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A small brown bat is held by nitrile-gloved hands.
NSU Studies Regional Bat Community on WMAs

A team from Northeastern State University has been conducting bat surveys at Wildlife Management Areas and will compare their results to a 1990s-era study to assess any changes in species abundance and distribution.

Two women stand in an open forest while monitoring red-cockaded woodepeckers
Habitat Work Helps Threatened Red-cockaded Woodpecker Expand OK Range

A distinctive squeak in the tree canopy has led one U.S. Forest Service biologist on a journey of discovery and marked the return of the federally threatened red-cockaded woodpecker to Oklahoma’s Le Flore County.

Three men stand in a stream with a long net stretched out in the water.
Streams Program Kicks Off Summer Sampling with Seines and Shockers

The Wildlife Department never misses a chance to celebrate a season opener, but this summer’s start of the Streams Program’s community sampling efforts is especially exciting as it marks a decade of data collection of Oklahoma’s fish and streams habitat.

A brown and tan blotched snake is curled with its head pointing above the coil.
Highlights from Oklahoma’s History of Herpetology

The archived history of herpetology shows the compounding value of past reptile and amphibian conservation efforts and incredible potential for the future.

A small reddish plant grows next to a yellow ruler placed for size reference.
Tiny Plant Makes for a Big Discovery

An avid naturalist discovered a federally threatened plant with the nickname “Tiny Tim” growing in Oklahoma for the first time.

A man stands in the water with a net full of geese swimming before him.
Cackling Geese Tracked in Central Flyway Study

Researchers are tracking cackling geese wintering in a five-state study area to learn more about their movements and habitat preferences.

A small brown bat hangs upside down.
Study Focused on Bats and Disease-causing Fungus

Bat surveys were conducted to learn more about Oklahoma’s bat communities and hundreds of bats were swabbed for the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome.

Ringed Salamander, photo by Taylor Carlson
Surveyors Study Secretive Salamanders

Less than an inch of rain fell on Oct. 9, 2018, but it was enough to prompt 196 ringed salamanders to emerge from their underground homes and embark on their annual journey.

Swift Fox
Track Surveys Shed Light on Swift Fox

Biologists keep tabs on Oklahoma’s smallest fox, the swift fox, with annual track surveys across the High Plains.

Two men and a woman stand on a boat with bows and arrows in hand.
Bowfishing as Research

The Wildlife Department partnered with Oklahoma Fish Stickers to learn about the impacts of bowfishing on native nongame fishes in a unique bowfishing tournament.