Rocky Mountain Columbine
The Rocky Mountain Columbine became the official state flower on April 4, 1899. Edwin James dicovered it in 1820, when he lead the first successful climb of Pike's Peak. The Rocky Mountain Columbine (Columbine Aquilegia caerulea) grows in the rugged Rocky Mountains, and is a lovely flower with rich aroma to attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies to to its nectar. The Latin word aquila means "Eagle" and refers to the claw-like spurs at the base of the flower.
Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly
The Hairstreak butterfly became Colorado's official insect on April 17, 1996. The upper side of the Colorado Hairstreak's wings is dark purple with a broad black or dark border. Each wing has orange spots at the lower outer edge, and each hind wing has a thin hair like tail. The lower side of the wings is pale to dark gray with white and dark markings. It has a wingspan of 3.1-3.8 cm (1.25 to 1.5 in). Most Colorado Hairstreaks are found associated with the Gambel Oak. This tiny, brightly colored butterfly adds a flash of beauty to the Colorado mountainside.
Lark Bunting
The Lark Bunting became the state bird in 1931.This perky little Lark Bunting is native to Colorado's Eastern Grassland. It arrives each year during Springtime and flies south in September. The males have a sectacular mating song of warbles and thrills.
Colorado Blue Spruce
The Colorado Blue Spruce became the official state tree in 1939. The magestic Blue spruce is nameSpd for its silvery blue color. A truly giant specimen can be found in Colorado's Gunnison National Forest. It is more than 126 feet (36 meters)high and measures 5 feet (1.5 meters) around the trunk.
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep became Coloraod's official state animal on May 1, 1961. The male Bighorn stands 3 feet (1 meter) at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 300 pounds (136 kilograms). Its magnificent curving horns make it instantly indentifiable.
Stegosaurus
Colorado state fossil is the plant eating dinosaur, Stegosaurus. The Denver Museum of Nature of Science displays one of the most completed skeletons ever found. The bones of this plate-backed dinosaur were discovered in 1937 by a group of high school students and their teacher during a field trip.
Animals:
Antelope, Beaver, Black Bear, Bobcat, Coyote, Elk, Fox, Jackrabbit, Marmot, Marten, Mountain Goat, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, Pika, Prairie Dog, Skunk, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
Endangered Animals:
Bald Eagle, Bonytail Minnow, Gray Wolf, Greater Sandhill Crane, Greater Prairie Chicken, Green Back Cutthroat Trout, Grizzly Bear, Hump-Back Drub, Lynx, Peregrine Falcon, Piping Plover, Razor-Back Sucker. River Otter, Uncompahgre Fritillary Butterfly, Whooping Crane, Wolverine, Wood Frog
Birds:
Bald Eagle, Blue Bird, Blue Jay, Brown Thrasher, Duck, Grouse, Hermit Thrush, Lark Bunting, Meadowlark, Mountain Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Oriole, Peregrine Falcon, Pheasant, Prairie Chicken, Quail, Rocky Mountain Jay
Fish:
Bass, Blue Gill, Catfish, Crappie, Perch, Salmon, Sunfish, Trout
Major Lakes:
Blue Mesa, Dillon, Granby, Grand, McPhee, Meredith, Pueblo, Shadow Moutain, Summit
Major Rivers:
Animas, Blue, Colorado, Dolores, Gunnison, North Platte, Republican, Rio Grande, San Juan, South Platte, White, Yampa
Trees:
Ash, Aspen, Blue Spruce, Cottenwood, Douglas Fir, Engelmann Spruce, Juniper, Maple, Oak, Pinon, Pine, Ponderosa Pine
Wild Plants:
Buttercup, Cactus, Columbine, Daisy, Forget-Me-Not, Greasewood, Indian Paintbrush, Larkspur, Mountain Lily, Pasque Flower, Prickly Poppy, Orchid, Sagebrush, Violet, Wild Geranium, Wild Iris, Wild Rose, Yucca
Endangered Plants:
Clay-Loving Wild Buckwheat, Dudley Buffs, Blad-Derpod, Dudley Buffs Twinpod, Manco's Milk Vetch, Penland Bearedtongue, Spineless Hedgehog Cactus, Uinta Basin Hookless Cactus
Antelope, Beaver, Black Bear, Bobcat, Coyote, Elk, Fox, Jackrabbit, Marmot, Marten, Mountain Goat, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, Pika, Prairie Dog, Skunk, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
Endangered Animals:
Bald Eagle, Bonytail Minnow, Gray Wolf, Greater Sandhill Crane, Greater Prairie Chicken, Green Back Cutthroat Trout, Grizzly Bear, Hump-Back Drub, Lynx, Peregrine Falcon, Piping Plover, Razor-Back Sucker. River Otter, Uncompahgre Fritillary Butterfly, Whooping Crane, Wolverine, Wood Frog
Birds:
Bald Eagle, Blue Bird, Blue Jay, Brown Thrasher, Duck, Grouse, Hermit Thrush, Lark Bunting, Meadowlark, Mountain Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Oriole, Peregrine Falcon, Pheasant, Prairie Chicken, Quail, Rocky Mountain Jay
Fish:
Bass, Blue Gill, Catfish, Crappie, Perch, Salmon, Sunfish, Trout
Major Lakes:
Blue Mesa, Dillon, Granby, Grand, McPhee, Meredith, Pueblo, Shadow Moutain, Summit
Major Rivers:
Animas, Blue, Colorado, Dolores, Gunnison, North Platte, Republican, Rio Grande, San Juan, South Platte, White, Yampa
Trees:
Ash, Aspen, Blue Spruce, Cottenwood, Douglas Fir, Engelmann Spruce, Juniper, Maple, Oak, Pinon, Pine, Ponderosa Pine
Wild Plants:
Buttercup, Cactus, Columbine, Daisy, Forget-Me-Not, Greasewood, Indian Paintbrush, Larkspur, Mountain Lily, Pasque Flower, Prickly Poppy, Orchid, Sagebrush, Violet, Wild Geranium, Wild Iris, Wild Rose, Yucca
Endangered Plants:
Clay-Loving Wild Buckwheat, Dudley Buffs, Blad-Derpod, Dudley Buffs Twinpod, Manco's Milk Vetch, Penland Bearedtongue, Spineless Hedgehog Cactus, Uinta Basin Hookless Cactus
Colorado Flag
The state flag has three bands running horizontally. The top and bottom bands are blue for blue skies, and the middle band is white for snow. A large red (for the reddish soil) C for Colorado surrounds a golden disc representing the sun.
State Seal
The Colorado state seal has a shield whose top part has three snow-capped mountains with clouds above. The bottom part shows the miners pick and mallet, above is the eye of god inside a pyramid and Roman fasces, a bundle of sticks surrounding an ax, the fasces represents the republican form of government. Below the shield is the state motto written in Latin, "Nothing without providence." The seal was adopted in 1877.
Nickname: Centennial State
Capital: Denver
Motto: Nothing without providence
Bird: Lark Bunting
Animal: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
Reptile: Western Painted Turtle
Fish: Greenback Cutthroat Trout
Insect: Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly
Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine
Tree: Colorado Blue Spruce
Grass: Blue Grama Grass
Gem: Aquamarine
Rock: Yule Marble
Mineral: Rhodochrosite
Fossil: Stegosaurus
Song: Where the Columbines Grow & Rocky Mountain High
Folk Dance: Square Dance
Capital: Denver
Motto: Nothing without providence
Bird: Lark Bunting
Animal: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
Reptile: Western Painted Turtle
Fish: Greenback Cutthroat Trout
Insect: Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly
Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine
Tree: Colorado Blue Spruce
Grass: Blue Grama Grass
Gem: Aquamarine
Rock: Yule Marble
Mineral: Rhodochrosite
Fossil: Stegosaurus
Song: Where the Columbines Grow & Rocky Mountain High
Folk Dance: Square Dance
