The Squirrel Is a Symbol of Which State? 
Did you know that the squirrel is a symbol of which state? There are actually four different animals that are considered a symbol of each state, and we’ll discuss them all in this article. Learn about the Gray squirrel, Coyote, Black bear, and Ladybug. After reading this article, you’ll be able to answer this question for yourself! So, which animal is your favorite?
Gray squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a common tree-dwelling rodent. It can live in many different habitats, but requires a predictable abundance of food. They eat the mast of forest trees, which provides essential calorie content for over-wintering fat. The mast is stored and eaten during the long winter. They also burrow large amounts of mast in communal cache zones within forest ecosystems. This is the reason the gray squirrel is one of the state’s most iconic symbols.
North Carolina’s state animal is the gray squirrel. Though it is not native to the state, it is widely distributed throughout the region. North Carolina is home to more than a million gray squirrels, and its range extends from Florida to southern Canada and the Great Plains. While their diet consists mostly of nuts and seeds, they also eat trees’ bark and buds, and even insects and fungi. Gray squirrels also practice “scatter-hoarding” nuts in various locations to provide a cache of food for the winter months and to ensure ongoing reforestation of the forest.
Black bear
In 1954, the Division of Natural Resources conducted a poll to determine the state mammal. Teachers and students selected the black bear as the state animal symbol. The legislature officially designated the animal as the state animal in 1973. Today, you can see black bears in most counties in West Virginia. Another state with a symbol that’s symbolic of the state is Wisconsin, whose official mammal is the badger.
The gray squirrel is the state mammal of North Carolina. It contributes to reforestation efforts by burying nuts in several locations. In North Carolina, however, a bill was passed May 11 to replace the gray squirrel with a black bear. It was sponsored by Rep. Bobby Hanig of Powells Point and Rep. Jason Saine of Lincolnton. Despite the controversy surrounding this proposed change, many people support it.
Lady bug
The lady bug, or lady beetle, is a familiar insect in many parts of the U.S. These small insects are generally beneficial predators that feed on small pest insects, making them useful in agricultural and garden settings. However, not all states have embraced the ladybug as their official insect. Here are some examples of states that adopted the ladybug as their state insect. Listed below are the official state insects of Massachusetts, Tennessee, and New Hampshire.
In 1974, the Delaware legislature adopted a ladybug as its official insect. A committee was formed to discuss the bill and decide what to tell legislators when they vote. The committee recommended that the bill be adopted. On April 6, 1974, the Delaware Senate unanimously passed HB 259. The bill was then sent to the governor, Meldrim Thomson, Jr., and became law on June 14.
Coyote
Coyotes are the state animal of South Dakota. South Dakota adopted the coyote as its official animal in 1949, after a state legislator recommended the bull. The word coyote comes from Spanish and can be traced back to around 1759. Coyotes are widespread across North America, including South Dakota. The coyote has many nicknames, including “trickster” and “deceiver.” A story about a coyote on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota has a similarity to a state animal.
Historically, coyotes were associated with the ancient Egyptians, who buried their dead in shallow graves and allowed coyotes to eat their corpses. One Egyptian legend describes the coyote as bringing baby Horus from the grave to the gods. The coyote then passed the baby over water and burned Horus’ back. This myth is also associated with the kung people, who believe that the coyote gained its sign from eating the dead.
Common raccoon
The common raccoon is a native mammal of the Americas. Its gray body, whitish breast, and black wings have distinctive white stripes. Its habitats range from rural to urban areas. Other state animals include the red-tailed hawk, one of the largest hawks in North America. The northern mockingbird, once rare in the wild, is now found in many cities and cultivated areas.
The raccoon’s scientific name is Procyon lotor, and its nickname is “bandit.” But it also goes by many other names, including mosomedve in Hungarian, vaskebjorn in Danish, and tvattbjorn in Sweden. Other names include araiguma in Japanese, Wan Xiong in Chinese, and mieshta mechka in Bulgaria.
White-tailed deer
There are several different kinds of white-tailed deer, and they can be found in many parts of North America, including the mountains, tropical pine forests, swamp-lands, and deserts. The average adult White-tailed deer weighs approximately 150 pounds, and it can grow to seven feet long. While these deer tend to remain close together until they are ready to breed, they will often separate afterward in order to compete for mate rights.
In 1957, the White-tailed deer was designated as the state animal of Wisconsin. The name is derived from Greek words, “odocoileus,” which refers to depressions in the deer’s molar teeth. Today, the white-tailed deer is recognized as the official animal of 10 states. Besides being beautiful, deer also have other great attributes, including the ability to swim more than thirteen miles per hour and run faster than forty miles per hour.
What is the state symbol of the squirrel?
Pennsylvania
What animal is the state symbol of Maryland?
The chicken
What is the state symbol of the beaver?
Canada
What is the state symbol of the bison?
Wyoming
What is the state symbol of the elk?
Colorado
What is the state symbol of the quail?
California
What is the state symbol of the wild turkey?
Kentucky
What is the state symbol of the white-tailed deer?
Wisconsin
What is the state symbol of the grizzly bear?
California
What is the state symbol of the black bear?
New Jersey
What is the state symbol of the moose?
Maine
What is the state symbol of the bald eagle?
our national bird
What is the state symbol of the American Goldfinch?
Minnesota
What is the state symbol of the western Meadowlark?
Montana
What is the state symbol of the mourning dove?
North Carolina
Jessica Watson is a PHD holder from the University of Washington. She studied behavior and interaction between squirrels and has presented her research in several wildlife conferences including TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg.
