SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 28
(By Senators Barnes, Love, Fanning, White and Sypolt)
Designating the timber rattlesnake as West Virginia's state reptile
and designating Megalonyx Jeffersonii as West Virginia's state
fossil.
Whereas, The timber rattlesnake is an integral part of the
history, culture and ecology of West Virginia and the United
States; and
Whereas, The timber rattlesnake is present throughout West
Virginia and its color and pattern is reminiscent of West
Virginia's fauna and flora; and
Whereas, The timber rattlesnake is important to preserve as a
predator and prey in West Virginia's ecology; and
Whereas, The timber rattlesnake kills mice and rats at no cost
while cleaning up after itself; and
Whereas, The timber rattlesnake is a popular icon that does
attract attention and, thereby, may enhance tourism; and
Whereas, Since no other state has adopted the timber
rattlesnake as a state reptile, West Virginia can be the first and
it would be a proud contribution by the eighth grade class at
Romney Middle School, from West Virginia's oldest county, in West
Virginia's oldest town, to have been instrumental in making the
timber rattlesnake the state reptile of West Virginia; and
Whereas, No fossil has been designated as the official state fossil for the State of West Virginia; and
Whereas, Interest in fossils and paleontology has become
increasingly widespread throughout the citizenry of this state,
there currently being fossil, rock and gem clubs already organized
in the counties of Cabell, Harrison, Kanawha and Wood; and
Whereas, In 1797, President Thomas Jefferson obtained and
described fossil bones from a limestone cave in what is now Monroe
County; and
Whereas, These bones were again described by Casper Wistar in
1799 as the bones of a giant extinct ground sloth; and
Whereas, Wistar named the bones as a new species, Megalonyx
Jeffersonnii, in honor of President Jefferson; and
Whereas, The bones are from the Ice Age or Pleistocene Epoch
which lasted from 10,000 to 1.8 million years ago; and
Whereas, The designation of a state fossil would aid in the
promotion of interest in geology, paleontology and history; and
Whereas, The bones afford an opportunity for special studies
in American, state and natural history for the students of the
state; and
Whereas, Thirty-nine of the 50 states have an official state
fossil; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby designates the timber rattlesnake
as West Virginia's state reptile and designates the fossil
Megalonyx Jeffersonnii as West Virginia's state fossil; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
directed to forward copies of this resolution to the citizens and
schools in the state.
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