Do You Know Florida's Official State Symbols?

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Do you know Florida's official state symbols?

Each state in America boasts its own culture, history, and natural beauty. To represent such diversity, people from these states have chosen their own set of symbols and customs. Specific flags, songs, mottos, flowers, and even fruits commemorate the uniqueness of individual states. Some of these symbols border on the bizarre: Texas, for example, has made the Dutch oven its official state cooking pot. Other symbols are more universal, like state birds.

Many people remember learning about their states' history back in elementary school. But can you still remember your state bird? How about your state flower? To test your state knowledge, Stacker compiled a list of symbols in Florida.

Clue: Florida state fish

Clue (freshwater): Known for the deep notch in its dorsal, this occasionally cannibalistic predator can grow to weigh 15 pounds. It's so revered in the region that three other Deep South states have also named it their official state fish.

Clue (saltwater): The fastest fish in the world, these creatures can reach 68 mph. As members of the billfish family, their upper jaws come out far past their lower jaws to make a spear that's handy when fishing for squid, octopus, anchovies, and sardines.

Answer: Florida state fish

Answers: Largemouth bass (freshwater), Atlantic sailfish (saltwater)

Clue: Florida state mammal

Florida has three official mammals. Two are aquatic, while the state also recognizes a large land carnivore. It’s an endangered subspecies of a more widely distributed North American animal—once found throughout the southeast, only about 100 still remain in the wilds of Florida.

Answer: Florida state mammal

- State mammals: Florida panther, manatee, porpoise or dolphin

Clue: Florida state song

Officially designated in 1935, Florida’s official state song replaced “Florida, Florida,” which had been the state song since 1915. Its parenthetical title is a bastardization of the name “Suwannee River,” which runs through the state. In 2008, under pressure to change the song yet again, officials compromised by adding a state anthem based on a plentiful grass that grows in the Everglades and other marshlands.

Answer: Florida state song

- Answer:
--- State song: "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)"
--- Anthem: "Florida (Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky)"

Clue: Florida state insect

This species is known for its strong social bonds: adults huddle together at night in groups up to 60 to protect themselves from predators, returning to the same community each night. Additionally, during mating, males deposit spermatophore on females, one goal of which is to protect the female and future offspring from predators.

Answer: Florida state insect

- State butterfly: Zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonius)

Clue: Florida state tree

Florida is one of only two states with a state tree in the palm family. And the 1953 Florida legislature didn’t pick just any palm—they picked the most widely sold palm in the state, which has had uses ranging from a stewed cabbage-like dish made by the Seminole Tribe to hangers for American soldiers hoping to keep snakes out of their boots.

Answer: Florida state tree

Answer: Sabal palm (Sabal palmetto)

Clue: Florida state bird

A loquacious songbird represents this state, though it’s not entirely clear why they didn’t go with a more flashy flamingo instead. This is the third most popular state bird, coming in behind the Northern cardinal and Western meadowlark.

Answer: Florida state bird

Answer: Northern mockingbird

Clue: Florida state flower

Florida's official state flower recalls the familiar imagery of sunshine and oranges usually associated with the state. The arrival of this flower every year is cause for celebration, with a three-day rodeo and a large music event celebrating the agricultural history of the state. Millions of these flowers spread their aroma throughout central and southern Florida as they blossom.