Low tech but high impact! Also saw crescent in shadow of tree leaves pic. Search Query Show Search. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. Available On Air Stations. All Streams. Texas News. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. It's something Texans take pride in and wear as a badge of honor. In either case, Texans have adopted the unusual, armor-plated mammals as the official small mammal of the Lone Star State. The Texas armadillo more formally known as the nine-banded armadillo , belongs to the family Endenta , making it a relative of ant-eaters and sloths.
Originally a native of Mexico, it has gradually expanded its range throughout Texas and into Oklahoma and Louisiana. Its body shell and heavy scales offer protection from the heavy brush and brambles of its usual habitats, but only the three-banded armadillo can completely curl itself into a ball to ward off predators. The peaceful, slow-moving creatures enjoy grubbing for insects. Their wanderings often lead to unfortunate encounters with automobiles. And the rumors are true—besides humans, armadillos are the only animals that can carry leprosy.
To prevent exposure to the disease, handling wild armadillos is not advised. Ever come in contact with an armadillo? While many states claim to have the best barbeque, Texas is the undisputed home of the chicken-fried steak.
The beloved folk dish is prepared by coating a tenderized cutlet of cube steak with seasoned flour and pan-frying it like you would fry chicken. It is always served with white flour gravy. The chicken-fried steak is thought to have its origins with German immigrants to Texas who found a way to make use of a tough cut of meat by preparing it in the manner of a breaded and fried wiener schnitzel. Chicken-fried steak is such a staple of Texas cooking that you may even see traditional chicken cutlets on a menu described as chicken-fried chicken!
Do you hate to love chicken-fried steak? California and New Mexico have distinct versions of dishes derived from Mexican influences, and Texas is no different. Tex-Mex has its roots in the unique Tejano culture.
Tejanos are the descendants of the Spanish and Mexican settlers who lived in Texas before it became an independent republic in The classic Tex-Mex dish is cheese enchiladas covered with chili gravy, served with rice and refried pinto beans. It is distinguished by its abundant use of cumin and chili, flavors first brought to Texas in the s by settlers from the Canary Islands. Tex-Mex is a people's food, not fine dining! As Tex-Mex evolved, it liberally incorporated influences from Anglo and German settlers, including the use of flour tortillas, beef, cheddar and American cheese, and canned tomatoes.
What's your favorite Tex-Mex recipe? Fossils from 21 different dinosaur species have been discovered in Texas. These creatures roamed the earth from million years ago to 65 million years ago, and have been uncovered in the Panhandle, Central Texas, and Big Bend. Weird But True! Party Animals. Try This! Explore More. Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Explore more. Video: 50 Birds, 50 States Barry the bald eagle soars from coast to coast to meet state birds and learn about their homes. Widespread in the wild and popular as a yard tree, the pecan is native to Texas and produces the state's only commercially grown nut.
Millions of pounds of the soft-shelled, sweet-meat nuts are harvested annually for use in pies, candy, and other treats. More than species of the abundant wild cactus grow in Texas, the most of any state.
This multi-purpose cactus became the state plant in Ranchers burn the spines from the pads called nopalitos and use them for cattle feed. Grilled, boiled, and chopped nopalitos are used in Tex-Mex cuisine. The juicy, red, prickly pear fruits are often made into jams and jellies, pies, and wine. Since it is a native cactus and can tolerate drought, prickly pear cacti are regular features of Texas xeriscaping. Seal: Great Seal of the State of Texas In , at the same time as it adopted the Lone Star Flag, the Congress of the Republic of Texas adopted a national seal with a Lone Star surrounded by a wreath of an olive branch and a live oak branch.
Flower: Bluebonnet Edging out suggestions for the cotton boll and the prickly pear cactus, the native bluebonnet Lupinus subcarnosis was named the state flower in Large Mammal: Texas Longhorn The Texas longhorn is a hybrid of Spanish and English cattle and is known for its extremely long horns, tough hooves, and general hardiness.
Sport: Rodeo The Texas rodeo has its roots in the Spanish cattle culture of the s. Dish: Chili Con Carne Chili con carne chili with meat was a trail stew that cowboys made with dried beef and dried chilies. Insect: Monarch Butterfly Texas is home to more butterfly species than any other state—at least
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