Frisco Organisms

Frisco Organisms

Use the links below to learn about local organisms.

Bobcat

Food

Bobcats are carnivores, meaning they eat only meat. Their preferred food is rabbit, but they will also eat rodents, insects, birds, and even deer!

Climate

Bobcats are incredibly adaptable and can thrive in a wide range of climates. Their ideal temperature range lies between 60°F-80°F.

Habitat

Fun fact

Bobcats can equally be found at home in forests, mountains, swamps, and deserts and can sometimes be found in urban areas.

A female bobcat's territory is approximately 5 square miles. Females are very territorial and their ranges never overlap. Alternatively, a male bobcat's territory is approximately 30 square miles and may overlap with other male cats.

Predators

Natural predators to the bobcat include mountain lions, coyotes, and eagles. They are also prey to hunters and vehicles.

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White Tail Deer

Food

Deer are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. They are browsers, and feed primarily on foliage of grasses, sedges, forbs, shrubs and trees.

Climate

Deer can be found in cold and warm climates.

Habitat

Deer can be found in several habitats, but prefer forests, thickets, prairies and savannas.

Predators

Deer have many natural predators, including bears, wolves, and large cats, such as jaguars and pumas. Many species of deer, including white-tailed deer, are popular targets of hunters.

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Pecan Twig Girdler

Food

Pecan twig girdlers attack citrus, elm, hackberry, hickory, huisache, mimosa, pecan, persimmon, red oak, retama, tepehuaje, Texas ebony, walnut and various fruit trees.

Habitat

The ideal habitat for the pecan twig girdler is warm and sunny temperatures, open woodlands or forest eges, and proximity to water sources.

Climate

The pecan twig girdler can tolerate various climates, but it thrives in warmer climates. It's ideal teampeatrue range is between 70°F and 90°F.

Predators

Birds, beetles, lizards, frogs, spiders

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Virginia Opossum

Food

The Virginia opossum will eat both plants and animals, including rodents, young rabbits, birds, insects, crustaceans, frogs, fruits and berries, and vegetables.

Climate

The ideal climate for the Viriginia opossum is warm temperatures and moderate rainfall. Their ideal temperature ranges between 60°F and 85°F.

Habitat

Predators

Opossums are primarily woodland creatures, but are also frequently found in prairies, marshes, and farmlands. Although they prefer to live in hollow trees and logs, opossums will also shelter in woodpiles, rock piles, crevices in cliffs, under buildings, in attics, and in abandoned underground burrows dug by other animals.

The Virginia opossum predators include owls, hawks, eagles, snakes, coyotes, and foxes.

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Red Fox

Food

The red fox is a hunter. They eat mice, voles, rabbits, and birds as well as eggs and fruit. In addition, red foxes readily eat other available food such as dead animals, grain (especially sunflower seeds), garbage, and domestic poultry.

Climate

The red fox live in environments ranging from Arctic tundra to arid desert.

Habitat

Red foxes prefer mixed landscapes, made up of patches of forests, grasslands, and other areas.

Predators

Natural predators to the red fox are coyotes, bobcats, and large birds of prey. The red fox can also fal prey to human interaction with vehicles, hunting, and habitat loss.

Western Rat Snake

Food

The western rat snake often consume mice, voles, and rats. The will also eat other snakes, frogs, lizards, chipmunks, squirrels, juvenile rabbits, juvenile opossums, songbirds, and bird eggs.

Climate

The western rat snake thrives in a warm and temperate climate. It likes temperatures between 70°F and 85°F, but can tolerate freezing and scorching temperatures.

Habitat

Rat snakes live in a variety of habitats. Rat snakes are excellent climbers and spend a lot of time in trees. Black rat snakes live in habitats ranging from a rocky hillside to flat farmland.

Predators

Hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, larger snakes

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Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Food

The red-bellied woodpecker diet consists of insects, nuts, fruits, and berries. You can attract red-bellied woodpeckers to bird feeders by providing them with peanuts.

Climate

Red-bellied woodpeckers prefer warm climates with temperatures between 60°F and 85°F, but they can tolerate freeezing to scorching heat as well.

Habitat

These woodpeckers prefer forests, swamps or wooded suburban habitats.

Predators

Hawks, owls, snakes, house cats, squirrels

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Texas Persimmon Tree

Food / Description?

The Texas persimmon is a tree that can reach heights of about 15 to 20 feet. It typically has a twisted and contorted trunk with smooth, dark bark that becomes almost black as the tree matures. The tree produces a fruit, while small, is enjoyed by wildlife and can be utilized in various culinary ways.

Climate

The Texas persimmon tree thrives in the hot, dry climate of Texas.

Habitat

Texas persimmon trees are often found in dry, rocky areas, and they're well-adapted to arid conditions. They thrive in various soil types and are commonly found in scrublands, canyons, and rocky hillsides.

Predators

In seedling stage rodents, birds, and insects are all predators to the Texas persimmon tree. Once this tree matures oak borers, leafhoppers, diseases (oak wilt), and humans are all predators. One other predator to consider is drought, which makes this tree more susceptible to other threats.

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Oak Tree

Food

Oak trees produce their own food through photosynthesis. They also require certain nutrients, like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassiume, which they absorb from the soil through their roots.

Climate

Oak trees are typically found in temperate and subtropical climates.

Habitat

Oak trees can live in different places all around the world. You can find them in forests, woodlands, and even in some parks and gardens. They really like places where the weather changes throughout the year. Some live in areas with warm summers and cold winters, while others are in spots that are warm most of the time. They can grow in soil that is sandy, clay-like, or something in between.

Predators

While oak trees are generally resilient, they are still susceptible to predation by insects, diseases (oak wilt), and humans. Understanding these threats is important for protecting and preserving these important trees.

Mosquito

Food

Mosquitos feed on blood, but not all mosquitoes feed on blood. All male mosquitoes, as well as the females in some species, feed on nectar and other plant juices.

Climate

Mosquitoes can live in a variety of climates, but they are most commonly associated with warm and humid environments.

Habitat

Mosquitoes are found almost everywhere in the world except open ocean areas, the most arid deserts, and the polar regions. Mosquitoes live in a wide variety of aquatic habitats like lakes, ponds, and marshes.

Predators

Dragonflies, birds, bats, fish, predator insects

Five-Lined Skink

Food

Five lined skinks are considered beneficial to gardeners. They eat snails, termites, flies, crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, ants, caterpillars and even newborn mice.

Climate

The ideal climate for the five-lined skink is 70°F to 85°F, but they can tolerate 50°F to 95°F.

Habitat

The range of five lined skinks extends over much of the forested eastern United States. Their natural habitat is moist woody places.

Predators

The five lined skink is preyed upon by birds such as hawks, crows, and kestrels. They are also eaten by foxes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, snakes and domestic cats.

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Coyote

Food

Coyotes are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Though they have a wide-ranging diet, they do prefer meat and hunt for small mammals, birds, mice, and snakes. In times when meat is scarce, they also eat fruits and berries.

Climate

Coyotes prefer termperate climates with average temperatures between 20°F and 50°F but can survive in temperatures from -50°F to 110°F.

Habitat

They inhabit every state in the continental United States. They prefer deserts, grasslands, and forests, but are incredibly adaptable to most habitats. For this reason, they often thrive in urban areas.

Predators

Natural predators to coyotes are mountain lions, gray wolves, and eagles. Humans can also be a predator when it comes to hunting and vehicles, particularly around highways and busy roads.

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