Texas Porch

Outdoors / Wildlife

The animals you meet.

Sooner or later, Texas wildlife turns up close to home: a snake by the porch, a bat in the bedroom, a young bird on the sidewalk, or a coyote down the street. Most encounters need space, not a rescue. This page helps you sort out what is dangerous, what Texas law allows, and who to call when an animal really does need help.

Jump to your situation

Identify what you found

Tap the one that fits. Each goes straight to the steps and the official source.

There's a snake Something's in the house or yard A baby or hurt animal A coyote, bobcat, lion, or bear An alligator A stranded sea turtle or dolphin Bees, ants, scorpions, or spiders An animal acting sick or strange A bird, nest, or feather What's legal? (keep, move, feed)

Three rules cover almost everything

Look, don't touch

Most wildlife wants nothing to do with you

Give it room and it'll usually leave on its own. Many 'problem' animals are just passing through.

Don't keep or move it until you know the rule

Many native animals are protected or regulated. Keeping one as a pet, caring for it without a permit, or releasing it somewhere else can be illegal. A permitted rehabilitator can tell you what to do.

Don't feed wildlife

Food draws animals close to homes and people. Over time they can lose their natural caution, spread disease, damage property, or create a safety problem. Secure trash and pet food instead.

Who handles what

Wildlife crosses many agencies

More than any other topic on this site. Send each question to the right place.

  • Most wildlife rules

    Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD)

    What you can take, keep, or move; rehabbers; alligators; nuisance wildlife; mountain lions and bears.

    TPWD Living with Wildlife ->

  • Rabies & animal bites

    Texas DSHS (health department)

    Rabies, animal bites, snakebite, and the rules on moving rabies-vector animals.

    Texas DSHS Rabies ->

  • Migratory birds

    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

    Nearly all native birds, their feathers, nests, and eggs are federally protected.

    USFWS Migratory Birds ->

  • Sea turtles & marine mammals

    NOAA Fisheries

    Federally protected on the coast; report strandings to the Texas networks.

    NOAA Report a Stranding ->

  • Livestock disease (screwworm)

    Texas Animal Health Commission

    Current affected areas, livestock and pet reporting, and animal-movement rules.

    TAHC screwworm updates ->

  • Insects & spiders

    Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

    Bees, fire ants, scorpions, and spiders - identification and control.

    AgriLife Extension ->

Who to call

Keep this handy. Tap a number to call from a phone.

Quirks worth knowing

  • A landowner may be allowed to take a nuisance animal but still may not move it: the public generally cannot transport live raccoons, skunks, foxes, or coyotes under Texas rabies-control law.
  • Bats are protected, but you may remove one that gets inside your home (humanely, never with poison).
  • You can't keep a found feather from a protected native bird - or its nest or eggs.
  • Feeding an alligator is a crime, and feeding wildlife in general is what creates dangerous animals.
  • Texas added mountain-lion rules in 2024 that prohibit captive hunts and generally limit how long a live lion may remain in a trap or snare.

Wildlife words, translated

A few terms you'll see in the rules.

Nongame

Native animals that aren't hunted as game - like coyotes, bobcats, and armadillos.

You still need a hunting license to take them.

Furbearer

A group of mammals managed for their fur, like raccoons and foxes.

Bobcats are NOT furbearers - they're nongame.

Rabies-vector species

The animals most likely to carry rabies: bats, skunks, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons.

It's illegal to move these alive.

Rehabilitator (rehabber)

A person licensed by TPWD to care for injured or orphaned wild animals.

Call one instead of keeping a found animal.

Depredation

Wildlife damaging crops, livestock, or property.

A landowner can remove a depredating coyote.

Cold-stunned

A sea turtle gone immobile from sudden cold water.

Don't push it back in - call a responder.

Quick answers

The questions people ask most

There's a snake in my yard - is it dangerous?

Most aren't. Texas has four venomous types (copperhead, cottonmouth, rattlesnake, coral snake). Give it space; if someone is bitten, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 and get to an ER.

A raccoon or skunk is living under my deck - can I trap and release it?

Not on your own. Texas generally bars the public from transporting live foxes, skunks, coyotes, and raccoons. Remove what attracts it, call local animal control, or hire a professional who knows the permit and release rules.

There's a bat in my house.

You may remove it (never with poison). If it was in a room with a sleeping person, child, or pet, contain it without touching it bare-handed and call the health department about rabies testing.

I found a baby bird or fawn - should I help?

Almost always leave it - the parents are nearby. Step in only if it's clearly hurt or covered in fire ants, and then call a rehabber.

I found an injured animal - what do I do?

Don't handle it; call a TPWD-permitted wildlife rehabilitator (there's a county-by-county list).

A coyote keeps coming around.

Don't feed it (check trash and pet food), supervise pets, and haze it - yell, look big, throw something near it.

There's a gator in the pond.

Leave it alone; just seeing one is normal. Never feed it. If it's a safety risk, tell a park employee or call TPWD at (512) 389-4848.

I found a stranded sea turtle or dolphin.

Don't touch it - it's federally protected. Call 1-866-887-8535 (turtles) or 1-800-962-6625 (marine mammals).

Killer bees are chasing me!

Cover your face, run away, and get indoors or in a car. Don't swat, and don't jump in water.

An animal is acting tame, aggressive, or stumbling.

Possible rabies - don't touch it, keep pets away, and call animal control.

Can I keep a feather I found?

Not from a protected native bird - leave it where it is.

Official sources

TPWD handles most wildlife rules; Texas DSHS handles rabies and bites; federal agencies handle migratory birds and marine life. Texas Porch explains; they decide. For a bite or a dangerous animal, call a professional.

Data vintage:
Wildlife rules and contacts as reviewed July 2026
Last reviewed:
July 10, 2026

Before you act: Rules, phone numbers, and recent items (mountain lion rules, screwworm status) can change. The official pages are the final word - and snakebite, rabies, and dangerous-animal situations need real professionals, not a web page. How to use Texas Porch carefully.

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