Amistad National Recreation Area - Mammals

Amistad National Recreation Area by National Parks Service

Few surveys have been conducted on the mammals of Amistad NRA. All inventory of mammal species found here are based on historical records. The latest mammal survey available to the park was conducted by Rick L. Lobello (1976). There are no other known surveys conducted after 1976 in Amistad NRA. Another source for mammals found in the area is The Mammals of Texas written by Davis and Schmidly (1994).

Both these sources utilize historical records to indicate mammals found in this area, thus many of the species are listed in both documents. Most of the large mammals species, from deer to skunks, listed by both sources can still be found in this area. There are few discrepencies between Lobello and Davis and Schmidly. Lobello lists Vulpes vulpa (Red Fox) as questionably being found in Amistad while Davis and Schmidly do not list Vulpes vulpa but instead list Vulpes velox (Kit Fox) as possibly residing in the area. More recently, there has been sightings of both Ursus americanus (Black bear) and Felis concolor (Mountain Lion) traveling through this area. It is also believed that Canis latrans (Coyote) has for the most part been exterminated from the immediate area of Amistad NRA.

Unlike the large mammal species, some small mammal species historically found in Amistad may or may not reside in the area, change in habitat may explain this.