Animals

The dust and wind in West Texas conspire to keep front steps and porches coated in a layer of grit. But in Socorro and other rural communities near El Paso, another nuisance has plagued residents for months: red flour beetles.

Conservationists and cattle ranchers are working together to restore grassland for the lesser prairie chicken. The bird used to roam Kansas, but has lost most of its habitat to crop production.

One group estimated more than 568,000 cats and dogs entered shelters in 2023. About 82,000 cats and dogs were euthanized.

Microchips are used to trace a lost pet back to its owner. They're one tool to help keep animals out of shelters. The Austin City Council could approve the rule next week.

An animal rights advocacy group has raised concerns after a court-ordered release of public records revealed controversial details about an experiment at Angelo State University.

Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan explains how the San Antonio Zoo is partnering with zoo in Miami to raise and release a beloved Texas reptile back into the wild.

After a person was seriously injured in a shooting at a Lubbock game room Wednesday morning, a call for tighter regulations on the venues has resurfaced. And Congressman Jodey Arrington introduced an amendment that would defund plans to expand conservation efforts in the United States, including protections for up to 700,000 acres at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.

Texas Public Radio’s Pablo De La Rosa has more on a letter from U.S. legislators last week urging funds to Mexico be withheld until the country releases the water it owes to the Rio Grande Watershed as part of a treaty. Also last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the dunes sagebrush lizard will be designated as an endangered species, with the oil and gas industry being one of the main threats to its survival.

Light pollution reduces the visibility of stars creating navigation issues for birds passing through. But it's not only a navigation issue.

After complaints from the public, Lubbock's city council voted to reverse a new ordinance that required hiring a city-approved contractor to repair sewer lines in public right-of-ways like the alley. And after Lubbock's first prairie dog festival, our reporter Olivia O'Rand has more on what these little creatures mean for West Texas' wildlife.