Over the years, the Montana Legislature has designated five different animal species as the official animal, bird, butterfly, fish, and dinosaur. The widely recognized western meadowlark and grizzly bear have been adopted in 1931 and 1983, respectively. Of even greater interest are the remaining three species.
In the 1970s, well-recognized television producer and news broadcaster Norma Ashby, desires to designate a special species as the official state fish. The Montana native promotes the adoption of the blackspotted cutthroat trout, which is approved by the Montana Legislature in 1977.
In the Montana territory, the blackspotted cutthroat trout is highlighted in the journal writings of William Clark, who is part of the infamous Corps of Discovery led by Clark and Meriwether Lewis. This trout is well-noted for its tenacious attitude when fighting hard against an angler’s hook.
Montana’s official state fossil is approved in 1985, the duck-billed dinosaur. The species is referred to as the maiasaura dinosaur, the “good mother” dinosaur.
In the foothills of the Rocky Mountain front, near the community of Choteau, major scientific findings are recognized in 1978. Marion Brandvold makes a discovery near her home of Bynum. The entire area has been designated “Egg Mountain” because of entire nests of fossilized eggshells, baby and juvenile dinosaurs.
Brandvold shares her findings with the famous paleontologist, Jack Horner, from the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University. His further studies later find evidence that some dinosaurs lived in colonies.
Approved by the Montana Legislature in 2001, the mourning cloak butterfly becomes the official state butterfly. A major trademark of the butterfly is its dark, velvety wings. These wings absorb the warmth of the sun.
The mourning cloak butterfly has been observed as one of spring’s earliest arriving butterflies. Sometimes they have emerged before the last of the winter snow has melted. Their wingspans have reached nearly four inches.
Big Sky Buckeye 