Texas Outdoors

Texas is a big state.  At the farthest points, it is about 800 miles long and 770 miles wide.  The terrain ranges from the rugged mountains of the Southwest to the oak, sweet gum, and pine forests of the East.  In between there are swamps and bayous, the Gulf Coast, mesquite brush country, the Hill Country, Great Plains grasslands, and arid deserts.

The wildlife is as diverse as the land.  In TEXAS OUTDOORS I have tried to show a variety of wildlife that live in these different areas.  Some, like the Red Wolf, are close to extinction; others, such as the Armadillo, are becoming more numerous every year.

Both drawings and text in this book are accurately portrayed.  In writing about each animal, I tell where they live, what they eat, how they care for their young, and their size, color, and markings.  I hope that this book will help children to learn and appreciate more about their wildlife heritage.

Book sample from Page 22: GOLDEN EAGLE

The Golden Eagle is a large, high-soaring bird of prey. These big birds are from 30 to 41 inches in length, with a wing span of up to seven and one-half feet. They are dark brown, with a golden tinge on the back of the neck. Their legs are feathered clear down to the talons.

Golden Eagles are found in the western parts of the United States from Alaska down into West Texas. They like mountainous areas, badlands, and remote sagebrush prairies.

The nest of the Golden Eagle, called an eyrie, is a large mass of sticks on a cliff, mountain ledge, or tall tree. In this they lay two whitish-blotched eggs. Eagles normally mate for life, and both parents help care for the young. Golden Eagles hunt mainly rabbits and other small mammals. They also eat carrion, birds, and reptiles, and they sometimes will take newborn lambs.

In the battle shown here, the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake's chances are slim, for its fangs are unable to penetrate the thick breast and leg feathers of the Golden Eagle. For a big bird, these Eagles are amazingly fast and agile.