H.C.R. No. 178
                              HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, The State of Texas traditionally has recognized a
    1-2  variety of official state symbols as tangible representations of
    1-3  the proud spirit and heritage of our state; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the pecan tree, the Guadalupe bass,
    1-5  and the lightning whelk are examples of some natural specimens that
    1-6  serve to symbolize the great diversity of the Texas landscape,
    1-7  while the state dish, chili, fittingly represents another aspect of
    1-8  our shared culture as Texans; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of an
   1-10  Official State Mammal of Texas has been the subject of an extensive
   1-11  statewide mock election participated in by hundreds of elementary
   1-12  schoolchildren throughout our state; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, The two front-runners in this race have been the
   1-14  armadillo and the longhorn; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, Once the cornerstone of the Texas cattle industry,
   1-16  an estimated 10 million longhorns were herded from Texas to
   1-17  midwestern and western markets during the quarter century that
   1-18  followed the Civil War, providing invaluable stability to the
   1-19  state's postwar economy; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, The longhorn's distinctive profile commands an
   1-21  immediate association with the State of Texas nationwide and is
   1-22  fittingly used as a visual symbol by businesses from the Rio Grande
   1-23  Valley to the Panhandle; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, The other candidate for designation as Official
    2-2  State Mammal, the armadillo, is a hardy, pioneering creature that
    2-3  chose to begin migrating here at about the time that Texas became a
    2-4  state; and
    2-5        WHEREAS, The armadillo possesses many remarkable and unique
    2-6  traits, some of which parallel the attributes that distinguish a
    2-7  true Texan, such as a deep respect and need for the land, the
    2-8  ability to change and adapt, and a fierce undying love for freedom;
    2-9  and
   2-10        WHEREAS, As proud and indomitable as the state from which
   2-11  they hail, both the longhorn and the armadillo will serve as
   2-12  fitting symbols of Texas' unique heritage; now, therefore, be it
   2-13        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   2-14  hereby designate the longhorn the official Large State Mammal of
   2-15  Texas and the armadillo the official Small State Mammal of Texas.