The Kemp's ridley sea turtle, the official sea turtle of Texas. Photo by USFWS Endangered Species.

During the 83rd Regular Session, lawmakers added four new official state symbols to the more than 60 state symbols that represent the Lone Star State. Pecan pie and peach cobbler became our official state pie and state cobbler, respectively, and pumpkin was designated the official state squash. The endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is now the official state sea turtle.

See the entire collection of state symbols on our Pinterest page, "State Symbols of Texas." For each symbol we included an image, as well as a link to the resolution that designated it. You can also visit the library and see an exhibit all about the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.

Did You Know? Male Kemp’s ridley sea turtles spend their entire lives at sea; the females come ashore only to lay eggs, and they do so in large, synchronized groups, an extraordinary phenomenon known in Spanish as arribada, meaning "arrival."

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