Belterra - April 2021 by Peel, Inc.

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THE BULLETIN

Bu llet iN April 2021 Volume 3, Issue 04

News for the Residents of Belterra

The Bulletin - April 2021

THE BULLETIN

The Bulletin - April 2021

AVOIDING CRASH LANDINGS

THE BULLETIN

By Cheryl Conley, TWRC Wildlife Center

IMPORTANT NUMBERS EMERGENCY NUMBERS

EMERGENCY ...................................................911 It’s happened to most of us. We hear something hit a window and when we go outside to check it out, we find a little bird laying on the ground. The same thing happens with other shiny objects like chrome car bumpers, car mirrors, grills and gazing balls. Why do birds fly into these objects? There are a couple of reasons. The most likely explanation is that birds see the reflection of the sky or vegetation and thinking it’s real, try to fly into it. Another reason is that some species are territorial and aggressive and when they see their own reflection, they think it’s a rival and they try to attack it. This happens more frequently during mating season. It’s estimated that up to 1 billion birds die every year from window strikes but there are things you can do to protect our fine-feathered friends. • Put tape on your windows. You can purchase reflective tape on Amazon made especially for protecting birds. There are many other sites as well. Just do a general search on how to protect birds from window strikes. Be sure to follow the instructions for correct placement. • Decals. Companies like Window Alert sell decals specifically made to protect birds from window strikes. They also sell a unique spray that can be applied to your windows. Check other websites as well to get the best price. • Add screens to your windows. Easy Up Shade (easyupshade.com) offers shades that attach with suction cups so they can be easily removed if needed. • Get creative and paint your windows with non-toxic tempura paint. You can easily change your artwork with the seasons or for special occasions. • Close your drapes or blinds. • If you have feeders near windows, consider moving them away from the windows. • Place small mesh netting over your windows. You can use a frame to make it easy to hang up and remove. It should be at least 3 inches from the window. • Collide Scape (collidescape.org) makes a one-way transparent film that allows you to see out but makes the window appear opaque from the outside. • Install outside sun shades or shutters. If you find a bird that has hit a window, gently pick it up and examine it for injuries. If there are no apparent injuries and you don’t see any blood, sometimes the bird just needs a few minutes to recover. Place it in the shade in a safe area and watch it. If it hasn’t recovered in 15 minutes, please call us. You may need to bring the bird to us for emergency care. 713-468-TWRC. Let’s work together to save our wild friends. TWRC Wildlife Center Houston, Texas Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Ambulance / Fire..................................................911 SCHOOLS

Dripping Springs ISD......................... 512-858-3000 Dripping Springs Elementary.............. 512-858-3700 Walnut Springs Elementary................. 512-858-3800 Rooster Springs Elementary................. 512-465-6200 Dripping Springs Middle School......... 512-858-3400 Dripping Springs High School............ 512-858-3100 UTILITIES

Water – WCID # 1 & 2...................... 512-246-0498 Trash – Texas Disposal......................... 512-246-0498 Gas – Texas Community Propane........ 512-272-5503 Electricity – Pedernales Electric........... 512-858-5611 OTHER

Oak Hill Post Office ........................... 512-892-2794 Animal Control................................... 512-393-7896 NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER

Peel, Inc.............................................. 512-263-9181 Article Submissions...................belterra@peelinc.com Advertising.............................advertising@peelinc.com ............................................................512-263-9181 The Bulletin - April 2021

THE BULLETIN

The Bulletin - April 2021

THE BULLETIN Ancient Alligators by Jim and Lynne Weber

Alligator Lizard An ancient and widespread lizard family, Anguidae originated in the Triassic Period, over 100 million years ago. Today there are 67 species recognized worldwide, with 8 found in North and Central America. Members of a large branch of the snake/lizard evolutionary tree that use their strong jaws rather than tongues to draw food into the mouth, Anguids reserve their hard, slightly forked tongues as chemosensory organs used to search for food, mates, and safe refuge. One subfamily within this group is called the alligator lizards, so named due to a vague resemblance to an alligator – a flat, wedgeshaped head, little neck definition, small, thin legs, and scales fairly large and shingled that barely overlap one another. These lizards shed in one piece, much like a snake, turning the old skin inside out as they crawl out of it. They can also exhibit tail autonomy, the Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

ability to shed their tail as a self-defense mechanism to elude a predator’s grasp and allow escape. While they have the ability to regrow their tail over a period of weeks or months, the new tail is often shorter and distinctly different in appearance from the original tail. The only species of alligator lizard in Texas is the Texas Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis). Males have wider, more triangular heads than females, but both can grow up to 18 inches long, including their tail. Ground color ranges from light tan to dark brown, sometimes with a reddish cast, with 7 to 10 black and white flecked bands across the body. Newly hatched individuals look entirely different than the adults, with striking copper-colored heads and boldly banded black and cream bodies that resemble centipedes or millipedes. Generally preferring moist areas of foothills to lowland limestone canyons, staying near springs, creeks, and streams, the Texas Alligator Lizard can even be found in suburban areas near these habitats. They feed primarily on insects, spiders, and small vertebrates. However, they are secretive in nature, hiding under surface cover such as fallen tree limbs, forest undergrowth, and in rocky crevices. They can be pugnacious when caught, often thrashing about and able to deliver a painful bite. When threatened by a predator, they may flee to water as they are good swimmers, or perform lateral undulation by folding in their thin limbs and slithering away quickly like a snake. Depending on the temperature or season, Texas Alligator Lizards may be active by day or night. In spring they are often arboreal as their tails are prehensile and assist in climbing, mating and feeding in vine tangles and other dense vegetation up to 9 feet off the ground. Fall is mating season, with males fighting each other for the right to court a female. Eggs are laid in clutches of 5 to 31 under rocks and in crevices between February and June, with females producing a second clutch if conditions are favorable. Unlike many other reptile species, females will remain with their clutch of eggs for the few months it takes them to incubate. Texas Alligator Lizards are found throughout a few disjunct localities in the Big Bend region and in much of the Edwards Plateau, and are the largest limbed lizards in Texas. While their secretive nature means they often go undetected, it is a special treat to discover and observe one of these ancient alligators! Send your nature-related questions to naturewatch@austin. rr.com and we’ll do our best to answer them. If you enjoy reading these articles, check out our books, Nature Watch Austin, Nature Watch Big Bend, and Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies (all published by Texas A&M University Press), and our blog at naturewatchaustin.blogspot.com. The Bulletin - April 2021

THE BULLETIN At no time will any source be allowed to use The Bulletin's contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in The Bulletin is exclusively for the private use of the residents Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.

The Bulletin - April 2021

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The Bulletin - April 2021

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The Bulletin - April 2021