Every state has an official mammal to represent them, and Georgia is lucky enough to have two! One of them, okay, yes, we can see but the other shocked us!
What is Georgia’s official state animal?
The white-tailed deer and the right whale!
And next question, of course… what is a right whale?
According to NOAA Fisheries, “The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species.” This adorable little (absolutely huge) guy are born at a whopping 14 feet long and can grow up to 52 feet long. They’re known for a stocky appearance, with black bodies and ‘callosities’ or knobby-looking rough white skin on their heads.
NOAA Fisheries says, unfortunately, “There are approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females.”
Learn more about our state animal, the right whale, at NOAA’s website here!
And don’t worry, we’ve got some love for the white-tailed deer too!
The white tailed deer is probably what you think of when you close your eyes and picture a deer–light brown body, little white tail (of course), and antlers during some parts of the season. Their adorable little babies are small with white spots on their coat.
Georgia is happy to have both of our mammal friends representing us out in the wild!
There are lots of symbols for each state that we wouldn’t even think about! Georgia has tons of official representation. Here’s a list of just some of our official state symbols!
- Amphibian: Green Tree Frog
- Bird: Brown Thrasher
- Butterfly: Tiger Swallowtail
- Fish: Largemouth Bass
- Flower: Cherokee Rose
- Fruit: Peach
- Insect: Honeybee
- Tree: Live Oak
- Vegetable: Vidalia Sweet Onion
- Wildflower: Azalea
**Source: Georgia Capitol Museum
Do you think our symbols are fitting? Let us know on Instagram @secret_atlanta!