William B. Russ

The Status of Mountain Lions in Texas

The mountain lion (Felis concolor) is legally classified as a nongame mammal in Texas within the broad scope of wildlife regulatory authority delegated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Lions are not subject to any specific protective regulations; however, mountain lions are recognized as an important part of the native fauna of Texas. The Department is currently collecting mortality and sighting data by ecological region to determine current distribution and population status of Texas lions. Sighting data are reported by county with the date, number and estimated age of lions,...