Naturalist's Big Bend: An Introduction to the Trees and Shrubs, Wildflowers, Cacti, Mammals, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians, Fish, and InsectsIn southwest Texas where the Rio Grande arcs southward into Mexico lies Big Bend National Park, 708,221 acres of river floodplain, desert, grasslands, and majestic mountains, a richly varied environment that exist more or less as it did before man’s arival. The wealth of the Big Bend is in its dramatic landscape, which provides natural habitats ranging form desert to alpine, and its consequently impressive variety of flora and fauna. Intended as a biological introduction to one of the nation’s outstanding natural systems, Naturalist’s Big Bend highlights the distinctive plants and animal of the region, such as the century plant, which grows twenty-five to fifty-five years, blooms magnificently, and dies; candelilla, from which wax is made; prickly pear cactus; the javelina, North America’s only native pig; the colima warbler; the rare Texas lyre snake; the Big Bend gambusia fish; the tarantula; and the Big Bend quonker katydid. This comprehensive field guide, revised and enlarged in a new edition, describes the area’s archaeology and history, and details the characteristics and habitats of Big Bend’s trees and shrubs, wildflowers, cacti, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. It also outlines walking and driving tours of the most likely spots for sighting these plants and animals. An extensive bibliography is included. |
Contents
| 3 | |
| 9 | |
The Living Scene Today | 21 |
Trees and Shrubs | 26 |
Wildflowers | 45 |
Cacti | 65 |
Mammals | 79 |
Birds | 91 |
Reptiles and Amphibians | 100 |
Fish | 112 |
Butterflies | 117 |
Other Invertebrates | 124 |
| 133 | |
| 175 | |
Other editions - View all
Naturalist's Big Bend: An Introduction to the Trees and Shrubs, Wildflowers ... Roland H. Wauer No preview available - 1980 |
Common terms and phrases
animals appear Basin Bend National Park Big Bend National birds bloom Blue Boot Bull butterflies cacti Cactus called Canyon Chihuahuan Desert Chisos Mountains color common Country Creek early fairly fall Family feet fish five flats floodplain flowers foothills forms four fruits grasslands gray green ground grow hundred inches Indians known land late leaves lizards looks lowlands mammals Mexican Mexico Native natural nest North northern notes numerous occurs Park Serv park's Pear Photo by Wauer pink places plant plate population Proc produces purple Ranch range rare recorded region report to Natl reptiles Rio Grande Village river road seen shrub side slopes Snake soils Southw species spines spring stems summer survey tall Texas thousand throughout Trail Trans tree United Univ Unpubl upper usually Wauer West Texas western woodlands yellow
Popular passages
Page 140 - Gardner, JL 1950. Effects of thirty years of protection from grazing in desert grassland.