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Resident Guide - About Nevada

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The State Animal is the Desert Bighorn (or Nelson) Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni). It is smaller than is Rocky Mountain cousin but has a wider spread of horns. The bighorn is well-suited for Nevada's mountainous desert country because it can survive for long periods without water. The large rams stand for feet talll and can weigh as much as 175 pounds. | |
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The State Bird is the Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currocoides). It lives in the Nevada high country and destroys many harmful insects. It is a member of the thrush family and its song is a clear, short warble like the caroling of a robin. The male is a true azure blue with a white belly, while the female is brown with a bluish rump, tail and wings. | |
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The State Fish is the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (Salmo clarki henshawi). A native trout found in 14 of the state's 17 counties, it is adapted to habitats ranging | from high mountain creeks and alpine lakes to warm, intermittent lowland streams and alkaline lakes where no other trout can live. |
The State Flower is the Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) which grows abundantly in the deserts of the Western United States. A member of the wormwood family, sagebrush is a branching bush (1 to 12 feet high) grows in regions where other kinds of vegetation cannot subsist. Known for its pleasant aroma, its gray-green twigs, and pale yellow flowers, sagebrush is an important winter food for sheep and cattle. | |

The State Reptile is the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). It is the largest reptile in the Southwestern United States and lives in the extreme southern parts of Nevada. Its hard, dome-shaped shell ranges from tan to black in color. This reptile spends much of its life in underground burrows to escape the harsh summer heat and winter cold. These desert tortoise can live to be more than 70 years old. | |
The State Metal is silver, thus our nickname of "Silver State". Our State Colors are silver and blue to compliment that nickname. We've also been called the Sagebrush state and the Battle-Born State. |
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