There's More Wildlife Than Cows & Cowboys In Texas

Clichés are everywhere. Their presence wouldn’t matter a bit if they were not so detrimental to the interests of many people, places, and cultures. How do you deal with clichés that keeps you from appreciating some of the beautiful landscapes of the U.S.? Some states, such as Texas, receive very little tourism as a result of these unfair preconceptions. The idea that Texas is a vast dry land, burnt by the sun and where nothing but cows and horses can survive is a little off-putting, to say the least. But thankfully, it’s also completely inaccurate. Texas has, in fact, a rich wildlife and natural environment, miles away from the expected arid cowboy towns.

Forget about cowboys, there's more to Texas

The unfair Texan clichés

Texas has been suffering from a lot of unfair stereotypes, starting with the one that implies that the entire population lives on horseback. But given that 88% of the Texans live in town, you can forget about the cowboys cliché. Similarly the state is far from being a vast desert. It’s a massive area, and consequently, the major part of the population live in a humid subtropical climate. Last of the clichés, but not least, the gun-loaded Texan doesn’t exist. Less than half of the population owns guns, and they are not die-hard conservative either. So with these clichés of the way, it’s now time to explore the wildlife in Texas.

The first step in nature

Besides the second largest state, Texas takes great pride in educating its population to the natural science discovery. In fact, you can even find the River Legacy in Arlington, which helps to get kids and adults to understand the wildlife and the universe around them. Not quite the hot desert area you were expecting! Book a room at the Quality Inn At Arlington Highlands in the vicinity of the museum. You can then make the most of your stay, and maybe learn to spot the local birds as well.

Getting to know the local wildlife

Texas is the perfect destination for birdwatchers as you can experience bird migration in action. In fact, if you know where to look, you can count up to 150 bird species in a day! From the whooping crane to the scissor-tailed flycatcher, you can train yourself to recognize some of the most magnificent birds of North America in Texas. Needless to say, we are now miles away from the image of the cowboy and his herd of cows.

Discovering wildlife in a controlled environment

If you’re not a bird watcher, or that you’re worried about not spotting the local wildlife, you can take the kids to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch instead. The ranch gives you all the advantages of an African safari in a secured and American environment. In fact, you can even get to interact with some animals during your visit. Admittedly, it may not be local wildlife, but it remains a kick in the cowboy’s cliché’s backside nonetheless. And the kids will love the immersive adventure and the chance to maybe feed the giraffes!

So, are you ready to throw away your cowboyish image of Texas and discover the true wildlife marvels within the state?