Brownsville,
Texas:
Home of Rio Bravo Reptiles
Aside from our location at the southwestern
extremity of the continental United States the area
enjoys it’s biological diversity due to the
convergence ofseveral naturalzones. These areas
blend their unique characteristics here. This simple
diagram illustrates the meeting of major natural
zones in extreme south Texas.
The modern History of Brownsville and the surrounding area
goes back to the earliest days of exploration in the New World.
Some of the first ranching enterprises in Texas began in our
area. Major battles of the Mexican-American war occurred here
as did the last formal engagement of the US Civil War. The
gulf entrance to our ship channel, the Brazos Santiago pass
is mentioned in tales of pirate treasure and shipwreck and
the Rio Grande river (called Rio Bravo in Mexico) has been
a focus of human activity from the very earliest of times.
We think of our area today as modern and a safe
and popular tourist playground but as this next photo shows wild
times in the Brownsville area continued to relatively recent
days. In our times few would lift a gun at such a magnificent
creature if seen in our area but in the mid-twentieth century
little was known about the finite nature of wildlife andother
seemingly endless natural resources. Understand also, people
lived in real fear of losing their lives and livelihood to animals
such as this.
We think of our area today as modern and a safe
and popular tourist playground but as this next photo shows wild
times in the Brownsville area continued to relatively recent
days. In our times few would lift a gun at such a magnificent
creature if seen in our area but in the mid-twentieth century
little was known about the finite nature of wildlife and other
seemingly endless natural resources. Understand also, people
lived in real fear of losing their lives and livelihood to animals
such as this. (Photo courtesy of the Rey Ramirez family.)
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