The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 90,788-acre (367.41 km2)[2] National Wildlife Refuge located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of southern Texas.
| Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 El Sal Del Rey inside the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. | |
   | |
| Location | Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata counties, Texas, United States |
| Nearest city | La Feria, Texas |
| Coordinates | 26°11′14″N 97°51′06″W / 26.18729°N 97.85166°W[1] |
| Area | 90,788 acres (367.41 km2) |
| Established | 1979 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge |
It is along the northern banks and reaches of the Lower Rio Grande, north of the Mexico—United States international border.
Ecology
editOnly 5% of the native riparian, floodplain, and wetland habitats remain along the lower Rio Grande and its local tributaries,[citation needed] but the diversity within these fragments adds up to a significant 1,200 species of native plants, 700 species of vertebrates (including nearly 500 bird species), and 300 species of butterflies. Eleven different biological communities exist on the National Wildlife Refuge, from the Chihuahuan Desert thorn forest to tidal wetlands.[citation needed]
Wildlife includes the rare ocelot, crested caracara, Mexican bluewing butterfly, great kiskadee, red-billed pigeon, Altamira oriole, ringed kingfisher, and green jay.
The refuge is designated as part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, a network of wildlife-viewing sites throughout the Texas coastal regions.[3]
Hunting permits are issued for native white-tailed deer, feral hogs, and introduced nilgai, which are a species of antelope native to India.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Annual Report of Lands Under Control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service" (PDF). www.fws.gov. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. September 30, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
- ^ "Lower Texas Coast Wildlife Trail (LTC): Los Ranchos de Tejas Loop map". Texas Parks and Wildlife Division. Retrieved 22 Jan 2010.
- ^ "Hunting at Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge | FWS.gov". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
External links
edit
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
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