the raccoons have moved to another location, close the area where they are getting in and out so they do not come back. Be sure the young are moved before closing up the area. A mother raccoon will do a lot of damage to get back to her young.

The most common  skunk  in Texas is the Striped Skunk. The skunk’s normal den in an urban area can include under decks, patios, sheds, pier and beam foundations, or even under concrete foundations. While the bulk of this omnivore’s diet comes from insects, the striped skunk also eats reptiles, small mammals, birds and vegetation.

While trapping may be the first reaction to seeing a skunk in the yard, neighboring skunks will replace any removed from the location. If you live in a location populated by skunks, the best deterrent is prevention. Make sure your home and yard is “animal-proofed” by closing off any possible den sites. Also, trapping adult skunks, especially during birthing season, can result in orphaned skunks which can starve without the mother.

There are many varieties of  snakes  in Arlington with most of them being non-poisonous. Snakes are beneficial to the environment, feeding on everything from insects to rodents.

Identifying snakes is important in determining how Animal Services responds to snake calls. A non-poisonous snake outside of a home is normal, but if any variety of snake is reported inside of a home, an Animal Services Officer will respond.

The three most common venemous snakes in Arlington are the Copperhead, Water Moccasin Cotton Mouth and the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Egrets and Herons are some of the most beautiful birds you will see, but when they nest they can also be some of the most destructive. Egrets and Herons are federally protected by the  Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 . What this means is the birds cannot be killed, or their nests disturbed when they have eggs or young.

 Egrets and Herons  come together and make a “rookery” which can be made up of a few dozen birds to thousands of birds. The rookery will grow as the adults and young return each year. The rookery has many challenges for residences such as excessive excrement, dead frogs, mice and birds, strong smell and orphaned young. Arlington's proactive approach helps property owners with a history of rookeries in their neighborhoods.

Fox 4 News:

•  Arlington delivers egret invasion kits to homeowners  by Dionne Anglin/Fox4News.com Staff
•  Arlington helping residents with egret nesting prevention  by Dionne Anglin/Fox4.com Staff

NBC 5 News:

•  Arlington Helps Neighborhood Plagued by Egrets  by Ben Russell
•  Arlington Animal Services Preparing to Fight Egret Invasion  by Alice Barr
•  Arlington Neighborhood Inundated By Hundreds of Egrets by Ben Russell

 Owls  are amazing wild animals that reside in The American Dream City. There are many different species in North Texas. Some of the most common seen in Arlington are Screech Owls, Barred Owls, Barn Owls and Great Horned Owls.

You will see owls mostly in the twilight hours or at night. They are very beneficial to the wild environment, with their main diet mostly rodent type animals. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department refers to the owl as a “feathered mousetrap”.

Gliding acoss Arlington's skies, you may see two different types of  Vultures  that are native to North Texas, the Black Vulture and the Turkey Vulture. Both species of vultures are protected under Federal Law and Texas State Statute through the  Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 .

Vultures feed on carrion and are a very important part of Arlington's wild ecosystem. Decaying deceased animals not only are sad to see, but also create smell and possible disease. Deceased animals attract flies/maggots. Without vultures, flies and disease in Arlington would increase tremendously. 

In some rural areas, vultures help farmers with the removal of deceased livestock. In short, vultures help keep Arlington smelling good!

• Do not intentionally feed wildlife;
• Tightly seal trash bags/containers and place curbside on day of, and in time for collection;
• Keep landscaping well groomed;
• Feed pets indoors, or at least pick-up / remove any food not eaten;
• Do not leave birdseed in bird feeder (or on the ground) overnight;
• Close pet doors securely at night;
• Trim overhanging tree branches that provide easy access to your roof for squirrels and other wildlife;
• Cover crawlspace and attic openings with heavy gauge, rust-proof wire mesh (not chicken wire);
• Carefully inspect your eaves and other areas where the roof and the house join. Repair deteriorating boards, warped siding, and loose shingles;
• Secure chimney caps. Chimneys are open invitations to raccoons looking for 'hollow trees' to give birth and raise their young;
• Create an 'L-shaped' barrier if you have a deck. Attach heavy gauge wire mesh to the base of the deck, sink it six inches into the ground, bend it 90 degrees away from the deck for 12 inches and then cover it with soil.

Be a responsible pet owner and protect your pets.

• Do not allow pets to run loose
• Be sure pets are vaccinated against rabies
•  License your Arlington pet each year 

Finding young animals that are helpless against the world and doing what is best for them can sometimes go against your instincts. What is always best for young animals is for their mothers to take care of them, humans are a long second choice.

Arlington Animal Services’ mission is “Working together as a community, we will improve the lives of animals.” For those who do not want to have wildlife on their property we recommend a proactive approach:

• Prevent wildlife from becoming accustomed to people by reducing human/wildlife interaction. This is the first step in letting wildlife be wild.

• Eliminate food, water, and shelter.

• Visit the  Urban Wildlife website  and learn the habits of many different species of Urban Wildlife Animals in our community.

• View  maps showing locations of wildlife sightings  in Arlington.

Animal Services understands that there are times that trapping, or removal of problem wildlife is warranted. Even with the removal of a nuisance animal this does not stop another animal from moving into its territory. Removal without addressing the underlying source will not stop further problems. We are available to answer questions our web page may not address. Please email questions to  animalservices@arlingtontx.gov .

Finally, if you love wildlife, please “Let Wildlife be Wild”. That means don’t provide wild animals with food as that habituates the animal to humans which could make a dangerous situation for people and pets.

For more information about specific wildlife visit Arlington's  Urban Wildlife Animals website .

 Get your "Let Wildlife Be Wild" T-shirt!  All proceeds from donations benefit Animal Services education programs.