TechKnowSaturday 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT

In Austin, urban wildlife aplenty

TechKnow’s resident entomologist Phil Torres photographs the stunning wildlife of a major US city- Austin, Texas.

April 12, 2015 7:00PM ET

by Phil Torres @phil_torres

Austin, like many major US cities, has spectacular wildlife within- sometimes you just have to know where to look.

On a recent visit to the bustling Texas capital I took my urban wildlife adventure to Lady Bird Lake, a long river-like lake that flows right by downtown Austin. With several places to rent kayaks in the area, I grabbed my camera, a boat, and a paddle and went on a search.

Birds, turtles, snakes and more, it did not disappoint.

While on the kayak I passed below the infamous Congress Bridge. It leads traffic right into downtown Austin yet is home to an incredible 1.5 million bats that can be seen leaving en masse every summer night. Just ten minutes from downtown, Austin’s Barton Springs is home to two salamanders found nowhere else on Earth, the Barton Springs Salamander and the Austin Blind Salamander.

No matter what your city, an urban wildlife experience awaits. Grab a boat, bike, or hiking shoes and a camera, and let us know what you find.

Texas river cooter with juvenile Texas map turtle atop, basking in the sun. Hundreds of these turtles were seen in just a few hours.

A great blue heron took off in flight as my kayak approached.

The double crested cormorant with its identifying blue eyes and head tufts.

The American coot. Note the wide- but not webbed- toes for swimming.

The diamondback watersnake. Often mistaken for a venomous cottonmouth or water moccasin, the diamondback watersnake can usually be distinguished by its longer, more slender body and narrower head.