Could you name all of Idaho’s official state emblems? Well, if you are like most Idahoans, you probably can’t. And while there are likely many reasons why, it may be because Idaho has a new state emblem that you don’t know about — an official state dinosaur. Effective during the summer of 2023, Governor Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1127 designating the Oryctodromeus as Idaho’s first official state dinosaur.

Dinosaur fossils are rare in Idaho and that’s why it came as such an exciting discovery to find Oryctodromeus fossils in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. It is believed the dinosaur only lived in eastern Idaho and the southwest corner of Montana.
Tim Evanson, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This dinosaur roamed the earth approximately 98 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. It is estimated that an adult Oryctodromeus was approximately 3 feet tall and weighed up to 70 pounds. It was approximately 11 feet long, but nearly 70 percent of its body length was its tail.
User:Slate Weasel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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The Oryctodromeus was unique because it lived in underground burrows and is the first described dinosaur to live this way. It was a herbivore and had muscular arms and shoulders and a narrow, fused beak that were all used for digging.
FunkMonk (Michael B. H.), CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
So how did this dinosaur become an official state emblem? Well, it all started with a group of elementary school students at White Pine Charter School in Idaho Falls. They wrote letters to legislation and even prepared a presentation to a state representative sharing all about this remarkable creature. The bill to become the first state dinosaur passed both chambers nearly unanimously.
If you want to learn even more about this dinosaur and others, make sure to check out the Dinosaurs of the Mountain exhibit at the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello beginning October 7, 2023.
Tristan Rodeback/Google

What do you think of Idaho’s state dinosaur? Have you heard of this dinosaur before? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. For a few more fun facts about Idaho, check out this article describing the real reason why Idaho is known as the Gem State, and then take a look at our list featuring just a few reasons why Idaho is the BEST state in America. Of course, if you are looking for fun things to do throughout the state, Viator is an excellent place to gather inspiration!

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