SRSU Natural Resources Management

This Wildlife Wednesday features the four-lined skink! This is a species of lizard endemic to North America.

As always, read our post to learn more about this species as well as its status in Texas and ways that you can responsibly engage with them in the wild!

Like every job, NRM has some not-fun parts. New World Screwworm is primarily a concern for livestock but wildlife are also susceptible. Please see this information about New World Screwworm below and contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service County Agent or Texas Parks and Wildlife county biologist if you need additional information.

First confirmed U.S. case of New World Screwworm found today in a calf in Zavala County, about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio.

Early detection is critical, and it is important to report suspected infestations in live animals.

Get details on this case, how to report potential infestations, and what to watch for at screwworm.gov
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Hoy se confirmó el primer caso en los Estados Unidos del gusano barrenador del Nuevo Mundo, hallado en un becerro en el condado de Zavala, a unas 100 millas al suroeste de San Antonio.

La detección temprana es fundamental, y es importante reportar cualquier sospecha de infestación en animales vivos.

Obtenga detalles sobre este caso, cómo reportar posibles infestaciones y qué señales buscar en screwworm.gov

Oops.

Today's post is about learning from your mistakes, such as taking a quick glance at a photo and grabbing the wrong species of bird for your post. 🙈

Two weeks ago, we (read: Dr. Frank) accidentally used a photo of a canyon wren for our post about rock wrens. So *this* week, we are sharing a comparison of how you identify the two species!

At first glance, they're pretty similar, and this is definitely a species where hearing the songs can be super helpful to tell them apart. There are tons of mnemonics for bird calls, but Dr. Frank tries to let the bird's song tell her something that connects with its name. (Rock wren calls go "raaaahhhck!" along with their songs about how much they love rocks.) Totally goofy, but it totally works (for her. Results not guaranteed).

What bird species trip you up? Let us know in the comments and we'll do another comparison post!

And, thanks to the amazing Bryan Calk for taking great photos that can help other birders learn

Ok hear me out - this has become one of my very favorite courses to teach! Yes, statistics, and yes, you need this class for a degree in NRM!! Last year, Mr. Caleb Hughes and I completely revamped the class to be more about applied science than about statistical tests (because let's be honest, you don't need to do them by hand anymore. Oh, but we *did* add basics of coding so you can do them in R!).

There's a lot of crappy science out there. This class equips you not just for your degree but for all the "hot new studies" that could affect your life.

Sul Ross State University

Summer is on the horizon! (or wait, are those pronghorn?)

This week we will kick off some summer social media posts about... school! (Wait, really? Yes, really. Remember, we are and we always love to learn!) We want to share with you a peek inside our classes at Sul Ross State University - focusing, of course, on courses taken by our NRM students! Be sure to follow along for some fun highlights from our awesome faculty and instructors!

starts tomorrow!!

Have you noticed that "in the field" at Sul Ross State University often means right outside our classrooms and offices?

We're not mad about that!

Find the parking lot friend... Dr. Frank's hand for scale (a hand?! That's not a standard scale item. True, but it's better than no scale at all. Will do better next time.)!