5 Amazing Animals That Montana Call Their Own

Montana has no shortage of amazing wildlife that we share the land with, big, medium, small, and even prehistoric they either have or had an important role in our ecosystem and help sustain life in our great state,

Out of all the animals here, Montana has picked five(5) animals that we call our own officially. Some swim, some fly, some dominate all terrain and one even lived before humans. The website a-zanimals.com have the official animals of the state of Montana.

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The Grizzly Bear.

According to a-zanimals.com, The Grizzly Bear was voted in as the official state animal of Montana. 425 schools across the state had multiple elections to choose Montana’s state animal, complete with campaigns, posters, and even speeches. The furry animal is also the face of The university of Montana.

via GIPHY

The Western Meadowlark

According to A-Z Animals, this beautiful bird was crowned the official state Bird in 1931. They love brush and fields and they have very unique nests. According to Wikipedia, other states such as Kansas, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon and Wyoming share it as the state bird.

The Black-Spotted Cutthroat Trout

This fish makes the top of the list of many types of fish that occupy these waters. According to A-Z-Animals, the cutthroat trout is a symbol of the resilience and toughness of Montana life. The Black-Spotted Cutthroat Trout received it's title of state fish in 1977.

The Mourning Cloak Butterfly

The Mourning Cloak butterfly according to Wikipedia, is normally a butterfly that is found in the Northwest as well as Eurasia. I goes by many names depending where you are in the world, but its scientific name is Nymphalis antiopa. It seems like it made it's way around the world due to human migration, its wing color resembles the color of a cloak one would wear to a funeral.  It became the official state butterfly for Montana in 2001.

The Duck-Billed Dinosaur

The Duck-Billed Dionsaur or Maiasaura peeblesorum was declared the official state fossil in 1985 after it was found on Egg Mountain in 1978. According to A-Z-Animals, scientists discovered something special in it's fossil record. It was evident that this dinosaur lived in colonies and the mother took care of their young. The fossils found at Egg Mountain tell the scientists that baby duck-billed dinosaurs were similar to baby birds.