August 2022 – Discover-Nature

Illinois State Symbols

State use symbols to represent the ideas and objects that are important to the heritage and culture of the people living in each state. Symbols are chosen through a process involving citizens and the government. A person or group does research to describe each symbol and its importance to our state. A bill is created and proposed to the state’s General Assembly, who officially approves it and adds it to state records.

States have a variety of symbols. Massachusetts has the most with 44, and Iowa has the least with only eight. Illinois has 30 symbols, and over the next two blogs, we will explore the 17 that honor the wonders of nature across our state. Many of the Illinois symbols are used by other states signifying their importance across the nation, but at least one is unique to Illinois.

Central Illinois Prairie by Ron Frazier, Jun 2017

Illinois’, known for its tallgrass habitat, is nicknamed is The Prairie State. The land is able to support a great variety of plants in large part due to the richness of the soil. Drummer Silty Clay Loam, first identified in Ford County in 1929, was declared the state soil in 2001. Topsoil across the state is about 16″ deep mainly due to the action of prairie plant roots in breaking down rock and mineral into soil.

Fluorite-galena in Dolostone, Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, by Jsames st. John, Mar 2018

Fluorite-sphalerite near Cave-In-Rock, Illinois by James St. John, May 2017

Rocks and minerals found in our soils are also important. The State Rock, Dolostone, composed of calcium, magnesium, carbon, and oxygen, is found throughout the state. It is mined in northwest Illinois and used in road construction, as erosion barriers on shoreline slopes, and to provide nutrients in fertilizers. The State Mineral is Fluorite, a clear and soft substance that easily melts. It is used in making aluminum, iron , and metal alloys.

Tully Monster, Tullimonstrum gregarium, by James St John, Apr 2019

The State Fossil is the Tully Monster, Tullimonstrum gregarium, first discovered in 1958 by Francis Tully. It had a sleek, tapered body about 12″ long with large fins, and swam in the tropical oceans that covered Illinois during the Pennsylvanian period about 300 million years ago. No other fossils have ever been found outside of Illinois.

Illinois corn, downtown Bloomingdale farmers market, by Gemma Billings, Jul 2010

Agriculture is important to Illinois, generating more than 19 billion dollars annually. Corn is the State Grain, and accounts for more than half of that total. The State Fruit, Gold-rush Apple, was developed in University of Illinois laboratories to grow in habitats across the state. Apple trees generally bear fruit in 5-8 years, but gold-rush apple trees produce fruit after only three years. The fruit becomes ripe very late in autumn, providing a retail source of fresh, crisp fruit long after other fruit sources are finished for the season.

Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, by DonArnold; White oak, Quercus alba, by melystu, May 2012; Violets, viola spp. By Samantha Forsburg, May 2009; Big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii by Matt Lavin, Sep 2009

Grasses, flowers, and trees from prairie and woodland habitats are also important. The State Prairie Grass is Big Bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, growing to over 8′ tall with roots extending 5′ to 8′ underground. Nicknamed turkey’s foot for the purplish flowers that appear in groups of three, the grass turns a brilliant bronze in the fall. The State Flower is the Violet, Viola spp., blooming in spring in a variety of colors and habitats. Violets are high in vitamin A and have more vitamin C per ounce than oranges, providing food for many wildlife species including small mammals and birds. The State Wildflower is Milkweed, Asclepias spp., with 24 species native to Illinois. They are a vital source of nectar to feed the pollinators in summer and fall across the state. Our State Tree, the White Oak, Quercus alba, grows best on upland slopes and lives an average of 350-400 years. Settlers fed white-oak acorns to pigs and used its wood to build homes. Oaks support deer, wild turkey, songbirds, insects, squirrels and a host of other wildlife.

Penicillium rubens by Houbraken, J., Frisvad, J.C. & Samson, R.A,

National Center of Agricultural Utilization, Peoria, IL by United States Department of Agriculture

The State Microbe is Penicillium rubens, a mold fungus often found indoors in areas of high humidity. It exhibits a velvety blue or blue-green surface. This symbol was approved on May 31, 2021 to honor the residents of Peoria and the research scientists at the National Center of Agricultural Utilization who worked together on a procedure to mass produce penicillin. Fleming’s strain was discovered in the 1940s to be effective in treating infection in open wounds, and was used extensively to treat Allied soldiers wounded during the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. Penicillin has become the most widely used drug in the world.

In part two of our blog on state symbols, we will take a look at the many animals that are honored throughout Illinois.

Snow Leopards

Snow leopards, Panthera uncia, beautiful but shy cats, are one of the top predators in their high-altitude habitat. They are grey to white with large black spots covering their entire body, including the tail. A short muzzle and large nostrils help the snow leopard inhale large quantities of air in the thin atmosphere of their home range. Their bodies are short and stocky, ranging from 50 to 150 pounds. Snow leopards cannot roar, but have a wide range of calls including purring, meowing, grunting, moaning and chuffing.

Home ranges are generally large, covering from five square miles where vegetation and food are abundant to 150 square miles in sparser areas. Snow leopards are most active at dawn and dusk, resting near cliffs and ridges that provide shade and good vantage points for hunting. They are stealthy hunters and can actively pursue prey down mountainsides, dragging the kill to a safe location where they will consume all edible parts. Mainly carnivores, they feed on wild sheep, goats, ibex, and wild boar, but will hunt smaller prey including pika, marmot, and voles. They eat a large amount of supplemental vegetation such as grass and twigs. They prefer larger prey and can survive for two weeks on a wild sheep before needing to hunt again.

Panthera uncia, Snow leopard with kill by Shan Shul, Snow Leopard Trust

Snow leopards live in the alpine zones of central and southern Asia, from altitudes of 9,800′ to 14,800′. They have several adaptations for enduring the cold temperatures including small, round ears minimizing heat loss, fur on the bottoms of their paws to keep them warm while walking on snow and ice, large nostrils to heat and humidify the air they breathe, and a long, flexible tail used as a blanket for their face while sleeping.

Snow leopard, Panthera uncia, sleeping with tail blanket by Charles Barilleaux, Mar 2011

A snow leopard reaches sexual maturity between two and three years old. Their lifespan is 15 to 18 years in the wild, and may exceed 25 years in captivity. They are solitary cats, except when breeding in late winter. In late spring, two to three cubs are born blind and helpless, but with thick fur coats at birth. They can see at seven days and will be walking in five weeks. They leave the den for the first time in two to four months. They spend the first 18 months in the care of their mother learning to hunt and will establish their own territories before leaving permanently.

Panthera uncia, Learning to hunt by SLCF Mongolia, Snow Leopard Trust

Snow leopards are listed as vulnerable, with an estimated population of less than 10,000 remaining in the wild. The main threats to their survival are poaching for the illegal trade in fur and body parts and habitat destruction. Climate warming trends are causing 30% reductions in alpine zones worldwide, placing snow leopards in competition with predators from warmer habitats who are now able to range into higher altitudes.

Panthera uncia, Snow leopard cubs by Shan Shul, Snow Leopard Trust

The Global Snow Leopard Forum, World Wildlife Fund, the Snow Leopard Conservancy, and other groups are working with local people and countries to help snow leopards survive and to maintain the fragile environment they inhabit. Protected areas are being established in several countries that encompass their native ranges. These same areas provide food, resources, and some of the largest freshwater reservoirs on earth for the many species living there, including people.

Snow leopard, Panthera uncia, by Mark Dumont, Apr 2013

Snow leopards were first exhibited in 1872 by the Moscow Zoo. In 1990, at the Beijing Zoo, the first cat was bred in captivity. As temperatures cool down for the year, consider a trip to a zoo near you to see these wonderful cats.

Antlers & Horns

Antlers and horns, often referred to interchangeably, are sported by North American species in the deer and cattle families, respectively. Typically found only on males, except for caribou where both sexes grow antlers, there are distinct differences in growth and usage.

Elk at Rocky Mountain National Park by Michael Levine-Clark, Jul 2022

Bighorn sheep at Badlands National Park by Tim Lumley, Aug 2019

Antlers are found in the deer family, including white-tailed deer found across the continent, elk along the Pacific Coast and across the western U.S. – Canada border, caribou found in Alaska, mule deer located mainly in the western U.S., and moose found along the entire U.S. – Canada border. Horns are found on species in the bovine family including bison found in small herds across the grasslands west of the Mississippi River and sheep, goats and cattle found throughout the North American continent.

Caribou by Jacob W. Frank, Oct 2008; Elk by Scott Kinmartin, Jun 2009; Moose by Larry Lamsa, Aug 2021; Mule deer by Mark Moschell, Nov 2016; White-tailed deer by Jeff Bryant, Jan 2017

Antlers are shed at the conclusion of the breeding season each year, and a new pair is grown for the following year. Antlers grow from the tip, growing faster and larger as adults get older. Velvet, a layer of fine hair, covers the living bone and provides oxygen and nutrients to the developing antler. As annual breeding activities begin in late autumn, individuals will rub off the velvet and stop the bone from growing. After the breeding season ends in mid-winter, normal bone maintenance breaks down dead tissue at the base, and the antlers fall off.

Antlers are proudly displayed by males to attract mates and are a clear indicator of the bull’s health. Elk are the largest deer species, and a set of antlers may grow an inch a day, contain seven to eight points with a four foot spread, and weigh up to 20 pounds each. The largest elk bulls attract from five to thirty mates. Antlers are also used in defense of the herd and for asserting dominance over other herd members, typically for mates or food.

Horns are living bone on the inside, covered by a sheath of keratin composed of specialized hair follicles. Horns grow from the base where they meet the skull and grow continuously throughout the life of the animal. They are often curved in shape and covered with ridges or fluting.

Bighorn sheep by Renee Grayson, Aug 2018

Horns are used to establish dominance within a herd, marking those males that control the actions of the herd. They are used in defense of territory from individuals of other herds and as defensive weapons when interacting with predators. Horns are also used to dig roots for food and strip bark for marking territory.

As you walk the forest paths, keep watch for white-tailed deer growing their antlers at this time of year, and observe the transition as velvet is removed in the coming few months.

Butterflies & Flowers

Backyards, prairies, and wetlands are covered with blooms at this time of year. Many plants depend on butterflies to visit flowers, collect pollen, and move it to another flower to assist in plant reproduction. Plants offer nectar as a sweet treat to attract butterfly species, who come for a sip and carry away some of the plant’s pollen. As butterflies move from plant to plant, the pollen is picked up or deposited at each stop.

Black Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes, on purple coneflower by DonArnold, 2022

Coneflowers & sunflowers by SueOBrien, 2014

Butterflies can only consume liquids, sipping through long, hollow tongues. They generally prefer a mixture of different nectar sources. Plants with many blooms or clustered flowers are preferred by all pollinators because less energy is needed going from one bloom to the next over very short distances.

Cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, on dandelion by John Haslam, May 2007

Dill, Anethum graceolens, by DonArnold 2022

Female butterflies search for specific plants to lay their eggs on. These are called host plants, and they provide food for the caterpillars. Each butterfly species requires specific host plants, and caterpillars will starve before eating any others.

Pale purple coneflower, Echinacea pallida, by DonArnold, 2022

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus, on Buttonbush by DonArnold, 2020

During the heat of summer, there are lots of butterfly species to watch for. In northern Illinois, watch for monarch, black swallowtail, tiger swallowtail, white cabbage, red admiral, question mark, common buckeye, queen, and viceroy.

Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, by DonArnold, 2020

Shorts Aster,Symphyotrichum shortii, by SueOBrien, 2022

An easy way to observe many different species is to find areas rich with flowers providing nectar for the butterflies to feed on. Flowers in full bloom in our area include coneflowers, milkweeds, and sunflowers. Many of these plants provide seeds later in the year and throughout the winter for backyard birds.

Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, by DonArnold, 2022

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta, on Buttonbush by DonArnold, 2020

Watch for these flowers and their visitors, or consider planting a variety of flowers in your backyard to attract butterflies to your own habitats.

From upper to lower, left to right: Black swallowtail larva, Butterfly weed, Common buckeye butterfly, Common milkweed, Gray-headed coneflower, Queen Anne’s lace, Queen butterfly, Question mark butterfly, White clover, Spicebush swallowtail butterfly

All pictures by DonArnold, 2022 except: Question mark, Polygonia interrogationis, by Joe Finney, Jul 2013……… Common buckeye, Junonia coenia, by Jim Flannery, Jul 2015……… Queen butterfly, Danaus gilippus, by Roy Niswanger, Oct 2008