Meet the Fatmuckets!
Hays County Master Naturalist Fall Class of 2024
All photos courtesy Mary O’Hara
Mary O’Hara
As is our tradition, each Hays County Master Naturalist (HCMN) Training Class selects a totem to represent themselves within the Chapter. Our Fall Class of 2024 will graduate on April 12, 2025 and will forever be known as the Fatmuckets. Here’s a peek into their journey—40 hours of classroom work, countless hours of volunteer time, and Advanced Training!
Wait, what’s a Fatmucket?
Lampsilis bracteata is an endemic freshwater mussel species found only in tributaries of the Colorado River within the Edwards Plateau. The endangered Texas Fatmucket has a unique life cycle that requires a host fish to transform its immature larval stage into a self-sustaining juvenile mussel.
Fatmuckets are considered long-term brooders, or bradytictic, with a peak reproductive season believed to occur between February and July. Four fish hosts have been identified:
Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
Guadalupe bass (Micropterus treculii)
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
These mussels consume organic particulate matter, bacteria, and algae filtered from the water column, making them crucial to the health of Hill Country waterways. Specimens collected from the San Saba and Llano Rivers have been found to reach at least 15 years of age.
Source: Texas Fatmucket (Lampsilis bracteata) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Discovering macroinvertebrates, fish identification, and the wonders of freshwater mussels at John Knox Ranch.
Sentinel Peak Preserve learning riparian ecosystems and hydrogeology.
Exploring Honey Creek State Natural Area at Guadalupe River State Park.
Westcave Preserve field trip—caving & grotto ecosystems.
Learning the effects of Light Pollution and benefits of Dark Skies.
Studying rainwater absorption on different substrates at Bamberger Ranch.