WTC Flag Raising & Memorial Petition Status - Surpasses 150,000 Signatures

PetitioOnline WTC Flag Raising Petition ^ | February 5, 2002 | Jeff Head

[Dubya]

State Small Mammal of Texas

Nine-banded Armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus

Description

Body Length: 15-17 in. Tail: 14-16 in. Weight: 8-17 lbs.

The Nine-banded Armadillo is a cat-sized, armored, insect-eating mammal. Similar in form to an anteater, the bony, scaled shell of the armadillo protects it from attacks by predators. Unfortunately, armadillos often fall victim to automobiles and are frequently found dead on roadsides.

A prolific digger, armadillos dig many burrows, as well as dig for food. Distribution is often determined by soil conditions, since the animal will not survive in areas where the soil is too hard to dig. Many other wildlife species use and benefit from these abandoned burrows.

Although occasionally considered a nuisance by home owners, the armadillo's habit of digging up lawns is driven by it's appetite for grubs, which can also harm lawns.

Life History

Eats insects and other invertebrates. Skilled at digging for grubs. Occasionally eats berries and bird eggs.

Although breeding occurs in July, the embryo remains in a dormant state until November. Four young are born in a burrow in March. All four young, always of the same sex, are identical quadruplets and developed from the same egg. They even share a single placenta while in the womb. Armadillos are the only mammals in which multiple young form from a single egg with any regularity.

Habitat and Distribution

The armadillo is the state mammal of Texas. Originally native to South America, the armadillo now ranges as far north as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Louisiana. Found in all but the western Trans-Pecos portion of Texas in a variety of habitats; brush, woods, scrub and grasslands.

[Dubya]

Sorry about posting too many times. I don't know what happen.

[Beach_Babe]

Have not got with Mike yet ... have contacted another FDNY firefighter but will get with Mike this week as the signatures are prepared for shipping.

Okay, if you need to get in touch with any other firemen, let me know...I have both family and friends with the FDNY.

[kayak]

153,904

[Dubya]

Mexican Free-tail Bat** Texas State Flying Mammal

Worldwide, bats are the most important enemies of night-flying insects. The 20 million Mexican free-tail bats that summer in Bracken Cave in Texas have been estimated to eat some 250 tons of insects nightly. In the Southwest and in Mexico, there is a growing appreciation for this small mammal which, like too many species, has been declining in numbers.

Mexican free-tail bats sometimes fly up to two miles high to feed. The bats migrate each spring from central Mexico to various roosting sites in the southwestern U.S., from which they emerge en masse on summer nights to feed on insects.

[Dubya]

Texas State Fish -- Guadalupe Bass

Other names: Black bass, Guadalupe spotted bass

Description

The Guadalupe bass, like other "black bass" including largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, is not a true bass at all but a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae. Micropterus is Greek, meaning "small fin" and is a rather unfortunate misnomer arising from an injured type specimen that made it appear that the posterior rays of the soft dorsal fin formed a small separate fin. Treculi refers to Trecul, the French compatriot of Vaillant and Bocourt. Trecul actually caught the specimen. The Guadalupe bass is generally green in color and may be distinguished from similar species found in Texas in that it doesn’t have vertical bars like smallmouth bass, its jaw doesn’t extend beyond the eyes as in largemouth bass, and coloration extends much lower on the body than in spotted bass.

Angling Importance

Guadalupe bass do not grow to large size because they are adapted to small streams. However, a propensity for fast flowing water, and their ability to utilize fast water to their advantage when hooked, make them a desirable sport fish species. Their preference for small streams enhances their allure to anglers because of the natural setting where small streams are usually found. Specimens in excess of 3.5 pounds have been landed.

Biology

Both males and females become sexually mature when they are one year old. Guadalupe bass spawning begins as early as March and continues through May and June. A secondary spawn is possible in late summer or early fall. Like all other black bass, Guadalupe bass build gravel nests for spawning, preferably in shallow water. As with spotted bass and smallmouth bass, males tend to build nests in areas with higher flow rates than largemouth bass. When a male has successfully attracted a female to the nest she may lay 400 to over 9,000 eggs. The female is then chased away and the male stands guard over the incubating eggs. After hatching, fry feed on invertebrates and switch to piscivory as they grow older. Very young fish and older adults tend to include more invertebrates in their diet than do largemouth bass. Juveniles and younger adults tend to include more fish in their diets than do largemouth bass.

Distribution

The Guadalupe bass is found only in Texas and has been named the official state fish. It is endemic to the northern and eastern Edwards Plateau including headwaters of the San Antonio River, the Guadalupe River above Gonzales, the Colorado River north of Austin, and portions of the Brazos River drainage. Relatively small populations can also be found outside of the Edwards Plateau, primarily in the lower Colorado River. Introduced populations exist in the Nueces River system. Typically, Guadalupe bass are found in flowing water, whereas largemouth bass are found in quiet water.

[kayak]

154,048

[Dubya]

Thanks for the update.

Good to know so many good people care about what is honest.

[Dubya]

Hey kids! Here's your chance to "Get Out!" and enjoy Texas natural wonders, relive it's exciting past and discover the secrets and mysteries of it's great outdoors. So grab your friends and "Get Out!" on the Nature Trail, Recreation Trail and History Trail!

[kayak]

#133278 - "The truth will set you free !!!!!!!!"

[Dubya]

Amen. Much wisdom in that post.

Big Bend Ranch State Park

P O Box 2319

Presidio TX 79845

915/229-3416

Big Bend Ranch State Park, over 280,280.58 acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness, extends along the Rio Grande from southeast of Presidio to near Lajitas in both Brewster and Presidio Counties. It was purchased from private owners in 1988. Embracing some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the Southwest, it encompasses two mountain ranges containing ancient extinct volcanoes, precipitous canyons, and waterfalls. Big Bend Ranch State Park is home for a tremendous diversity of animal and plant species, including 14 species of bats, several species of hummingbirds, and at least 11 other rare plants and animals, including Hinckley oaks and mountain lions. The park also maintains a small Texas longhorn herd, a remnant of the property's ranching heritage (not a part of the official Texas longhorn herd based at Fort Griffin).

[Two-Bits]

154,220 WOW!!!!

Sorry to have missed the 150,000 mark. I just got home, gave my huband a peck and immediately rushed to the computer to see if the petition had reached 150,000. How exciting!!!

Will close for now, have to run some errands but will be on later. God Bless all Freepers and all who love and respect this Country

[BlessedBeGod]

Congratulations!!! You've done an awesome job!

[kayak]

154,363

[Dubya]

A View of Palo Duro Canyon

History:

Man has inhabited Palo Duro Canyon for approximately 12,000 years. The Clovis and Folsom people first resided in the canyon and hunted large herds of mammoth and giant bison. Later on, other cultures such as the Apaches, Comanches, and Kiowas utilized the canyon’s abundant resources.

Early Spanish Explorers are believed to have discovered the area and dubbed the canyon "Palo Duro" which is Spanish for "hard wood" in reference to the abundant mesquite and juniper trees. However, an American did not officially discover the canyon until 1852 when Captain Marcy ventured into the area while searching for the headwaters of the Red River.

In 1874, Palo Duro Canyon was a battle site during the Red River Wars. Col. Mackenzie, under orders from the US Government, apprehended the Native Americans residing in the canyon by first capturing 1,400 horses and then later destroying the majority of the herd. Unable to escape, the Native Americans surrendered and were transported to reservations in Oklahoma. Then, from 1876 until 1890, most of the canyon belonged to the J.A. Ranch and was operated by Col. Charles Goodnight.

[Dubya]

Dinosaur Valley State Park, located just northwest of Glen Rose in Somervell County, is a 1524.72-acre, scenic park set astride the Paluxy River. The land for the park was acquired from private owners under the State Parks Bonds Program during 1968 and opened to the public in 1972. History: Eastward-dipping limestones, sandstones, and mudstones, deposited from approximately 113 million years ago along the shorelines of an ancient sea, form the geological setting for the park area. Over the last million years or so, these layered formations have been dissected and sculpted by the Paluxy River which, in many places, has cut down to resistant beds and planed off sizable exposures of rock in the river bottom.

Tyrannosaurus Rex****************************Dinosaur Tracks

[kayak]

154,631

[kayak]

A truly heartbreaking signature ......

#154601 - "I lost both of my sons in WTC."

May God be with him and the families of his sons!

[kayak]

Middle Village, NY
New Berlin, WI
Boca Raton FL
Anacortes WA
W. Berlin N.J.
New Orleans, LA
Lusby, Maryland
Medina, Ohio
Aurora, CO.
Dallas, TX
Burlinton, Ky.
Nampa, Idaho
Anchorage, Alaska
Marlborough MA
Phoenix, AZ
Fort Dodge, Iowa

These signatures represent all of America .... they come from large cities and small towns ..... from the length and breadth of our country.

America is awakening!!!

[Two-Bits]

Time to bump this puppy to the front page.