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The rolling Hill Country isn’t just home to your friends and neighbors—it is well known for its diverse ecosystem and impressive wildlife.
From turtles sunbathing on Lady Bird Lake to bats feeding on the Congress Bridge to animals that make bumps in the night, you can find it all in the Central Texas habitat. Very few of our animals are harmful but almost all of them are a sight to see.
These are just a few of the critters you’re likely to spot while you’re in Austin, but you can click here for more information.
Mammals
We didn’t include coyotes on this list, as you’re likely to see them all over North America.
Bats
(USFWS Headquarters)
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
The symbol of the city, Austin is home to more than a million Mexican free-tailed bats depending on the time of year, with the most visible around July and August. Both the Congress Avenue bridge and Round Rock’s McNeil bridge are maternity colonies, where females give birth to pups in the summer. Austin is famous for bat-watching when the creatures feed, which tends to fall around sunset between March and August.
Fun fact: Bats tend to live up to 11 years in the wild.
Bobcats
(Linda Tanner)
Danger level: ⚠️ Medium, admire from a safe distance
Texas is home to a number of wild cats—bobcats tend to prefer habitats in the Hill Country but you’re unlikely to spot one in the wild in Austin. An adult bobcat measures about 3 and a half feet in length, weighing 12-36 pounds, and eats small mammals, birds, domestic sheep and occasionally deer. Bobcats typically don’t cause great damage or attack humans, but it's best not to disturb one if you spot it. Mountain Lions are also native to the southern parts of the Hill Country.
Fun fact: Bobcats are the only native Texas cat important to fur production.
Nine-banded armadillo
(Rich Anderson)
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
As the official small mammal of Texas, you can find armadillos wandering all around the state except the Trans-Pecos. You’re most likely to see an armadillo using its sharp claws to dig for some tasty grubs, which can be harmful to crops, or build a den. They can be quite noisy when foraging and if you startle an armadillo, it might jump straight up into the air before quickly scuttering out of sight. If you see one of these armored little guys, do not touch it, as armadillos are the only animal known to carry leprosy and are illegal to sell in Texas.
Fun fact: Armadillo mothers give birth in springtime to four fully-formed identical quadruplets.
Raccoons
(Tambako the Jaguar)
Danger level: 🆘 High, do not approach
With their unique coats, raccoons can be easily spotted in Austin, likely digging through trash or going through your plants. They’re known for looking cute but raccoons have a high risk for rabies and often act aggressively, so don’t feed or socialize with them. Covering trash cans can be a good way to keep them out of your garbage.
Fun fact: Raccoons will often make dens in logs or tight, enclosed spaces.
Reptiles and amphibians
These little guys are often spotted at Lady Bird Lake.
Frogs, toads and salamanders
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
There are a plethora of all three residing in Central Texas, if you’re quiet enough to spot one. The American bullfrog, green tree frog and spotted chorus frog mark the most well-known in town and tend to be harmless. Coach’s Spadefoot and Woodhouse’s toads are common as well, and you might see a Barton Springs Salamander while paddleboarding, but they’ll stay away.
Fun fact: The brighter the colors, the more likely these critters are to be poisonous.
Turtles
(Alan Vernon)
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
You’ve probably seen a mix of red-eared sliders, softshell and snapping turtles sunning on a log while on Lady Bird Lake. Turtles can live upwards of 30 years on a diet mostly consisting of small fish, plants and decaying matter. Turtles ribs are infused with its shell, so it never outgrows its home. It’s possible that these little reptiles will bite, but unlikely, and could carry salmonella but they are nothing to be afraid of.
Fun fact: If there isn’t enough space for everyone to sun, turtles will stack themselves on top of each other.
Snakes
(Tom Spinker)
Danger level: Medium, admire from a safe distance.
There are over 105 different types of snakes living across Texas but there are only four you need to be concerned about in Austin: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the broad bandit copperhead, the western cottonmouth and the Texas coral snake are all venomous. The rat snake is often confused with the rattlesnake, since they have similar snaking tails, though it is not venomous. The best way to avoid a bite is to give the snake space and do not handle it.
Fun fact: The shape of a snake’s head is an easy indicator of whether or not the snake is venomous—snakes with triangular heads tend to be venomous but a rounded head is a good sign.
Birds
There are over 660 species of birds living across Texas.
Blue Jays
(Brian Kushner)
Danger level: ☺️ Harmless
These blue beauties look pretty, but don’t be fooled, they’re loud and aggressive toward other birds. Blue jays are known for attacking owls and imitating a hawk call to scare away any threats. However, blue jays are normally tame around humans.
Fun fact: These birds are known for eating the eggs of other birds to frighten them away.Grackles
(Madeline Poster)
Danger level: ☺️ Harmless
More likely than not, Grackles are the source of the bird noises that annoy you most. With a look similar to that of a blackbird, a bit taller and more iridescent. Grackles are known for their cocky struts and eating anything at their disposal.
Fun fact: Grackles are the number one threat to corn crops.
Golden-cheeked warblers
(Duane Angles)
Danger level: ☺️ Harmless
This yellow-cheeked bird only nests in Central Texas, leaving for Mexico in July to spend the winters, and takes up residence in wooded areas. The golden-cheeked warbler is categorized as endangered by both Texas and U.S. standards.
Fun fact: The golden-cheeked warbler is the only bird that breeds in Texas to exclusively nest in Texas.
Popular
(Pexels)
After moving from Honduras to Austin in high school, Giselle Suazo Arriaga has accumulated years of dating experience in the capital city. And in that time, she and her friends observed what they call “Peter Pan syndrome” in the dating pool.
“They don't want to be ‘tied down,’ as they say because you're essentially in a playground. There are so many people in the city,” Arriaga said.
The 28-year-old who works as a marketing manager went on to say she’s been on dates with men in their 20s, 30s and 40s, but finds the same pattern plays out regardless of age. She's also been out with the so-called "tech bros," or those who Reddit and other parts of the Internet have described as men working for companies like Google or Tesla and have therefore become somewhat egotistical or arrogant.
“I try not to stereotype all tech bros,” Arriaga said. “But it's interesting how they continuously prove that there is a stereotype. Like, they uphold it, you know what I mean?”
@giselle_alejandra06 Dating in Austin is a scam #atxlife #atxbars #atxtiktoks #austintiktok #datingtiktok #eastaustin
The migration of tech workers to Austin has resulted in some feeling unfavorable about the dating pool. Arriaga says tech workers, often consisting of young men earning impressive salaries, may exhibit the Peter Pan syndrome more commonly.
Anoush Stevenson with SpeedAustin Dating, which has matchmaking and speed dating services across the nation, says more men have expressed interest in their services as pandemic restrictions eased and Austin's tech scene continues to flourish. It's a trend that has created a more even ratio of men to women.
“It used to be more female heavy for us in Austin,” Stevenson said. “And I don't know if that's connected to the influx of tech workers now that there's a balancing for us in that there's as many guys if not more, signing up than women now.”
When it comes to dating apps, Stevenson said those can lead to frustration.
"People are, I think, just fed up with it," Stevenson said. "They just want to know, in a few minutes, is there an attraction? Is there a chemistry there?" She added that the speed dating events don't add pressure to what happens next after the date. Attendees are asked to write down whether they're interested in meeting that person again or not, and her team takes care of the rest.
Such a carefree experience hasn't been as common for Arriaga, and she's worked to try to find out people's intentions before agreeing to a date.
“I genuinely feel like people just want to stay single though,” Arriaga said. “I don't really find guys that are like, ‘I want a relationship right now.’”
Still, Arriaga is hopeful that she’ll eventually meet someone who’s compatible with her.
“I genuinely believe that there's someone out there for everyone, it just takes time to find them,” Arriaga said.
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(Sour Duck/Instagram)
It may be a hot summer but it can’t stop you from keeping cool at your favorite happy hour.
Here are some of Austin’s finest happy hour deals.
DRINK at Fareground | 111 Congress Ave.
This modern food hall-style eatery has six restaurants, two bars to choose from and happy hour on weekdays at DRINK. Drinks start at $4, with a wide selection of $5 beers, $6 cocktails and $7 wines.
Happy Hour: 5-7 p.m. Monday-Friday
Garage | 503 Colorado St.
Bougie, semi-underground speakeasy Garage is known for its hard-to-find location and retro interior. During happy hour, you can get some of its signature secret cocktails for just $6.
Happy Hour: 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
House Wine | 408 Josephine St.
A self-proclaimed “unpretentious” wine bar, House Wine says it sources its bottles from small batch and boutique vineyards from around the world. Though you can get $2 off glasses or $6 bottles daily, House Wine has unique happy hour specials for each day of the week.
Happy Hour: 3-6 p.m. daily, all day Wednesday
Irene’s | 506 West Ave.
Stopping for a quick drink during happy hour at popular brunch bar Irene’s will get you a free bag of popcorn! This aviator-esque bar offers $3 draft beers, $4 well drinks, $5 frozen cocktails or wine glasses and $6 snacks during happy hour.
Happy Hour: 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
Lou’s | 1900 E Cesar Chavez St. and 1608 Barton Springs Rd.
This roadside micro-chain eatery is a cozy place to stop for a burger and brew on a warm summer night. On weekdays you can get half off its classic burger, Lone Star brews and sangria—plus wine bottles on Tuesdays!
Happy Hour: 3-5 p.m. and 9-10 p.m. Monday-Friday
Péché | 208 W 4th St.
This downtown absinthe bar will also keep you well-fed with its French-inspired cuisine if you show up at the right time. The almost daily happy hour offers $6 drinks and half-off certain dishes.
Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, all night Sunday and Monday
Salty Sow | 1917 Manor Rd.
Head to Salty Sow for some New American food in the Cherrywood neighborhood. For two hours every day, you can get $2 off cocktails and beer, $24 select wine bottles and $6 by the glass, $4-6 appetizers and $7 honey rosemary fried chicken.
Happy Hour: 4:30-6:30 p.m. daily
Second Bar + Kitchen | 3121 Palm Way
Located inside the North Austin Archer Hotel, happy hour at Second Bar + Kitchen has big yields with $5 cocktails, wine glasses and beers; $4.50-$7 appetizers and discounted pizzas.
Happy Hour: 3-6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday
Sour Duck Market | 1814 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
You can get 20% off your entire order during happy hour at Sour Duck Market. You read that right—20% off three days of the week.
Happy Hour: 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday
Stagger Lee | 87 Rainey St.
This Rainey Street favorite bar slings $3 domestic beers, $3 wells and $5 frozen margaritas or wine by the glass every day of the week.
Happy Hour: 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday
Uncle Nicky's | 4222 Duval St.
Get your happy hour on early at Uncle Nicky’s Italian Bistro every day from 2-5 p.m.—$2-3 beers, $5 glasses of wine, $6 spritzes, $2 disco lemonade shots or a $25 wine and cheese plate.
Happy Hour: 2-5 p.m. daily