Texas Ebony trees (Ebenopsis ebano) is a species of legume native to South Texas. These trees produce large bean pods (see below) that ripen and fall to the ground. They provide food to javelinas (Pecari tajacu) and other wildlife. Using the last five years of iNaturalist javelina sightings, I am examining the relationship between javelinas and staple foods such as prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) and ebony.
The association between javelinas and enboy trees in South Texas is quite strong. Below is a map that shows javelina (black) sightings since January 1, 2017 and Texas ebony trees (green).
As a side story, the first javelinas that I located as part of my multispecies ethnographic research project were at Choke Canyon and it was an ebony tree that led me to the javelinas.
I'm Adam Johnson, an environmental anthropologist teaching at University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Northwest Vista College while completing my Ph.D. at UTSA after teaching as a lecturer at UNCC for 3 years.
My work engages human-animal relations. I am interested in how humans and wild animals find ways to get along. The focus of my research are the intimate moments of encounter between humans and wild animals. My current project explores human-javelina relations in Texas, including: affective relationships between javelinas and property owners, tourist-javelina encounters at Big Bend National Park, and the intimacy and care that pairs with violence in hunting.
I'm also interested in Science and Technology Studies, sexuality and gender, and primate behavior and ecology.
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