~The Natural State~.....IDAHO

[olena]

State Horse

Appaloosa Horse

Breed Description:
The Appaloosa is a breed with a color preference. Coat pattern, white sclera of the eye, striped hooves and mottled skin are the characteristics of the Appaloosa. An Appaloosa, however, may also have a solid coat pattern. To be registered as an Appaloosa, the minimum height requirement at maturity is 14 hands.
Average Height:
15.1 hands
Colors:
Bay, black, brown, buckskin, white, dun, chestnut, grullo, gray, roan, palomino
Conformation:
The conformation of the Appaloosa is typical of the stock horse breeds. However, the Appaloosa may resemble the shorter, more compact Arabian or the longer, leaner Thoroughbred.
Temperament:
Appaloosas are generally very gentle and are suitable for every level of rider. They are intelligent and have trustworthy temperaments, making them the perfect mount for children and novice riders.
Breed History:
The Appaloosa's heritage is as colorful and unique as its coat pattern. Spotted horses on cave drawings have been dated as far back as 20,000 years ago.
It wasn't until the 1600s that horses were first introduced to North America by Spanish explorers. In the early 1700s, several of these horses found their way into the lives of American Indians, specifically the Nez Perce of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The Nez Perce were known for their keen abilities with horses, and began breeding their own stock. The outcome was mounts that were agile, strong, quick and sure-footed, with a bonus feature of distinct coloring. As settlers came to the Northwest Palouse region in Idaho and Washington, they called the spotted horses "Palouse Horses." Over time, the name finally became "Appaloosa."
During the Nez Perce War in 1870, the Appaloosa carried the tribe 1,300 miles over rugged terrain in their flight from the U.S. Cavalry. When they reluctantly surrendered in Montana, their surviving horses were relinquished to soldiers, left behind or dispersed to settlers. Nothing was done to preserve the Appaloosa, and the breed nearly vanished.
However, in 1938 a group of dedicated horsemen formed the Appaloosa Horse Club to preserve and promote the disappearing Appaloosa. The ApHC is the international breed registry for Appaloosa horses. Now more than 650,000 Appaloosas have been registered in the United States and 40 foreign countries.

 

[olena]

State Fish

Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus clarki


Description To 30" (76 cm); 41 lbs (18.6 kg). Elongate, cylindrical or terete, moderately compressed; back dark olive; sides variable: silvery, olive, reddish to yellow-orange; belly lighter; dark spots on back, sides, and on median fins. Mouth extends beyond eye; basibranchial teeth present; bright red to red-orange slash mark on each side of throat, particularly visible in breeding males. 8-11 dorsal fin rays; 9-12 anal fin rays; adipose fin present. Caudal peduncle narrow; caudal fin slightly forked. Lateral line complete, 120-230 scales, usually 150 or more.
Endangered Status Three subspecies of the Cutthroat Trout are on the U.S. Endangered Species List. The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout is classified as threatened in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah. The Paiute Cutthroat Trout is classified as threatened in California. The Greenback Cutthroat Trout is classified as threatened in Colorado. The decline of these subspecies can be attributed to changes in habitat, usually caused by water-management practices but also by livestock grazing and the mining and timber industries; overfishing; and the introduction of non-native fishes which prey upon, compete with, and hybridize with the natives. A newly introduced illness called whirling disease may also develop into a major threat.
Habitat Inshore marine and estuarine waters; lakes; coastal, inland, and alpine streams.
Range From S. Alaska south to N. California; inland from S. British Columbia and Alberta south to New Mexico; E. California east to central Colorado. Introduced in W. United States.
Discussion There are more than 10 subspecies of Cutthroat Trouts, locally called "native trout," which vary in coloration and size. The largest specimen, caught in Pyramid Lake, Nevada, in 1925, weighed 41 lbs (18.6 kg), but this strain is now extinct. Other cutthroats, while rarely exceeding 15" (38 cm), are important in the inland and coastal fishery, and are sought by anglers.

 

[olena]

State Fruit

Black Huckleberry
Vaccinium membranaceum
Square-twig Blueberry

Description 5'. Erect shrub, with shreddy bark.
Leaves 2 1/2", elliptical, thin, fine-toothed; turn red.
Flowers tiny, pinkish, jug-shaped; bloom Apr-June.
Berries 1/2", purple to reddish black; edible, ripe June–Sept.
Habitat Mid-elevation to subalpine meadows, forests, burned areas.
Range Alaska and British Columbia south through the Cascade and Olympic Mountains to California, south to Arizona; east to Ontario and south to Michigan, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Discussion This is an important and nutritious food source for Black and Grizzly Bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, Elk, Moose, and Ruffed Grouse.

 

[olena]

State Insect
Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Description 3 1/2-4" (89-102 mm). Very large, with FW long and drawn out. Above, bright, burnt-orange with black veins and black margins sprinkled with white dots; FW tip broadly black interrupted by larger white and orange spots. Below, paler, duskier orange. 1 black spot appears between HW cell and margin on male above and below. Female darker with black veins smudged.
Similar Species Viceroy smaller, has shorter wings and black line across HW. Queen and Tropic Queen are browner and smaller. Female Mimic has large white patch across black FW tips.
Life Cycle Egg, 3/64" h x 9/256" w(1.2 x 0.9 mm), pale green, ribbed, and pitted, is shaped like lemon with flat base. Caterpillar, to 2" (51 mm), is off-white with black and yellow stripes; 1 pair of fine black filaments extends from front and rear. Chrysalis, to 7/8" (28 mm), pale jade-green, studded with glistening gold; plump, rounded, appears lidded, with lid opening along abdominal suture. Host plants are milkweeds (Asclepias) and dogbane (Apocynum).
Flight Successive broods; April-June migrating northward, July-August resident in North, September-October migrating southward, rest of year in overwintering locales. Year-round resident in S. California and Hawaii.
Habitat On migration, anywhere from alpine summits to cities; when breeding, habitats with milkweeds, especially meadows, weedy fields and watercourses. Overwinters in coastal Monterey pine, Monterey cypress, eucalyptus groves in California, and fir forests in Mexican mountains.
Range Nearly all of North America from south of Hudson Bay through South America; absent from Alaska and Pacific Northwest Coast. Established in the Hawaiian Islands and Australia.
Discussion One of the best known butterflies, the Monarch is the only butterfly that annually migrates both north and south as birds do, on a regular basis. But no single individual makes the entire round-trip journey. In the fall, Monarchs in the North begin to congregate and to move southward. Midwestern and eastern Monarchs continue south all the way to the Sierra Madre of middle Mexico, where they spend the winter among fir forests at high altitudes. Far western and Sierra Nevada Monarchs fly to the central and southern coast of California, where they cluster in groves of pine, cypress, and eucalyptus in Pacific Grove and elsewhere. Winter butterflies are sluggish and do not reproduce; they venture out to take nectar on warm days. In spring they head north, breed along the way, and their offspring return to the starting point. Both Mexican and international efforts are underway to protect the millions of Monarchs that come to Mexico. In California, nearly all of the roosting sites face threatening development.

 

[olena]

State Bird

Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides


Description 7" (18 cm). Male pure sky-blue above, paler blue below, with a white abdomen; female similar, but duller and grayer.
Voice Soft warbling notes.
Habitat Breeds in high mountain meadows with scattered trees and bushes; in winter descends to lower elevations, where it occurs on plains and grasslands.
Nesting 5 or 6 pale blue eggs in a nest of grass and plant fibers built in a natural cavity or bird box.
Range Breeds from southern Alaska, Mackenzie, and Manitoba south to western Nebraska, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. Winters from British Columbia and Montana south through western United States.
Discussion This species has longer wings and a more graceful, swallow-like flight than the Eastern Bluebird. Mountain Bluebirds usually travel in small parties. They frequently hover low over the ground and drop down to catch insects, or dart out from a branch, flycatcher fashion, and then return to another perch.

 

[olena]

State Vegetable

Potato

Did you know that the Indians in Peru were the first people to cultivate the potato over 4000 years ago? The Andean Mountains of South America is the birthplace of the "Irish" white potato. The Symara Indians developed over two hundred varieties at elevations of over 10,000 feet over sea level.
The potato, a name derived from the American Indian word "Batata", was introduced to Europeans by Spanish conquerors during the late 16th Century.
The Spanish claim that Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada was the first to introduce the potato to Europe in the year 1550. The Irish say that it was not until 1585 that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the potato to Europe.
At first, potatoes were not initially accepted by Europeans. Some claimed potatoes were not mentioned in the Bible, while others attributed some common diseases to potatoes.
Potatoes first became popular when Marie Antoinette paraded in France wearing a crown of potato blossoms. In the late 1700's Frederick the Great planted potatoes in his Pleasure Garden in Berlin. He admired the beauty of the potato flowers. King Frederick the Great promoted the eating of potatoes because of its high nutritional value.
Captain Nathaniel Butler, Governor of Bermuda sent a cargo of potatoes to Francis Wyatt, governor of Virginia in 1621. This is the first time potatoes arrived in North America.
In 1770 a crop failure gave a war its name - "The Potato War" when a war between Frederick the Great and Maria Theresa forced soldiers to steal the enemy's potatoes as there was not much more food to eat. When the potatoes were finished, so did the war.
In 1845 and 1846 the potato crop in Ireland was devastated by fungus. The potato had become a major food to the Irish causing the "Irish Potato Famine" which forced many Irish to immigrate. The population of Ireland decreased by nearly two million between 1847 and 1851.
The potato is now a very common food item worldwide. In the United States, potatoes are grown in all 50 states and in about 125 countries worldwide.



Potato Trivia
A potato is about 80% water and 20% solid.
Henry Spalding first planted potatoes in Idaho in 1837
"French Fries" were introduced to America when Thomas Jefferson served them at a Whitehouse dinner.
United States potato lovers consumed more than 4 million tons of French Fries in various shapes and sizes.
Potatoes are a powerful aphrodisiac, says a physician in Ireland.
The average American eats 140 pounds of potatoes per year. Germans eat more than 200 pounds per year.
The largest potato grown was 18 pounds and 4 ounces according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It was grown in England in 1795.
The highest volume baked potato restaurant, The Hot Potato, is located in Plaza las Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

[olena]

State Flower

California Mock Orange
Philadelphus californicus
Wild Mock Orange, Syringa

Description California Mock Orange is a loosely branched, 3-9 ft. shrub with broad, paired leaves and fragrant, white, 2 in. flowers in elongate clusters. Except in flower, the deciduous shrub resembles a lilac bush, and like the lilac, California Mock Orange is not particularly showy out of flower.
Habitat Rocky slopes and canyons; gullies and watercourses.
Range Oregon and California.
Discussion This is a variable species; particularly responsive to local ecological conditions.

 

[olena]

State Tree

White Pine
Pinus strobus


Description The largest northeastern conifer, a magnificent evergreen tree with straight trunk and crown of horizontal branches, 1 row added a year, becoming broad and irregular.
Height: 100' (33 m), formerly 150' (46 m) or more.
Diameter: 3-4' (0.9-1.2 m) or more.
Needles: evergreen; 2 1/2-5" (6-13 cm) long, 5 in bundle; slender; blue-green.
Bark: gray; smooth becoming rough; thick and deeply furrowed into narrow scaly ridges.
Cones: 4-8" (10-20 cm) long; narrowly cylindrical; yellow-brown; long-stalked; cone-scales thin, rounded, flat.
Habitat Well-drained sandy soils; sometimes in pure stands.
Range SE. Manitoba east to Newfoundland, south to N. Georgia, and west to NE. Iowa; a variety in Mexico. From near sea level to 2000' (610 m); in the southern Appalachians to 5000' (1524 m).
Discussion The largest conifer and formerly the most valuable tree of the Northeast, Eastern White Pine is used for construction, millwork, trim, and pulpwood. Younger trees and plantations have replaced the once seemingly inexhaustible lumber supply of virgin forests. The tall straight trunks were prized for ship masts in the colonial period. It is the state tree of Maine, the Pine Tree State; the pine cone and tassel are the state's floral emblem. The seeds were introduced in England (where it is called Weymouth Pine) from Maine in 1605 by Captain George Weymouth of the British Navy.

Previous Natural States
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia


Previous Natural Provinces
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Northwest Territories
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec

 

[Snowwark]

Potatoes are Idaho's state vegetable? Get out....I never would of guessed!!!!!

An aphrodisiac...really? Hmmm....I should serve DH more of them! He could be my spud stud!

The Mountain Bluebird is beautiful......

Thank you very much, Olean!

 

[amid chaos]

Another great post from Olena...such glorious pictures!!!!! With all this great information you could write a book, Olena. thanks again for educating us on places we will likely never have the opportunity to see.

 

[olena]

SPUD STUD!!!!

 

[amid chaos]

Idaho

No, udaho

 

[olena]

Originally posted by amid chaos
Idaho

No, udaho

Hee hee....

Potato as state veggie. That WAS a no-brainer.

 

[amid chaos]

I saw that on a tshirt recently..LOVED it!