Texas Food Chains

1. Texas Food Chains

2. Ecological Terms • Autotroph • Heterotroph • Decomposer • Primary consumer • Secondary consumer • Tertiary Consumer

3. BobcatFelisrufusBobcats, named for their "bobbed" tails, have ears that resemble their feline cousin, the lynx.Photograph by Norbert Rosing

4. Coyote CanislatransClever and adaptive, coyotes flourish over much of North America, in part because of their keen hunting and foraging skills. Photograph by George McCarthy

5. Gray Fox UrocyoncinereoargenteusThey are active at night, sleeping during the day in dense vegetation or secluded rocky places. Nursing mothers and pups use a den— a hollow log, abandoned building, tangle of brush, or cracked boulder—for shelter. Photograph by David Hosking

6. Jackrabbit LepuscalifornicusLong ears alert for possible predators, a black-tailed jackrabbit rests near a cactus in the Arizona desert. Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt

7. JavelinaPeccary PecaritajacuThe name Javelina is Spanish for spear. A pig-like species, but not a true pig. Photograph by GerritVyn

8. Mountain LionFelisconcolorMountain lions do not like to share their territory and are constantly on the lookout for invaders.Photograph by Jim & Jamie Dutcher

9. OpossumDidelphiavirginianaOpossums are excellent tree climbers and spend much of their time aloft.Photograph by Hope Ryden

10. Prairie Dog CynomysludovicianusPrairie dogs emerge from their burrows in daylight to forage and feed on grasses, roots, and seeds. Photograph by Raymond Gehman

11. Red-Tailed Hawk ButeojamaicensisThe most common hawk in North America, red-tails can often be seen atop utility poles and other lofty perches, on the lookout for potential prey. Photograph by Rich Reid

12. Short-Horned LizardPhrynosomahernandesiShort-horned lizards have an array of defenses to dissuade would-be predators, including a spike-covered exterior and the ability in some species to shoot blood from their eyes.Photograph courtesy Gary M. Stolz/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

13. Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake CrotalusatroxA venomous rattlesnake species found in the United States and Mexico. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the second-greatest number in the USA. Image