Texas Symbols The Wildlife of Texas

State Symbols Every state has symbols that show its heritage and culture The state flag is one of the most recognized symbols of a state There are also state mottos, songs, food, plants, shells, fabric, minerals and more! Every state has wildlife symbols that include small and large mammals, reptiles, insects, fish, birds and more

Texas – The Lone Star State

Large Mammal Texas Longhorn Image credit: Ed Schipul from Houston, TX, US

Texas Longhorn Became the official state large mammal in 1995 Texas Longhorns have many different colors and markings Their horns can reach over seven feet long! That’s taller than most adults! Texas longhorns are great survivors. They are a strong breed and go a long time without water, they can swim rivers, get their own food, tolerate extreme heat and cold.

Image credit: Clinton & Charles Robertson from Del Rio, Texas & San Marcos, TX, USA

Small Mammal Nine Banded Armadillo

Nine Banded Armadillo Became the official small mammal in 1995 The nine banded armadillo doesn’t always have 9 bands, it has 8-10 bands Their armor helps protect them against predators Nine banded armadillos are nocturnal They are solitary animals and live in burrows They are not usually aggressive They eat mostly insects but are not picky eaters and will eat fruit, vegetables and other animals

Flying Mammal Mexican Free Tailed Bat

Mexican Free-Tailed Bat Became the official state flying mammal in 1995 The largest known colony is near San Antonio and has over 20 million bats! They have a wingspan of about a foot Oklahoma also has the Mexican free-tailed bat as their flying mammal Most bat colonies in Texas migrate to warmer climates in the winter except for one right here in Houston! The Waugh Bridge Bat Colony near Buffalo Bayou has about 250,000 bats and they remain there year round. You can go see them every night as they emerge to munch on insects The Waugh Bridge Bat Colony eats about 2.5 tons of insects every night! http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/batpage.html

Image credit: Peter Potrowl

City of Houston Parks and Wildlife http://www. houstontx

Insect Monarch butterfly

Monarch Butterfly The monarch butterfly became the official state insect in 1995 Monarchs migrate to the south but only the 4th generation migrates because the first three die about 6 weeks after emerging from the cocoon The 4th generation lives six to eight months Monarch caterpillars eat milkweed and must have it to survive Once the caterpillar turns into a butterfly it can eat nectar from any flower.

Bird Mockingbird

Mockingbird Became the official state bird in 1927 They can sing up to 200 different songs and can mimic other animals, other birds and man-made sounds, even car alarms They are omnivores and eat worms, berries, seeds or animals They are highly social animals and are often seen playing together. Older mockingbirds often watch over younger ones, even if they are not their own. Mockingbirds are very intelligent and can even remember different humans

Image credit: Manjithkaini

Image credit: Henry Detwiler

Dog Blue Lacy Image credit: TrueBlueLacys

Blue Lacy Became the official state dog breed in 1995 Originated in Texas and is a cross between a coyote, wolf, greyhound and scenthound They are a working dog and were bred for herding hogs There are three different color variations that are acceptable: blue (light silver to charcoal), reds and tricolor They are highly intelligent, easy to train, hard working and alert and they prefer to have a job

Image credit: TrueBlueLacys

Image credit: TrueBlueLacys

Reptile Texas Horned Lizard Image credit: Ben Goodwyn

Texas Horned Lizard Became the official state reptile in 1993 Because their habitat is shrinking they are a threatened species in Texas They are not aggressive Their color allows them to camouflage but they can also puff up so their scales stick out, making them hard to swallow and they can shoot blood from their eye and mouth to confuse predators They eat mostly harvester ants but also eat grasshoppers, termites and beetles

Image credit: Texas Parks and Wildlife

Fish Guadalupe Bass Image credit: Clinton & Charles Robertson from Del Rio, Texas & San Marcos, TX, USA

Guadalupe Bass Became state fish in 1989 They are only found in Texas They live in fast moving streams and rivers They have almost no predators They are fighters so they are fun to catch when fishing They like to eat insects

Image credit: Texas Parks and Wildlife

Dinosaur Paluxysaurus Jonesi

Paluxysaurus Jonesi The official state dinosaur was approved in 1997 but it was misidentified. The name was officially changed in 2007 It weight about twenty tons It was sixty feet long It had a neck about twenty-six feet long

Additional Resources http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Texas/state_s ymbols.html http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/batpage.html http://blog.smu.edu/research/2009/12/10/worl ds-first-skeletal-mount-of-paluxysaurus-jonesi- reveals-new-biology/