[{"id":15206,"date":"2026-03-04T16:51:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/?page_id=15206"},"modified":"2026-03-04T16:54:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:54:43","slug":"back-from-the-brink-the-science-and-stakes-of-species-reintroduction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/area-resources\/natural-areas-and-linear-creekways-guide\/back-from-the-brink-the-science-and-stakes-of-species-reintroduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Back from the Brink: The Science and Stakes of Species Reintroduction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This piece was written by AAMN Barbara Merrill (Class 49) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Texas
Photo by: J R Tolman (iNaturalist Observation #612741712)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today I\u2019m going to write about an extraordinary species, the Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum<\/em>) or THL. This lizard is special in many ways. First, the THL is an indicator species. When they are present, it indicates a healthy, functional ecosystem. Second, they regulate the number of harvester ants in their habitat.  This keeps the ants from disrupting the local flora. Third, THLs are a food source for predators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that I\u2019m older, I have a tendency to look back on life. I used to live in the Bulverde City area back in the 1980\u2019s. I loved exploring outside back then as much as I do today. One activity that I really enjoyed was catching and observing the Texas horned lizard. Back then they were easy to find. Not so today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can a person distinguish the THL from the other horned lizards?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why do I love this species? One of the reasons is that I\u2019m absolutely fascinated by these lizards; they look like little dinosaurs. Just like the other horned lizards, they have many horns on their heads, flatten bodies, and camouflaging colors. They have specialized skin that allows them to access water from moist sand and dew. Rough scales along their heads collect and transport water to their mouths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 There are several ways to differentiate the THL from the other two horned lizards native to Texas.  The other two are the round-tailed horned lizard (Phrynosoma modestum<\/em>) and the greater short-tailed horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandes<\/em>). THL distinguishing features are….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The two central horns on their heads are longer than the other horns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Their facial markings are unique, having dark stripes extending from their eyes down the sides of the head.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. They have two distinct rows of fringe scales along the sides of their flat abdomens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. They have a light-colored line running down the center of their backs along the spine.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    THLs possess unique behavioral characteristics. Despite their fearsome appearance, they are actually quite timid, relying on camouflage as their primary line of defense. When spotted by a predator, they puff up their bodies to appear larger and more intimidating. If this doesn’t work, they will shoot a stream of blood mixed with an obnoxious, foul-tasting, fluid out of their eye socket. The lizard aims this stream at the predator’s face and can reach distances of up to 5 feet. Even though this can be a costly defense, they can lose up to 6% of their body weight when performing it; it is effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo
    Photo by: Cuevasj (iNaturalist Observation #613108404)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    When I was 22 years old, I met and married a military man. I left Texas for more than 25 years. I came back about 10 years ago. I still love being outside. I\u2019m out hiking and camping all the time. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any of these special little creatures since I’ve been back.  Being upset by this, I decided to find out where the THL went. What I found out broke my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What challenges do THLs face today?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Their numbers have been decreasing for about 50 years now. They are not on the threatened list yet, however. Even though they are well adapted to survive Texas\u2019 harsh environments, they are not well adapted to survive what people do to their environment. We humans tend to cause ecological crises everywhere we go. Urbanization has caused deterioration, fragmentation, and loss of habitat for THLs, as well as many other wildlife species. Urbanization of rural areas reduces the amount of suitable grassland and savanna habitats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As we build homes, roads, and other buildings in an area, we remove homes for the local wildlife. Even when the builder leaves a small space for wildlife, it\u2019s still not enough. Being locked in by roads leads to inbreeding and health problems. Plus, many animals are killed on our roads. As we all know, roads are dangerous. This fact is especially true for Texas\u2019 cold-blooded animals. Roads hold and radiate a lot of heat; therefore, cold-blooded animals tend to bask on them to warm up. Leading to THL being run over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another problem THLs are facing is the introduction, by humans, of non-native species. These invasive species include exotic grasses, such as KR Bluestem. Bluestem grows in dense patches that restrict the lizard’s movement.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Red fire ants (Solenopsis invicta<\/em>) are another invasive species causing the decline of the THL. Red fire ants directly and indirectly affect THL. THL are dietary specialists, meaning they feed mostly on harvester ants (ogonomyrmex barbatos<\/em>). Around 70% of their diet is comprised of harvester ants. THLs do not eat red fire ants. The invasive red fire ants out compete with the harvester ants. Therefore, taking habitat and food sources that harvester ants once retained. Red fire ants have been known to attack and eat THL\u2019s eggs and hatchlings. People have added to the problem of fire ants being in Texas by using pesticides to kill the fire ants. Thereby poising many other wildlife species to include the harvester ants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo
    Photo by: Martin Santana (iNaturalist Observation #614990481)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Why it\u2019s not all bad news<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    People are working hard to save this beloved species, as they should\u2014it is the Texas state reptile, after all. Texas wildlife conservation focuses on preserving animal species and their habitats to ensure their long-term survival. Here in Texas, conservation is vital; our state is home to 126 vertebrate species that exist nowhere else in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Texas Parks and Wildlife and the San Antonio Zoo are currently collaborating on the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project. This initiative focuses on captive breeding and reintroduction, and researchers work closely with private landowners on land management. They teach landowners about the specific needs of this species and how they can help through undertakings such as brush control and creating a healthy mix of bare ground, native grasses, and shrubs. To date, over 1,000 hatchlings have already been released on private lands and sites like the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo
    Photo by: Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    You might be wondering what you can do to help.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Public education is vital, so consider telling people about Texas Horned Lizards (THLs) and the challenges they face. You can also donate to established reintroduction projects or the Horned Lizard Conservation Society. At home, try to ditch the pesticides when treating fire ant mounds and keep your cats indoors. Lastly, you can landscape your yard using native plants. If you join these efforts, you can help many Texas wildlife species, not just the THLs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We all need to work together so that generations to come can enjoy the Texas Horned Lizard like I did.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This piece was written by AAMN Barbara Merrill (Class 49)  Today I\u2019m going to write about an extraordinary species, the Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) or THL. This lizard is… Read More →<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1521,"featured_media":0,"parent":5790,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"class_list":["post-15206","page","type-page","status-publish","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"archive":false,"gform-image-choice-sm":false,"gform-image-choice-md":false,"gform-image-choice-lg":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kellieclelland","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/author\/kellieclelland\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"This piece was written by AAMN Barbara Merrill (Class 49)  Today I\u2019m going to write about an extraordinary species, the Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) or THL. This lizard is... Read More →","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5WTKM-3Xg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1521"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15206\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":15176,"date":"2026-02-20T13:37:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T19:37:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/?page_id=15176"},"modified":"2026-02-21T17:41:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T23:41:58","slug":"edible-and-medicinal-plants","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/alamo\/area-resources\/natural-areas-and-linear-creekways-guide\/edible-and-medicinal-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Greenway"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    Written by Michael Meadows, AAMN<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WARNING!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Exercise caution when foraging for native edible or medicinal plants. We strongly recommend that all plants are identified by an expert before consuming. Many edible plants have “toxic look-alikes” that can be difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish. Even correctly identified plants can cause adverse reactions in some individuals due to personal sensitivities, allergies, or environmental contaminants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The information provided is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any illness or injury. Consult with a physician or medical expert before attempting any traditional or folk remedies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Also note that it is illegal to forage in Texas state parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By choosing to forage, you are doing so at your own discretion and risk. <\/strong>Please be advised the Alamo Area Master Naturalists (AAMN) and Texas Master Naturalists (TMN) are not liable<\/strong> for any illness, injury, allergic reactions, or adverse effects caused by the ingestion of misidentified plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When in doubt, throw it out.<\/strong> Your health and safety are more important than any potential harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    EDIBLE & MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE GREENWAY<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Bexar County contains a wide variety of flora. It sits on the convergence of four ecoregions: The Edwards Plateau in the north, the Blackland Prairies through the middle, the Post Oak Savannah in the east and the South Texas Plains to the south. Some native species are found in all four regions, but there are also species unique to each!  Native Americans and early Texas settlers took advantage of the diversity of flora to support themselves. Many of the plants are edible, have medicinal uses, or both. Knowledge of plant use was passed from generation to generation of Native Americans. Native American plant knowledge was transferred to European settlers primarily through direct, often lifesaving, interaction, personal mentorship by Indigenous individuals, and the adoption of agricultural techniques. Settlers learned to identify, cultivate, and utilize local flora for food, medicine, and survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The two following sections will focus on a few of the more common plants you will see, followed by the names of others for you to look into yourself. You will notice that many plants that are edible also have medicinal properties and are listed on both lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    EDIBLE PLANTS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The following plants are just a few examples of the many edible plants in our area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Agarita<\/strong> (Berberis trifoliolata)<\/em>– Also known as Algerita, Agritos and Currant-of-Texas. Look for Agarita on rocky hillsides, scrublands, and grasslands. The fruit is sweet yet tart and can be eaten directly from the plant. It can also be dried or made into jam. Native Americans used them as a seasonal supplemental food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo
    Figure 1: Agarita, Photo by Garden Style San Antionio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Chiltepin<\/strong> (Capsicum annuum) <\/em>– Thrives in rocky, shaded areas under “nurse plants” like mesquite or hackberry trees to protect them from frost and sun. Texas designated the chiltepin (chile tepin) as the official state native pepper in 1997. Chiltepin ranks a whopping 50,000 to 100,000 units on the Scoville heat scale \u2014 hotter than tabasco and cayenne peppers! They are used to add intense, smoky, and citrusy heat to dishes. They are best utilized dried by crushing one to two peppers directly over food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dewberry<\/strong> (Rubus trivialis)<\/em> \u2013 Look for it on roadsides, the edges of fields and open areas in the woods. Dewberry is closely related to Blackberry. Their tastes are similar, but Dewberry fruit is smaller. They are sweet with a bit of tart and dark purple when ripe, and can be eaten directly from the vine or prepared into jam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wild Grape<\/strong> (Vitis <\/em>spp.)<\/em> \u2013 Usually found growing into and over shrubs along forest edges, stream sides, and canyon bottoms. The fruit is sweet, juicy and full of seeds. They are ripe when the grapes turn purple-black and can be eaten directly from the vine or prepared into jam. Young leaves can be used in cooking as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo
    Figure 2: Wild Grape and Dewberry, Photo by Christine Shimek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Wild Onion<\/strong> (Allium <\/em>spp.)<\/em> \u2013 Plants are common and can be found on grassy hillsides, in meadows and in undisturbed prairie. The entire plant (leaf, flower, stalk and bulb) is edible. Small amounts can be consumed directly. However, to consume a larger amount it should first be cooked or baked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo
    Figure 3: Wild Onion, Photo by Phil Dering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The following list contains other edible plants for you to investigate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n