Louisiana Symbols
STATE SEAL
Louisiana's first territorial governor, William C.C. Claiborne had great admiration for the
awkward bird that inhabited the Gulf Coast region. The pelican, rather than let its young starve,
would tear at its own flesh to feed them. The Governor's great respect for the Pelican led him to
first use the bird on official documents. Many different versions of the present seal, including
one with as many as twelve chicks in the nest, were utilized. Pelicans rarely have more than
three chicks in the nest at any time, and it was a version with three chicks that was officially
designed on April 30, 1902 as the official state seal.
STATE INSECT
The honeybee is the official Louisiana state insect. Honey has been collected in Louisiana since
before it became a state in 1812. In the 19th century, some of Louisiana's big plantations
produced thousands of pounds of honey each year. Today, not only are thousands of pounds of
honey collected every year in Louisiana, but queen bees bred in Louisiana are sent all over the
United States to raise bee colonies.
STATE BIRD
Louisiana's state bird is the Eastern Brown Pelican. The lower portion of the pelican's large bill
is a pouch that can be greatly extended. Pelicans eat fish, catching them by scooping up salt
water with their pouch. The average one-month-old pelican eats about five pounds of fish a day!
The pelican is featured on Louisiana's flag and state seal, and one of Louisiana's nicknames is
"The Pelican State."
STATE DOG
The Catahoula Leopard Dog, often called the Catahoula Hound, is the official state dog. It is the
only breed of dog native to Louisiana and is a cross between a breed of domestic dogs raised
by the Indians of the Catahoula Lake region and the Spanish "war dog" that came to Louisiana in
the 16th century. The Catahoula Leopard Dog has a spotted coat and webbed feet and makes an
excellent pet, guard dog and hunting dog.
STATE TREE
About half of Louisiana is covered with timber of various kinds. The bald cypress, the Louisiana
state tree, is a beautiful hardwood that grows all over the state, especially in swampy areas.
Many
houses and building built of cypress over a hundred years ago still stand today in Louisiana, and
are almost as good as new.
STATE FLOWER
The state flower of Louisiana is the magnolia. In the summer, the state's thousands of magnolia
flowers have an especially rich fragrance. The blooms are very large and creamy white. The
magnolia tree is an evergreen.