List of Virginia state symbols
Type Symbol Year
Bat Virginia Big-Eared Bat ( C.t . virginianus ) 2005
Bird Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis ) 1950
Dog American Foxhound ( Canis lupus familiaris ) 1966
Fresh Water Fish Brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) 1993
Insect Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly ( Papilio glaucus ) 1991
Salamander Red Salamander ( Pseudotriton ruber ) 2018
Salt Water Fish Striped Bass ( Morone saxatilis ) 2011
Shell Eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) 1974
Animals
This is a list of symbols of the United States Commonwealth of Virginia. The majority of the items in the list are officially recognized symbols created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law by the governor. The state nickname, The Old Dominion, is the oldest symbol. However, it is the only symbol that is not official. The other nickname, Mother of Presidents, is also historic, as eight Virginians have served as President of the United States, including four of the first five: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson. Additionally, Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas, Fulwar Skipwith, the president of the Republic of West Florida, and Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the first president of Liberia were from Virginia. The state motto and seal have been official since Virginia declared its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Virginia is the only state to have the same plant for state flower and state tree, the Flowering Dogwood. The majority of the symbols were made official in the late 20th century.