Tennessee State Mammal
Common Raccoon (common name) Procyon lotor (scientific name) Overview A medium-sized mammal native to North America, the raccoon is a curious and intelligent woodland creature. It was once hunted aggressively for its valuable water-repellent fur. The coonskin cap worn by Davy Crockett, one of Tennessee's greatest legends, associated the animal with the state and was one of the reasons the raccoon was named the state’s official wild animal in 1971. The raccoon is often referred to as a "masked bandit"—its mischievous behavior includes nighttime raids on trashcans. It is also reported to often carry the rabies virus and transmit it through its saliva. Close-up STATUS Official State Wild Animal ALSO KNOWN AS North American raccoon, northern raccoon, "coon" (colloquial) PHYSICAL DETAILS The raccoon has a stocky, heavily furred body with short legs; hand-like forepaws; small, rounded ears; and a bushy, ringed tail. Its pointed face has a band of black hair around the eyes, which looks like a mask. Its fur is a grizzled gray color or sometimes black with silver tips. Its belly and muzzle are lighter colored while the feet are darker gray. The long tail is used to balance itself when climbing and to brace itself when sitting up. Males are usually 15 to 20 percent heavier than females.    Males Females Size Total length: 30-38 in (76-96 cm) long, including the tail; body 16-21 in (40-53 cm) long; tail 8-16 (20-40 cm) long Height: The shoulder height is between 9.0–12.0 in (22.8–30.4 cm) Total length: 30-38 in (76-96 cm) long, including the tail; body 16-21 in (40-53 cm) long; tail 8-16 (20-40 cm) long Height: The shoulder height is between 9.0–12.0 in (22.8–30.4 cm) Weight 12 to 25 lbs (5.4 to 11.3 kg) 12 to 25 lbs (5.4 to 11.3 kg) LIFESPAN The average life expectancy of a raccoon is about 2-3 years in the wild. In captivity, they have been known to live past 20 years. HABITAT The raccoon’s original habitats are deciduous and mixed forests where it lives in caves, tree hollows, and ground burrows. It prefers brushy or wooded areas near bodies of water like streams, lakes, or swamps. They can live close to developed areas if sufficient food, water, and cover are available. In urban areas they are found in attics, chimney flues, and culverts under roadways. Range: Found in most of the United States except for parts of the Rocky Mountains, central Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. It is also found in southern Canada and from Mexico to northern South America. Conservation: Least concern. The raccoon population steeply declined in the 1800s due to over-hunting, but it has made a strong comeback. BEHAVIOR The raccoon is primarily nocturnal. In the winter it may sleep in its den for a few weeks but does not hibernate. It is a good climber and swimmer, and while it usually walks, it can run at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour (24 kph). It can stand on its hind legs to examine objects with its front paws and makes a variety of vocalizations including hisses, whistles, screams, growls, and snarls. It can cool its body by sweating and panting. The male adult is unsociable with other raccoons except during the mating season. Unrelated males will sometimes form a loose group to keep outside males away. Related females are more sociable. Breeding occurs mostly between the months of January and March. The male raccoon will mate with more than one female and will have no part in raising the young. DIET Highly omnivorous and opportunistic with a diet of about 40 percent invertebrates (crayfish, shellfish, insects), 33 percent plant foods (fruits and nuts), and 27 percent vertebrates (fish, small rodents, frogs). Also eats bird eggs, carrion, and human garbage. OFFSPRING Breeding interval: Annual Birthing period: 60-73 days Average litter size: 3 to 4 Size at birth: 3.7 in (9.5 cm) TRIVIA Its genus name, Procyon, can be translated as either "before the dog" or "dog-like." The raccoon is the largest creature in the genus. Its species name, lotor, means "washer" and refers to the fact that the animal appears to wash its food if water is close. The word "raccoon" is derived from the Algonquin wordaroughcoune, which means "he who scratches with his hands." The raccoon’s nimble fingers can turn doorknobs and open refrigerators almost as easily as a monkey’s.
	Click to enlarge an image Raccoon Female Raccoon with Her Babies Juvenile Raccoon CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae Genus: Procyon Species: P. lotor
	Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press

Tennessee State Mammal
Tennessee Walking Horse (common name) Equus ferus caballus (scientific name) Overview The Tennessee walking horse was developed on Southern plantations to provide landowners a horse that is comfortable to ride for long periods of time. This horse was developed from thoroughbreds, Morgans, Narragansett pacers, standardbreds, American saddlebreds, and Canadian pacers. The Tennessee walking horse is known for three distinct gaits: its slow walk, its smooth running walk, and its relaxed, rhythmic canter. This breed is also prized for being well-mannered, intelligent, dependable, and gentle. The Tennessee walking horse was designated the official state horse of Tennessee in 2000. Close-up STATUS Official State Horse ALSO KNOWN AS Tennessee walker, plantation walker PHYSICAL DETAILS This breed occurs in spotted patterns, as well as a variety of colors including brown, black, bay, chestnut, palomino, roan, white, and gray. A Tennessee walking horse may also be marked with white on its face, legs, or body. This horse has a long, graceful neck and well-built hindquarters. Its legs are slender but strong. The horse’s head is handsome with prominent nostrils and well-shaped ears. The mane and tail of this breed are normally left long. Size: Adults are generally 15 to 16 hands (61–64 inches/154–163 cm) high. Weight: Adults are normally 900 to 1,200 pounds (410 to 545 kg). LIFESPAN 25–30 years HABITAT The Tennessee walking horse was developed on plantations of middle Tennessee. It now lives all over the United States, where it is the second fastest-growing breed. There are currently more than 430,000 registered Tennessee walking horses throughout the world. BEHAVIOR A horse’s behavior—including when and where it breeds, what it eats, where it lives, and many of its regular activities—is closely controlled by humans. The Tennessee walking horse is known for its smooth, comfortable gait and its ability to travel for long distances and long periods of time without tiring or causing fatigue to its rider. The Tennessee walking horse is born with this gait, and this cannot be trained in other breeds. In the breed’s early days, this trait made the horse popular with landowners, traveling preachers, country doctors, and others who had to spend long periods of time on horseback. Today, this breed makes a popular trail and pleasure horse. It is also a show horse, competing in English, western, and modern classes, as well as competitive trail riding. It is comfortable for riders of all ages and abilities, making it a breed of choice for older riders, younger riders, and therapeutic riding programs. DIET Most horses only need quality forage, water, and a salt or mineral block. Grain or other concentrates are often not necessary. Horses prefer to eat small amounts of food steadily throughout the day, as they do in nature when grazing on pasture. An adult horse can eat up to 25 pounds (11 kg) of dry feed daily. OFFSPRING Breeding interval: Yearly Birthing period: 335–340 days Average litter size: 1 foal Foal height: At the withers, a foal has 60 percent of its mature height at birth. TRIVIA The only museum in the world dedicated to this well-known breed is the Tennessee Walking Horse Museum in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Founded in 1935, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association has registered over 300,000 horses in the organization’s history. The association currently has over 20,000 members. The largest Tennessee walker show in the world is the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, held in Shelbyville, Tennessee. This contest takes place for 10 days each year, and has been picking the best of the breed since 1939. The Walking Horse Owners Association was formed in 1976 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. With over 5,000 members, the organization sponsors shows, offers youth activities, and promotes the breed.
	Click to enlarge an image Tennessee Walking Horse CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Equidae Genus: Equus Species: E. ferus Subspecies: E. f. caballus
	Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press