Fur Bearers found in Texas

1. Fur Bearers found in Texas David Ma Brad Fontana

2. Raccoon

3. Physical Characteristics Has a body weight of about 8 to 20 lb Average size is 23.75 to 37.5 in Has a grayish coat Two of its most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws and its facial mask. Males are usually 15 to 20% heavier than females

4. Habitat and Distribution Deciduous and mixed forests of North America. Due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and urban areas The result of escapes or introduction have caused them to spread to the European mainland, Caucasus region and Japan.

5. Unusual Characteristics Their forepaws resemble slender hands Each paw contains five digits Their tail makes up 42 to 52 percent of the total length of the animal

6. Interesting Facts Raccoons can swim with an average speed of about 5 km/h (3 mph) and can stay in the water for several hours. Can climb down trees headfirst. A raccoon can rotate its hind feet so that they are pointing backwards. Can both sweat and pant for heat dissipation. The five digits of the paws have no webbing between them. They sample food and other objects with their front paws to examine them and to remove unwanted parts. Dousing, washing food before eating it

7. Economic Importance/ Eating Qualities Used for sport hunting at night with dogs and pelt trading. Were also a food to Native Americans and was food on traditional American farms. Raccoon was eaten by American slaves at Christmas. Because they are generally thought as repulsive, cute, or varmints, the idea of eating them is repulsive to mainstream consumers.

8. Laws and Regulations A trappers license or depredation permit may be required before taking any raccoons. Only authorized wildlife rehabilitators may keep injured or orphaned wildlife and then only for limited periods of time.

9. Feeding and Natural Foods Raccoons are sometimes active in daylight to take advantage of available food sources. Diet consists of 40% invertebrates, 33% plant material and 27% vertebrates. Fruits, nuts berries, insects, rodents, frogs, eggs and crayfish. In some rural areas, corn is a large part of the raccoon's diet.

10. Records The heaviest recorded wild raccoon weighed 62.6 lb The world’s heaviest raccoon was Bandit, owned by a woman who lived in Palmerton he weighed up to 75lbs when he was put down in 2004 due to cancer.

11. Hunting Techniques Dogs Guns Body grip traps Paw hold traps Live cage traps Redbone coonhound Black and tan coonhound

12. Ringtail Cat

13. Physical Characteristics The Ringtail is buff to dark brown in color with a white underside and striped tail. The body is sleek with an extended, pointed muzzle. Dark brown to black hairs surround the large eyes, creating a well-known mask. The large brown ears are edged in white.

14. Habitat and Distribution The Ringtail is found in California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah and throughout northern and central Mexico.

15. Unusual Characteristics Has a fox-like face Related to the Raccoon

16. Interesting Facts The front foot has six digits whereas the back foot has only five. Also called miner’s cat The ankle joint is able to rotate over 180 degrees

17. Economic Importance/ Eating Qualities Ringtail cats are often not of economic value or eaten because they are considered pests and are hunted and killed. Some people may keep them as pets

18. Laws and Regulations Ringtails are a protected species and may not be taken or possessed at any time and no permits or licenses are to be issued. Permits could be licensed for scientific research

19. Feeding and Natural Foods Primarily carnivorous, although may eat some fruits and nuts. Forages on ground, among rocks, in trees, and usually near water. Eats fruits, berries, small rodents, & insects

20. Records There are no world records for the ringtail cat

21. Hunting Techniques Box trap Guns Dogs Cage trap Bow and arrow Cage trap

22. Possum

23. Physical Characteristics Has a long snout, a narrow braincase, and a famous crest on its skull. Rough black, grayish white, or reddish fur with white tipped hairs The hairs act as a raincoat, protecting the possum from rain and snow The under hair is much softer Pinkish white face Pink nose Dark eyes Large, leaf-like, hairless ears Long rounded hairless tail

24. Habitat and Distribution Virginia Possums are found in North America, from Central America and Mexico in the south, through the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and north into southwestern Ontario. Possums are also found along the west coast of the United States. North America Forest, farmland, grassland, urban and suburban areas, near water Nest in hollows of trees or in burrows of other animals, under brush piles, under houses or decks, in garages, sheds, or attics, as long as it is a dark, cool and quiet place where the possum can sleep during the day Construct rough nests of leaves and grass

25. Unusual Characteristics Back foot has a large, opposable toe or thumb with no claw, which is used for grasping Has a prehensile tail

26. Interesting Facts In Mexico, possum's tails are eaten as a folk remedy to improve fertility. They have been residing on earth since the dinosaur age. The possum is resistant to diseases like rabies, because of its efficient immune system and low body temperature. When startled they often play “possum” from one minute to six hours. Adults weigh 5 to 15 lbs, while newborn babies are about the size of a honey bee They can swim They mate once a year, but have two litters in the spring and one in late summer

27. Economic Importance/ Eating Qualities The possum was once a favorite game animal in the United States. Southern regions which have a large body of recipes and folklore relating to the possum. A traditional method of preparation is baking, sometimes in a pie or pastry In Dominica and Trinidad possum is popular and can only be hunted during certain times of the year owing to overhunting, the meat is traditionally prepared by smoking then stewing. The meat is light and fine-grained, but the musk glands must be removed as part of preparation. Historically, hunters in the Caribbean would place a barrel with fresh or rotten fruit to attract possums who would feed on the fruit or insects. Cubans growing up in the mid-twentieth century tell of brushing the maggots out of the mouths of possums caught in this manner to prepare them for consumption. Possum grease is high in essential fatty acids and has been used as a chest rub and a carrier for arthritis remedies given as topical salves. Possum pelts have long been part of the fur trade.

28. Laws and Regulations There are no laws for the ownership or hunting for the possum.

29. Feeding and Natural Foods Carrion Insects Small vertebrates (mice, rats and birds) Fruits and berries Vegetables Larvae that attack gardens Slugs and snails Leaf material Earthworms, cockroaches, beetles and centipedes Snakes (Rattlesnakes and Cottonmouth), possums are immune to venom Ground eggs Mushrooms

30. Records A small Australian eastern pygmy possum smashed the world record for mammal hibernation. The previous record of 320 days was held by a western jumping mouse. The possum hibernated for 367 days after stuffing himself full of food. The shortest gestation period is 12-13 days for the Virginia possum

31. Hunting Techniques Stalking with hunting dogs such as the black and tan coonhound Cage traps Timms Trap

32. Badger

33. Physical Characteristics Conspicuous black and white stripes running from the nose to the shoulders. The throat and chin are whitish, and the face has black patches. A white stripe extends from over the head to the nose.

34. Habitat and Distribution Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures. They are found from high alpine meadows to sea level. The American badger can be found from the west coast to Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. It is also found in southern Canada in British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

35. Unusual Characteristics Their forelegs are particularly well developed with long claws Has a long nose, which makes its sense of smell particularly well

36. Interesting Facts An American badger has once shared its den with a lost child, bringing him food and keeping him safe. Badgers can eat up to 200 earthworms per day. A female badger is referred to as a sow A male badger is referred to as a boar A badger’s home is referred to as a sett Badgers can run at almost 20 miles per hour It is estimated that 45 percent of badgers are killed annually on roads by cars A badger can smell 800 times more than humans You can tell a badger’s age by its teeth Badgers are excellent swimmers A badger can get all of the water that it needs by eating worms The female chooses when she wants the baby to start developing

37. Economic Importance/ Eating Qualities Although rarely eaten today in the United States or the United Kingdom, the badger was once one of the main meat sources in the diets of Native Americans and white colonists. Badgers were also eaten in Britain during World War II and the 1950s In Russia, the consumption of badger meat is still widespread. Consumption of badger meat also occurs in other European countries such as Croatia, where it is used in a variation of the traditional dish of goulash. In France, badger meat was used in the preparation of several dishes, such as Blarieur au sang and it was a relatively common ingredient in countryside cuisine. Badger meat was eaten in some parts of Spain until recently as well. Badger remains a source of food in China, and the meat is freely available in market place. Other Asian countries also have traditions of consuming badger meat. In Japan, it is mentioned in folktales where it is regarded as a food for the humble. Today, badgers are commercially raised for their hair, which is harvested to make shaving brushes. Virtually all commercial badger hair comes from mainland China. which supplies knots of hair in three grades to brush makers in both China and Europe. The hair is also used for paint brushes, and was used as a trim on Native American garments. It has been used in some instances as doll hair.

38. Laws and Regulations The blood sport of badger-baiting was outlawed in the United Kingdom by the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 as well as the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 which makes it a serious offence to kill, injure or take a badger, or to damage or interfere with a sett (badger’s den) unless a licence is obtained from a statutory authority. In rural Northern China, badgers multiply to the point of becoming a crop nuisance, and village cooperatives are licensed by the national government to hunt badgers and process their hair.

39. Feeding and Natural Foods Earthworms, insects, grubs, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds as well as roots and fruit. The honey badger of Africa consumes honey, porcupines and even venomous snakes

40. Records The fastest digging animal on earth The honey badger the most fearless animal on earth

41. Hunting Techniques Snare Dachshund dog Basset hound Airedale terrier Bedlington terrier Dandie dinmont terrier Sealyham terrier Welsh terrier West highland white terrier

42. Beaver

43. Physical Characteristics Large orange teeth Long flat-shaped hairless tail Webbed hind feet Short front legs with claws Dark brown fur on its back and sides and lighter brown fur on its chest and belly

44. Habitat and Distribution Beavers are distributed throughout most of North America from northern Mexico to northern Canada. They are both common and abundant throughout most of Massachusetts. Their habitat is the riparian zone, the place between land and a river or a stream, including of stream bed

45. Unusual Characteristics The large flat tail and the long orange teeth are the distinctive characteristics of the beaver.

46. Interesting Facts Both beaver testicles and castoreum, a bitter-tasting secretion with a slightly fetid odor contained in the castor sacs of male or female beaver, have been articles of trade for use in traditional medicine Eskimos used dried beaver testicles like willow bark to relieve pain Castoreum continues to be used in perfume production Beavers mate for life during their third year When the beaver is under water, its nose and ears close up and a special membrane covers its eyes. A beaver waterproofs its fur by coating it with an oily substance secreted from its castoreum

47. Economic Importance/ Eating Qualities Used to be hunted for their testicles and castoreum, which was used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic.

48. Laws and Regulations Beaver activity and action should not be interfered with unless the action constitutes to public health and/or safety The board of health should be contacted if a threat is detected The use of non-lethal management should be used if the board of health detects that there is a threat.

49. Feeding and Natural Foods Tree bark and cambium, the soft tissue that grow under the bark of a tree. They especially like the bark of willow, maple, birch, aspen, cottonwood, beech, poplar, and alder trees. Beavers also eat other vegetation like roots and buds and other water plants.

50. Records The largest beaver weighed 110 pounds The largest beaver dam was 850 meters