State Symbols

State Fish:  Guadalupe Bass

State Small Mammal:  The Armadillo

State Large Mammal:  Longhorn 

State Insect:  Monarch Butterfly

State Reptile:  Horned Lizard

State Flower:  Bluebonnet

State Tree:  Pecan

State Shell:  Lightning Whelk

State Folk Dance:  Square Dance  

State Dish:  Chili

State Grass:  Sideoats Grama

State Song:  "Texas our Texas"

State Gem:  Blue Topaz

State Dinosaur:  Brachiosaur Sauropod, Pleurocoelus

Motto:  "Friendship"

Origin of State Name: The name derives from tejas or teyas, a Spanish rendering of the Caddo word for friends or allies.

Nickname for State:  The Lone Star State.  Its single-star flag dates from its period as an independent republic.

Nickname for residents:  Texans