You already know that “Home Means Nevada,” but how much do we understand our state beyond its official song? Let’s explore the flora and fauna of Nevada with the following look at official state symbols.
🐏 State Animal
The Desert Bighorn Sheep are native to Nevada and go long periods without drinking water, which helps in desert environments. The animals have specialized hooves to scale steep mountain walls, which is basically their superpower. The easiest place to spot them? At Hemenway Park in Boulder City.
🐦 State Bird
The Mountain Bluebird is a common sight in mountain meadows throughout Nevada. It hovers like a hawk when hunting insects, but likes to feast on berries too. The Mountain Bluebird is also the state bird of Idaho. We can share, I suppose.
🐟 State Fish
The colorful Lahontan Cutthroat Trout swims in streams and lakes in Elko, Humboldt, and Nye counties. More than 60% of adult fish die after their first time spawning 😢
- Personally, I would’ve gone with the Devils Hole Pupfish. [Hey Las Vegas ✍️]
💐 State Flower
Sagebrush is found all over Nevada and synonymous with the state’s Wild West identity. Elk and deer nibble on it, but the plant isn’t a popular food due to its bitter taste. Maybe that’s why there’s so much of it around?
🦴 State Fossil
The remote ghost town of Berlin in Central Nevada is home to the largest concentration of fossils recovered for the Ichthyosaur, a large, fish-like, prehistoric reptile. See some of them on display at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.
🌱 State Grass
Indian Ricegrass was used as a food, much like rice, by Native American tribes. It’s also drought resistant, which helped it flourish throughout Nevada.
⛏️ State Metal
No surprise here, it’s silver. Nevada was built on the mining boom of the 1800s. Prospectors came in search of gold, copper, zinc, and more, but there’s a reason we’re the Silver State.
🏜️ State Rock
Whether it’s Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, or another remote slice of natural beauty, dramatic sandstone formations are a defining presence in Nevada’s vast desertscapes.
🌳 State Tree
Well, this one gets confusing. Nevada actually has two state trees. The single-leaf pinyon was given the designation in 1953 due to its aromatic, edible pine cones and prime location in the Spring Mountains. New thoughts (and regret?) set in and the Bristlecone Pine was added as a second state tree in 1987. The species is the oldest living organism on Earth and one of the most intriguing sights at Great Basin National Park near Ely.
