Lauren Hard and Jennifer Harlan

Polluted rivers and streams, along with dams and loss of habitat, have significantly reduced the population of eastern hellbenders across the Eastern United States. They’ve been considered for addition to the federal endangered species list. And a 2003 study was redacted like the Mueller report to keep their locations secret from the illegal pet trade. (Yes, there is a demand.)

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s governor signed a law naming the hellbender — which is 2 feet long, nocturnal and also known as the devil dog, Allegheny alligator and lasagna lizard — the state’s official amphibian. Though it might be the one with the most nicknames, the hellbender won’t be the first of its kind to be so honored; at least 20 other states recognize an official amphibian.

A handful of Pennsylvania legislators objected to the hellbender bill, considering it a waste of time. But state Sen. Gene Yaw, who sponsored the law after it was proposed by students who had studied ways to protect Chesapeake Bay, said that the pollution-averse hellbenders were worth recognizing because they were a “natural indicator of clean water.”

“It’s the symbolism that the hellbender carries with it about Pennsylvania’s commitment to clean water,” he said.

Several other states have also honored obscure animals in an effort to spotlight conservation or recognize a contribution they have made to the state’s heritage. Here are some of the most original creatures found on the list.

— Virginia: Big-Eared Bat

Like Pennsylvania, Virginia recognized an animal that was having a tough go of it: The Virginia big-eared bat became the state’s official bat in 2005.

These medium-size, insect-eating bats — distinguished, as their name suggests, by their disproportionately large ears, which are more than 1 inch long — are one of 16 species of bat found in Virginia.

They have been on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s registry of endangered species since 1979. But it hasn’t helped much: Habitat disruption has continued to devastate the population. At the time they became Virginia’s official bat, there were only about 1,000 of them left in the state.

Texas was the only other state that had formally designated a state bat before Virginia’s governor at the time, Mark Warner, signed the bill into law. He accompanied his official action with a limerick-style poem, which read in part:

We have a state dog and a fish and a bird.

And of the fossil I’m sure you have heard.

So why not a bat?

What’s wrong with that?

The state beverage is no more absurd.

— Missouri: American Paddlefish

Also known as the spoonbill, the American paddlefish is Missouri’s official state aquatic animal. It looks like a baby shark and has sometimes been mistaken for one. Paddlefish have been known to reach nearly 200 pounds, but are usually closer to 10 to 15 pounds.

They were once common in most river systems of the central United States, but have since been overfished. They are often sought out because of the value of their eggs, which are referred to as freshwater caviar.

The paddlefish was named Missouri’s official state aquatic animal in 1997, after Rep. Steve Gaw spoke to a group of students from Glasgow Elementary School. (Students often play a big role in the designation of official state animals.) A competing bill was introduced to honor the channel catfish, so a compromise was reached: one state fish, one state aquatic animal.

The same year, Missouri considered a proposal to add a state rodent, the woodchuck, which, according to a newspaper report, “was chucked.”

— Utah: California Gull

Yes, Utah is landlocked. And yes, the scientific name for its official state bird is Larus californicus, or California gull, which means Utah’s state bird is actually named for another state.

But there’s a reason the California gull holds a special place in the hearts of Utah residents. According to accounts, the California gull once rescued crops in Utah that were being eaten by hordes of crickets, back in 1848.

“When it seemed that nothing could stay the devastation, great flocks of gulls appeared, filling the air with their white wings and plaintive cries, and settled down upon the half-ruined fields,” wrote Orson F. Whitney, a journalist and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “All day long they gorged themselves, and when full, disgorged and feasted again, the white gulls upon the black crickets, like hosts of heaven and hell contending, until the pests were vanquished and the people were saved.”

The gull was formally named the state bird in 1955. There is even a monument in Salt Lake City commemorating the “Miracle of the Gulls.”

— New Mexico: Tarantula Hawk

This is another one where the name might deceive you: The tarantula hawk is neither a spider nor a bird. It’s a wasp.

Specifically, it’s a parasitic wasp, armed with a powerful sting (considered one of the most painful in the world). It paralyzes its prey, drags it to its nest with hooked claws, then lays a single egg on the victim, which is then devoured — still alive — by the newly hatched larva.

Once again, it was a group of students — this time sixth graders in Edgewood, New Mexico — who pushed to honor this unusual animal. After learning that other states had adopted official insects, the class asked local entomologists and students at other schools to help decide which species New Mexico should recognize. (The also-rans included the Jerusalem cricket, the black cactus longhorn beetle and the assassin bug.)

There was some opposition to the tarantula hawk — one legislator reportedly sang a verse of “La Cucaracha” to advance his choice, the cockroach — but the parasitic wasp prevailed.

— Oklahoma: Common Collared Lizard

Oklahoma’s state reptile, designated in 1969, can run on its hind legs — making it look, some reference materials note, like a tiny dinosaur chasing down prey. It’s also known as the “mountain boomer” because it was once believed that it could create a sound that echoed through mountain valleys.

But the common collared lizard is most notable for the bright stripes around its neck, which could give the famous Central Park duck a run for its money. Are those racing stripes, perhaps?

This article originally appeared in <a id="c3d30381-ef40-372a-aed2-0a809c16d49a" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/us/pennsylvania-snot-otter-state-animals.html">The New York Times</a>.

Official love for the odd and the unlovely [oriannesociety]

For an animal covered in mucus and nicknamed the “snot otter,” the eastern hellbender salamander is awfully picky about where it will live.

Official love for the odd and the unlovely

We have a state dog and a fish and a bird.

And of the fossil I’m sure you have heard.

The state beverage is no more absurd.

This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/us/pennsylvania-snot-otter-state-animals.html" id="c3d30381-ef40-372a-aed2-0a809c16d49a">The New York Times</a>.

Official Love for the Odd and the Unlovely

They have been on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s registry of endangered species since 1979. But it hasn’t helped much: Habitat disruption and a deadly fungal infection known as white-nose syndrome have continued to devastate the population. At the time they became Virginia’s official bat, there were only about 1,000 of them left in the state.

Pennsylvania Honors the Snot Otter. It's Not Even the Strangest State Animal.

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Lauren Hard and Jennifer Harlan

Articles written by the author

Official love for the odd and the unlovely

Official Love for the Odd and the Unlovely

Pennsylvania Honors the Snot Otter. It's Not Even the Strangest State Animal.