Why These Animals? A Legislative Look at Animals

Note: Symbol Selection was limited to Mammals or Insects State Animal Method(Year) NA - Not Available Alabama Horse NA(1959) Alaska Moose Legislature(1998) Arizona Ringtail cat Student vote(1986) Arkansas White-tailed deer NA(1993) California Grizzly bear Legislature(1953) Colorado Bighorn sheep Legislature(1961) Connecticut sperm whale Legislature(1975) Delaware Ladybug .Legislature(1974) by children's request Florida Florida panther Student Vote (1982) Georgia right whale Legislature (1985) Hawaii humpback whale Legislature(1979) Idaho Horse .Legislature(1975) Illinois white-tailed deer Schoolchildren vote(1980) Legislature(1982) Indiana . Iowa . Kansas American buffalo Legislature(1955) Kentucky gray squirrel Legislature(1968) Louisiana Louisiana black bear Legislature (1992)  Maine Moose NA(1979) Maryland Chesapeake Bay Retriever .Legislature(1964) Massachusetts right whale 1980 Michigan white-tailed deer Legislature(1997) Minnesota . Mississippi white-tailed deer & bottle-nosed dolphin 1974 & 1974 Missouri Missouri Mule Legislature(1999). Montana grizzly bear Legislation as preferred  by school children(1983) Nebraska white-tailed deer 1981 Nevada desert bighorn sheep Legislature(1973) New Hampshire white-tailed deer Legislature(1983) New Jersey Horse Legislature (1977) New Mexico black bear Legislature(1963) New York beaver 1975 North Carolina gray squirrel Legislature(1969) North Dakota Richardson's Ground Squirrel unofficial. Ohio white-tailed deer 1963 Oklahoma Bison   Oregon Beaver Legislature(1969) Pennsylvania white-tailed deer 1959 Rhode Island . South Carolina white-tailed deer 1972 South Dakota coyote 1949 Tennessee raccoon   Texas Long-horn, armadillo & Mexican free-tailed bat Legislature(1995) Utah elk 1971 Vermont Morgan Horse Legislature(1961) Virginia Washington Green Darner Dragonfly Legislature(1997) , initiated by children West Virginia Black bear Students, teachers  & sportsman(1955) Legislature(1973) Wisconsin badger & white-tailed deer Legislature(1957),  initiated by children Wyoming bison 1985 Map of Official State Websites