These Five Are The State's Representatives

These Five Are The State's Representatives

Though it's thought of as a desert state, Arizona has a surprisingly wide variety of climates that support a wide variety of wildlife from rodents to reptiles, birds and large predators be they common and familiar or the rarest and the strange. Here is information about some of the animals in Arizona.

Official State Bird

Arizona's state bird is the cactus wren. This bird is only found in the deserts of the southwest and upper Mexico. It's the United States' largest wren at 7 to 7.5 inches long. Its plumage is rather a drab brown with white and black patterning, and it has a song like a car engine that won't turn over. It gets its name because it is perfectly at home among the prickles of saguaro and cholla plants.

Official State Amphibian

The state amphibian is the Arizona tree frog, also called wright's mountain tree frog. Pale olive green with a paler ventral area, it can be found in the marshes and around the rivers of Arizona.

Official State Butterfly

Arizona's state butterfly is the two-tailed swallowtail butterfly. This gorgeous insect has pale Naples yellow wings with black tiger stripes, delicate tails, blue patches, and orange eyespots on the hindwings.

Official State Fish

The official state fish is the Apache trout. This golden trout lives only in the streams and lakes of White Mountain. Though other species of trout have been introduced into Arizona, the Apache is one of only two that is actually native to the state. A popular gamefish, it can grow to 20 inches long but is usually much smaller.

Official State Reptile

Arizona's state reptile is the Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake. Found in the "sky island" just where Arizona meets Mexico, this is a small rattlesnake that grows to only 1 to 2 feet in length. It gets its name from the ridged scales along its nose.

Much of Arizona's wildlife can be found in its state parks and trails. The state parks include Catalina, Cattail Cove, Lyman Lake, Lost Dutchman, Patagonia Lake, Lake Havasu, the San Rafael State Natural Area, Tonto Natural Bridge, and the Verde River. These parks are found mostly in the central, southern, and western areas of the state.