Featuring the Lifesized Bronzes of Curtis Fort The opportunity to create two permanent nature trails interpreting the flora and fauna of the Llano Estacado and the Quercho Plains is unique to this region. The concept is an innovative approach to education of the natural environment in an entertaining and enjoyable context incorporating both fine art sculptures of the wildlife found in the area inner connected with the living plants common to the biomes represented. Curtis Fort, a well known and respected artist from Tatum, NM who’s works have been featured in many galleries, museums, private shows and publications has been commissioned to create over two dozen life-sized pieces from Mule Deer to a Kangaroo Rat and from Pronghorn Antelope to a “Horney Toad” placed in their appropriate associated habitats.
THE LLANO ESTACADO
The Llano Estacado or “Staked Plains” was first described by Castaneda, chronicler for Coronado’s 1540-42 entrada or expedition into what was to become northern Mexico and the southwestern portion of the United States. It is commonly believed the term was derived from the yucca stalks protruding from the flat landscape or need to “stake” their horses at night so they could find them the next day in “the sea of grass”. However, it more probably referred to the “palisades” or weathered slopes at the edges of the flat lands on top. The area was compared to the “limitlessness of an ocean” and the bison (“cows”) as plentiful as “fish in the sea” and the windswept grass to the “waves in the ocean”.
The “Staked Plains” or “Palisaded Plains” of south-eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas is one of the world’s largest mesas or tablelands. At the southern end of the Great Plains of North America, it is a very flat area approximately 250 miles north to south and 150 miles east to west with a total land mass of 37,500 square miles, larger than all of England. Drainages flow from northwest to southeast, however the altitude decreases only slightly from 5,000 feet to 3000 feet or about 10 feet per mile which is almost imperceptible to the observer. Just below the surface lies the Ogallala Aquifer which has supplied humans life giving water for 12,000 years or more, but it is being diminished rapidly by the demand for crops and population centers. It encompasses all or portions of 33 Texas counties and 4 New Mexico counties. Historic settlement was delayed for decades because early maps of the region commonly warned, “Void of wood and water”.
The first explorers venturing into the “illimitable plain” often referred to as “terra incognita” encompassing the area that includes what is now Southeastern New Mexico were mostly military forays to determine its livability and secure the land for future expansion by the early pioneers moving west. The initial settlement patterns were established by the hard scrabble ranching families that tapped into the precious water supply with wells and wind mills and braved the heat and the cold, the wind and the loneliness that formed and shaped their lives. In the 1920’s and ‘30’s oil was discovered below the aquifer that changed the landscape and culture for the foreseeable future. That is the story presented in the Western Heritage Museum Complex.
THE QUERACHO PLAINS
The Queracho Plains are a large accumulation of sand dunes dotted with a few brackish playas located between the PecosRiver to the west and the western edge of the Llano Estacado on the east known as Mescalero Ridge or the “Caprock” which is composed of a hardened calcareous silt called caliche. The Queracho Plains form an entrapment so the springs along the escarpment and the atmospheric moisture runoff never reach the PecosRiver as it is absorbed into the sandy surface. It is a very rich, diverse and complex ecotone at the upper end of the ChihuahuanDesert dominated by one of the largest continuous oak forests in the Southwest. Because of its sandy base these oak trees only protrude from the surface to a height reaching the shin of a human, thus the term “Shinnery”. This environment supports many species of plant and animal life and while the intersection of the two ecological zones is distinct the wildlife easily traverses over both reaches of the topography with only a few species preferring one or the other. Concentrations of certain plants are certainly limited to either the sand or caliche based environments but where the sand, blown by a prevailing southwestern winds, advances upon the Caprock the “Shinnery” continues to be the dominant plant.
FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE LLANO ESTACADO
From their initial contact, people driving through western Texas and southeastern New Mexico remark how desolate the area appears. In actuality, it is at times flourishing with plants and animals. There are playas or lake beds dotting the high plains on top of the Caprock which, during a wet year (anything above the average of 17” a year) attract thousands of waterfowl and other migrants providing rest and feed at these small but vitally important resources. The Llano Estacado was once only grassland with cottonwoods and willows around the few permanent water sources. However, with overgrazing, introduction of new, foreign and competitive species any original rangeland is very rare. Cholla, pricklypear, yucca, salt cedar, tumbleweed, catclaw, mesquite, greasewood, Russian thistle, broomweed, buffalo gourd, locoweed, and a variety of other plants have intruded onto the Great Plains and most are considered undesirable if not harmful.
Wildflowers are prevalent when the monsoonal rains hit at the right time but rarely appear except during wet periods.
Some of the indigenous residents that will be a part of the Llano Estacado Nature Trail will be:
1. Pronghorn Antelope - buck and doe (Antilocapra Americana). A mono-specific species (the only one of its kind, not related to any other) that were quite numerous when the first explorers entered the region but due to over hunting were greatly reduced. Their numbers have increased with game laws and conservation measures. Adults are about 3’ at the shoulder and 5’ in length and weigh between 110 to 130 lbs. Both sexes have horns consisting of hardened hair that grows over a bony core. The males can have horns up to 20’ long, but unlike cattle each has a branch or prong and the outer sheath is shed and regrown on an annual basis. They have a 320 degree field of vision with the ability to see the equivalent of a pair of 50 power binoculars. They can detect movement four miles away and can run at speeds up to 70 miles per hour. In the animal kingdom only the Cheetah can run faster but the Pronghorn can sustain their speed for longer distances. They have a gestation period of 235 days and while single births are more common twins do occur. Their longevity is typically 10 years.
2. Lesser Prairie Chicken - rooster and hen (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) - Named for their comparative size and appearance to the domestic chicken they are a member of the grouse family and closely related to the Greater Prairie Chicken which is found on the northern Great Plains. Three different species were once abundant throughout the central portion of North America all the way to the GulfCoast (the Atwater’s Prairie Chicken is the southern most relative and is considered an endangered population). The other two species are considered “vulnerable” due to habitat loss. They have become rare or extinct over much of their range. Adult males have yellow-orange combs over their eyes with long dark pinnate head feathers that can be raised above the head while doing their distinctive mating dance. They also inflating large orange unfeathered throat patch while making a booming sound that can be heard for long distances on calm spring mornings. They return to the same booming grounds or leeks from March through April each year and prefer undisturbed prairie but can tolerate agricultural practices but scientific studies have shown that the more cropland in a given area results in less Prairie Chickens. The also avoid nesting or rearing their young within a quarter of a mile of power lines, roads, communication towers and rural habitation facilities. They almost became extinct during the 1930’s because of over hunting and drought but are currently breeding successfully on small parcels of managed habitat. They are not bothered by sever winters but hard rains and especially dry seasons can be very detrimental to the chicks. The males are extremely territorial defending and attempting to attract females to the booming grounds. The hens nest approximately a mile away and lay about 15 eggs per clutch which take 24 days to hatch. The resulting brood numbers from 5 - 10 and are completely independent in 10 - 12 weeks.
Other life sized bronze sculptures:
3. Sandhill Crane
4. Texas Horned Lizard (“Horny Toad”)
5. Ornate Box Turtle with Coachwhip (Prairie Racer)
6. Great Blue Heron
7. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake near a Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel
8. Sparrow Hawk with Little Striped Whiptail Lizard
9. Roadrunner
10.Jackrabbit
11.Prairie Dog near Burrowing Owl near opening of den
12.Collard Lizard (“Mountain Boomer”)
13.Avocet
(17 species)
FLORA & FAUNA OF THE QUERACHO PLAINS
Some of the indigenous species that will be presented in the Queracho Plains Nature Trail will be:
The appearance of the Queracho Plains is somewhat intimidating due to the extreme terrain of the sands that seem impenetrable by vehicles. However, numerous caliche topped roads created to access the oil fields are now prevalent throughout the area. Most of the region is managed by the Bureau of Land Management under the U. S. Department of Interior and is considered public land available for recreational purposes. There are numerous prehistoric Native American sites but they are protected from encroachment and looting. The solitude and beauty of this portion of Southeastern New Mexico is one of the reasons modern residents and visitors are attracted to the area and appreciate the chance to discover the multitude of scenes for themselves. The most obvious plant is the Shin oak but it is intermixed with mesquite, many if not most of the intrusive found on top of the Caprock also occur in the sands but there are more woody plants like rabbitbush, sagebrush, ephedra, soapberry, cacti and even juniper along the escarpment and numerous wildflowers occur if there is sufficient atmospheric moisture.
1. Kangaroo Rat - (Dipodomys ordii). This small rodent is not really a “rat” at all but a pocket mouse collecting food in their face pouches until they can store it. They hop much like a kangaroo thus the name. There are 22 recognized subspecies but the most common found in Southeastern New Mexico is the Ord’s variety. Their body is typically about 10 cm long with a tail equal to their body length. They have a 5th toe on their hind foot which distinguishes them from other closely related relatives. They have extremely long hind legs compared to their front limbs and can jump great distances.
They weigh about 35 grams and burrow deep into the sandy soils and store seeds, leaves, grasses, stems, buds, fruits and an occasional insect in their caches. They are used to living in very arid conditions and rarely drink water. Instead they have a highly efficient water retention system that allows the kidneys to excrete salts up to four times grater than other mammals while taking advantage of the small amounts of moisture gained in eating plant materials. Neither can they lose water through perspiration because they have no sweat glands. They are a basic prey for almost all predators found in their range. They produce about three litters per year with an average of four young in each litter. Weaning occurs after about 24 days and they are nocturnal and above ground activity is usually limited to two hours or less and the greater amount of moonlight the less time to forays outside the den.
2. Porcupine - (Eretizon dorsatum) or “quill pig”. One of the surprises in this semi-arid almost treeless region is the presence of porcupines. While they are usually associated with forest environments they are not uncommon and seem to thrive in the Queracho Plains. They are normally bark eaters but also do well on woody shrubs, grasses, fruits and wildflowers which they find in addition to the larger shinnery oak bases. The slow moving rodents are nocturnal and are covered with sharp needle-like quills and often give first encounter predators a lasting reminder that this is no easy meal. They can have 30,000 quills or more which lie flat unless they are threatened but contrary to popular belief they cannot shoot their quills but they do detach easily when touched. The quills which are modified hair coated with keratin have overlapping backward facing barbs that make them very difficult to remove once they enter a foreign body. An adult can be up to two feet long and weigh as much as 40 pounds. They have between one and four offspring that are called “porcupettes” and are ready to live on their own at about two months of age.
Other life sized bronze sculptures:
3. Mule Deer (buck and doe)
4. Bobcat and cottontail rabbit
5. Coyote
6. Scaled Quail (“Blues”)
7. Striped Skunk in a face off with a Badger
8. Gray Fox
9. Red-tailed Hawk with a Curved-billed Thrasher in its claws
10.Mocking Bird scolding a Loggerhead Shrike (“Butcher Bird”)
11.Raven on the rib cage of a dead cow
12.Great Horned Owl capturing a Pack Rat (White throated Woodrat)
