Texas is home to many amazing animals that need our protection. Some creatures that might visit your yard or home are actually protected by law, meaning you can’t legally remove or harm them.
Understanding which animals have special protection helps us be better neighbors to Texas wildlife and avoid getting in trouble with the law.
1. Barn Owls – Silent Night Hunters
Barn owls swoop silently through Texas nights, controlling rodent populations naturally. Their heart-shaped faces and ghostly white appearance make them unmistakable visitors to rural properties.
If these beautiful birds nest in your barn or outbuilding, federal law protects them under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Removing their nests or disturbing them carries hefty fines and possible jail time.
2. Mexican Free-tailed Bats – Aerial Insect Controllers
Every summer evening, millions of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under bridges and caves across Texas. A single colony can devour tons of insects nightly, providing natural pest control worth millions in agricultural benefits.
Despite their somewhat scary reputation, these bats are completely protected. Their colonies, like the famous Congress Avenue Bridge bats in Austin, are tourist attractions and ecological treasures.
3. Horned Lizards – Spiky Texas Icons
Remember finding these fascinating creatures as a kid? Texas horned lizards, often called “horny toads,” have declined dramatically due to habitat loss and imported fire ants.
Now fully protected as a threatened species, these spiky lizards with crown-like horns cannot be collected, kept as pets, or removed from your property. Their unique defense mechanism of squirting blood from their eyes makes them especially memorable Texas natives.
4. Alligator Snapping Turtles – Prehistoric-looking River Dwellers
Looking like something from the dinosaur age, alligator snapping turtles can live over 100 years. Their powerful jaws and spiked shells make them intimidating residents of Texas waterways.
Finding one in your pond or creek might be startling, but these ancient reptiles are protected under Texas law. Unlike common snapping turtles, the alligator snapper is threatened and requires special permits even for researchers to handle.
5. Golden Eagles – Majestic Desert Raptors
Soaring high above West Texas landscapes, golden eagles command attention with their six-foot wingspans. Ranchers sometimes spot these magnificent birds hunting jackrabbits or perched on fence posts in remote areas.
Federal protection means these birds cannot be harassed, captured, or killed under any circumstances. Even possessing a single golden eagle feather without proper permits is illegal, with fines reaching $100,000.
6. Houston Toads – Critically Endangered Amphibians
Houston toads sing with a high-pitched, clear trill that sounds almost like tiny bells. Once abundant in East Texas pine forests, fewer than 1,000 remain in the wild today.
Property owners in Bastrop and surrounding counties might encounter these small, speckled amphibians after spring rains. As one of Texas’ most endangered species, removing Houston toads from your land isn’t just illegal – it could push them closer to extinction.
7. Monarch Butterflies – Remarkable Migrating Insects
Millions of orange-and-black monarch butterflies pass through Texas each spring and fall during their incredible migration between Mexico and Canada. Gardens with milkweed plants often become temporary homes for these delicate travelers.
While not officially endangered yet, monarchs receive special protection in Texas. Their numbers have dropped by 80% in recent decades, making it illegal to collect or deliberately harm them during their journey through the Lone Star State.
8. Eastern Box Turtles – Woodland Shell-dwellers
With high-domed shells painted in yellow and orange patterns, eastern box turtles look like walking works of art. Finding one slowly crossing your yard might be a rare treat – their populations have declined significantly.
Protected status means you cannot keep, sell, or relocate these gentle reptiles in Texas. If you find one in your garden, enjoy watching it briefly, then allow it to continue its journey unhindered.
9. Bobcats – Elusive Suburban Predators
Bobcats have adapted surprisingly well to human development, often living undetected in greenbelts near suburban neighborhoods. These medium-sized wild cats with distinctive ear tufts help control rodent and rabbit populations naturally.
Though sometimes spotted on security cameras or glimpsed at dawn, bobcats typically avoid people. Texas regulations protect them from harassment or removal without proper wildlife management permits, even if they’ve made your property part of their territory.
10. Attwater’s Prairie Chickens – Dancing Ground-nesters
Male Attwater’s prairie chickens perform spectacular dawn dances, inflating orange neck sacs and stomping their feet to attract mates. Once numbering nearly a million across coastal Texas prairies, fewer than 100 remain today.
Landowners with coastal prairie habitat might encounter these critically endangered birds. Their protected status makes any disturbance illegal, with recovery efforts focusing on preserving their unique mating grounds called “leks.”
11. Gopher Tortoises – Underground Architects
Gopher tortoises dig impressive burrows up to 40 feet long that provide shelter for hundreds of other species. Their presence in East Texas indicates healthy sandy soil ecosystems.
Protected as threatened species, these tortoises cannot be relocated without special permits, even if they’re digging in inconvenient spots. Their burrows are considered protected habitat too, as they’re essential survival structures for both the tortoises and numerous other wildlife species.