e-RD Logo
Google
Custom Search
 
e-ReferenceDesk's College and 50 State Learning Resource Guide
 
 

Find Online Colleges

Find Campus Colleges

State Animals and Mammals
State Mammals & Animals
  • State Mammals Listed (ALL)
  • White-tailed Deer Listed
  • The 50 US States
Maine Symbols
Maine Greeting
Maine Symbols
Animal, Berry, Bird, Cat, Drink, Fish, Flag, Floral Emblem, Fossil, Herb, Insect, Language of the Deaf Community, Mineral, Motto, Nicknames, Seal, Soil, Song, Tartan, Tree, Vessel
  • e-RD |
  • State Resources |
  • 50 States |
  • State Symbols |
  • State Animals & Mammals

Maine State CatMaine Cat: Maine Coon Cat

Maine Coon Cat

(Felis catus)

Adopted in 1985

Adopted by the State Legislature of 1985

Description of the Maine State Cat

Maine Coons were well established more than a century ago as a hardy, handsome breed of domestic cat, well equipped to survive the hostile New England winters.

Everything about the Maine Coon points to its adaptation to a harsh climate. Its glossy coat, heavy and water-resistant, is like that of no other breed, and must be felt to be appreciated. It is longer on the ruff, stomach and britches to protect against wet and snow, and shorter on the back and neck to guard against tangling in the underbrush. The coat falls smoothly. The long, bushy tail which the cat wraps around himself when he curls up to sleep can protect him from cold winters. His ears are more heavily furred (both inside and on the tips) than many breeds for protection from the cold, and have a large range of movement. Big, round, tufted feet serve as 'snow shoes.' Their large eyes and ears are also survival traits, serving to increase sight and hearing. The relatively long, square muzzle facilitates grasping prey and lapping water from streams and puddles.

Maine Coon Cats are tall, muscular, big-boned cats; males commonly reach 13 to 18 pounds, with females normally weighing about 9 to 12 pounds. Maine Coons don't achieve their full size until they are three to five years old. Their voices set them apart from other cats; they have a distinctive, chirping trill.

Statute

Title 1. General Provisions. Chapter 9. Seal, Motto, Emblems and Flags. Subchapter I. General Provisions.

§ 217. State cat
The state cat shall be the Maine coon cat.

1985, c. 737, § A, 4, eff. April 18, 1986.

Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Maine Coon Cat

Kingdom Animalia -- animals
Phylum Chordata -- chordates
Subphylum Vertebrata -- vertebrates
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Felis
Species Felis catus
State Animals and Mammals
State Mammals & Animals
Mammals are one group of animals. Bears, monkeys and dolphins are mammals. So are humans. But what makes a mammal a mammal?

an·i·mal (ān'ə-məl)
n.

1. A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia, differing from plants in certain typical characteristics such as capacity for locomotion, nonphotosynthetic metabolism, pronounced response to stimuli, restricted growth, and fixed bodily structure.
2. An animal organism other than a human, especially a mammal.
mam·mal (mām'əl)
n.

Any of various warm-blooded vertebrate animals of the class Mammalia, including humans, characterized by a covering of hair on the skin and, in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for nourishing the young.
Google
Custom Search
About Site Map Privacy Policy
Campus-based Colleges  Online Schools  College List
Top of Page

© Copyright 2004-2011, Web Marketing Services, Inc. LLC, a Clarksville, VA company. All rights reserved.