South Carolina State Symbols and More

The Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common species of wren, resident in the eastern half of the USA, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. A distinct population in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize and extreme north of Guatemala is treated either as a subspecies Thryothorus ludovicianus albinucha, or as a separate species, White-browed Wren Thryothorus albinucha. Following a 2006 reviewMann et al. (2006), these are the only wrens remaining in the genus Thryothorus. T. ludovicianus is the state bird of South Carolina; its specific name ludovicianus means "from Louisiana".

Gelsemium sempervirens is a twining vine in the family Gelsemiaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical America from Guatemala north to the Southeastern United States. It has a number of common names including yellow jessamine or jasmine, Carolina jasmine or jessamine, evening trumpetflower, gelsemium and woodbine.

It can grow to 3-6 m high when given suitable climbing support in trees, with thin stems. The leaves are evergreen, lanceolate, 5-10 cm long and 1-1.5 cm broad, and lustrous, dark green. The flowers are borne in clusters, the individual flowers yellow, sometimes with an orange center, trumpet-shaped, 3 cm long and 2.5-3 cm broad. Its flowers are strongly scented and produce nectar that attracts a range of pollinators.

All parts of this plant contain the toxic strychnine-related alkaloids gelsemine and gelseminine and should not be consumed.Drug Information Online: Gelsemium sempervirens The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Children, mistaking this flower for honeysuckle, have been poisoned by sucking the nectar from the flower. The nectar is also toxic to honeybees, and causes brood death when gathered by the bees.

Despite the hazards, this is a popular garden plant in warmer areas, frequently being trained to grow over arbors or to cover walls.

Yellow Jessamine is the state flower of South Carolina.

Carolina Shag is a six count partner dance done mostly to moderate tempo music (100-150 bpm). During the dance the upper body and hips hardly move as the legs do convoluted kicks and fancy footwork. The lead is the center of attention, and the follow's steps either mirror the lead's or mark time while the lead shows off with spins and other gyrations. Carolina Shag is the state dance of North Carolina and South Carolina, and is still popular amongst residents of both states.

Carolina Shag can trace its origins to the southern United States during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 40s. One of the earliest documented references to a dance called "Carolina Shag" appears in a Helen Powell Poole article in 1936.[http://dancehistory.org/forum/gallery/menu.php?gallery=public&album_id=7&sid=8f4fb39095a57460734768ce724f3385] Whether this article refers to an early version of the contemporary dance by the same name is still a matter of debate, as some historiansThis is one theory presented by dance historian Lance Benishek (see http://dancehistory.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=866) claim that Carolina Shag is a descendant of Carolina Jitterbug, and its predecessor, Little Apple (whose origins can supposedly be traced to Columbia, S.C. in 1937). These historians claim that a slower six-count variation of Carolina Jitterbug (which is 8-count) was what gave rise to contemporary Carolina Shag. Soldiers from the north are said to have influenced its six-count rhythm.[http://dancehistory.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=384&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=little+apple]

"Shag" itself (when used in reference to American vernacular dances) is a very broad term that denotes a number of swing dances that originated during the early part of the 20th century. Arthur Murray mentioned one form of Shag in his 1937 book "Let's Dance"Let's Dance. Arthur Murray. 1937. Standard Brands Incorporated. page 27. No ISBN in this "booklet" which appears to have been sold by mail. "Can people really learn to dance from printed lessons?". This article states that shag was known throughout the entire country under various names, like "Flea Hop". And, a New York writer sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma in late 1940/early 1941 noted an "Oklahoma version of shag" done to the Western Swing music of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys at the Cain's Dancing Academy in Tulsa."San Antonio Rose - The Life and Music of Bob Wills. Charles R. Townsend. 1976. University of Illinois. page 198. ISBN 0-252-00470-1

Some dance historians say there is evidence to suggest that the term "shagger" was used to refer to vaudeville performers in the late 19th century[http://dancehistory.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=8&p=2830&hilit=Shagger#p2830], who were known to have danced the Flea Hop. Later "shag" became a blanket term that signified a broad range of jitterbugging (swing dancing). In the 1930s there were arguably a hundred or more variations of the dance, which differ in various respect depending upon the geographic region in which they were done. Thus, Carolina Shag often bears only the faintest resemblance to other dances that share the shag designation. Contemporary St. Louis shag, for instance, (an eight-count dance) does not look much like contemporary Carolina Shag, though both originated in the Swing era of the 1930s and 40s. Though St. Louis shag is still often danced to swing music, Carolina shag is more closely associated with a variant of rhythm and blues known as "beach music." And, for this reason, many dancers no longer consider Carolina Shag to be a true swing dance.

The term "Carolina Shag" is thought to have originated along the strands between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, during the 1940s. According to Bo Bryan, a noted Carolina Shag historian and resident of Beaufort County, the term was coined at Carolina Beach, North Carolina. Today, the shag is a recognized dance in national and international dance competitions held across the United States.

The 1989 film Shag starring Bridget Fonda, Phoebe Cates, Annabeth Gish, and Page Hannah as four high school friends on their last road trip together before graduation, was filmed in Myrtle Beach and features the Carolina shag.

Category: File - :Female wild turkeys.jpg|thumb|left|Females

The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is one of two species of turkey, the other being the Ocellated Turkey, found in Central America.

Adult male wild turkeys have a large, featherless, reddish head; a red throat in males; long reddish-yellow to greyish-green legs; and a black body. The head has fleshy growths called caruncles; in excited turkeys, a fleshy flap on the bill expands, becoming engorged with blood. Males have red wattles on the throat and neck. Each foot has three toes, and males have rear spurs on their lower legs.

Turkeys have a long, dark, fan-shaped tail and glossy bronze wings. As with many other species of the Galliformes, turkeys exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. Female feathers are duller overall, in shades of brown and gray. Parasites can dull coloration of both sexes; in males, coloration may serve as a signal of health. The primary wing feathers have white bars.

Turkeys have 5,000 to 6,000 feathers.National wild turkey Federation: wild turkey Facts. Tail feathers have the same length in adults, different lengths in juveniles. Males typically have a "beard" consisting of modified feathers that show out from the breast. Beards average 9 inches (230 mm) in length. In some populations, 10 to 20 percent of females have a beard, usually shorter and thinner than that of the male. The adult male normally weighs from 5 to 11 kg (11-24 lbs) and measures 100?125 cm (39?49 in). The adult female is typically much smaller at 3 to 5.4 kg (6.6-12 lbs) and are 76 to 95 cm (30?37 in) long. The wingspan ranges from 1.25 to 1.44 m (49?57 in). The record-sized adult male wild turkey, according to the National Wildlife Turkey Federation, was 38 lb (17.2 kg).

The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is a mole salamander common in the eastern United States and Canada. The Spotted Salamander is the State Amphibian of South Carolina.

Category: File - :Wtdfishwild.jpg|thumb|right|Male white-tailed deer

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the Virginia deer, or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States (all but five of the states), Canada, Mexico, Central America, and in South America as far south as Peru. It has also been introduced to New Zealand and some countries in Europe, such as Finland and the Czech Republic.

The species is most common east of the Rocky Mountains, and is absent from much of the western United States, including Nevada, Utah, California, Hawaii, and Alaska (though its close relatives, the mule deer and black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus, can be found there). It does, however, survive in aspen parklands and deciduous river bottomlands within the central and northern Great Plains, and in mixed deciduous riparian corridors, river valley bottomlands, and lower foothills of the northern Rocky Mountain regions from Wyoming to southeastern British Columbia. The conversion of land adjacent to the northern Rockies into agriculture use and partial clear-cutting of coniferous trees (resulting in widespread deciduous vegetation) has been favorable to the white-tailed deer and has pushed its distribution to as far north as Prince George, British Columbia. Populations of deer around the Great Lakes have also expanded their range northwards, due to conversion of land to agricultural uses favoring more deciduous vegetation, and local caribou and moose populations. The westernmost population of the species, known as the Columbian white-tailed deer, once was widespread in the mixed forests along the Willamette and Cowlitz River valleys of western Oregon and southwestern Washington, but today its numbers have been considerably reduced, and it is classified as near-threatened. The white-tailed deer is well-suited for its environment. Fossil records indicate that its basic structure has not changed in four million years.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is a large (12 cm wingspan) swallowtail butterfly. It is found in the Eastern United States, as far north as southern Vermont, and as far West as extreme Eastern Colorado. It flies from spring through fall, and most of the year in the southern portions of its range, where it may produce two or three broods a year. In the Appalachian region, it is replaced by the closely-related and only recently described larger-sized Papilio appalachiensis, and in the north, it is replaced by the closely-related Papilio canadensis. These three species can be very difficult to distinguish, and were formerly all considered to be a single species.

Category: Image - :Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Black Form Female 5891c.jpg|thumb|left|Black form female

Category: Image - :Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus on Milkweed 2800px.jpg|thumb|left|Yellow form female

Adult males are yellow, with four black "tiger stripes" on each fore wing. The trailing edges of the fore and hind wings are black which is broken with yellow spots. On the medial margin of the hind wing next to the abdomen there are small red and blue spots.

There are two morphs of adult females, a yellow and a dark one. The yellow morph is similar to the male, except that the hind wings have an area of blue between the black margin and the main yellow area. In the dark morph, most of the yellow areas are replaced with a dark gray to a black. A shadow of the "tiger stripes" can still be seen on the dark females. The dark form is more common in the Southern portions of the range, especially in areas also inhabited by the poisonous Pipevine swallowtail, which it seems to mimic.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails often rest with their wings fully spread, particularly if the sun is out.

Female lays spherical green eggs on the top of leaves of host plants. After hatching, the caterpillars often eat the shell of their egg. The first instars are dark and mimic bird droppings. The second and third instars use mimicry camouflage to the extreme. Lying quietly on a branch or leaf the caterpillar appears to be a piece of bird excrement but if disturbed rears its head and acts like an aggressive snake similar to the Hognose Snake. If disturbed enough, it will extend two red horns known as osmeterium from its underside that look like a snake's tongue. This fearsome visual disguise is often enough to frighten or fool a curious bird or predator. The larvae eat the leaves of a wide variety of trees and shrubs, including cottonwood, tulip tree, sweet bay, Lemon and cherry. Adults are strictly diurnal; they start to fly towards noon and by and by return to rest throughout the afternoon (Fullard & Napoleone 2001).

It is the state butterfly of Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, South Carolina and Delaware.

Sabal palmetto, also known as Cabbage Palm, Palmetto, Cabbage Palmetto,Palmetto Palm, and Sabal Palm, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm (Arecaceae, genus Sabal). It is native to the southeastern United States, Cuba, and the Bahamas. In the United States it occurs throughout Florida and coastal areas of Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia. Although historically reported from Chincoteague, Virginia, this population has long been extirpated. It is the state tree of South Carolina and Florida.

Sabal palmetto grows up to 65 ft (20 m) in height, with a trunk up to 2 ft (60 cm) diameter. It is a distinct fan palm (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with a bare petiole which extends as a center spine or midrib, (costa) 1/2 to 2/3rds the length into a rounded, costapalmate fan of numerous leaflets. A costapalmate leaf has a definte costa (midrib) unlike the typical palmate or fan leaf, but the leaflets are arranged radially like in a palmate leaf. All costapalmate leaves are markedly recurved or arched backwards. Each leaf is 5 to 6.5 ft (1.5?2 m) long, with 40-60 leaflets up to 2.6 ft (80 cm) long. The flowers are yellowish-white, .20 in (5 mm) across, produced in large compound panicles up to 8.2 ft (2.5 m) long, extending out beyond the leaves. The fruit is a black drupe about long containing a single seed. It is extremely salt-tolerant and is often seen growing near the Atlantic Ocean coast. For a palm tree, Sabal palmetto is very cold-hardy--it is commonly accepted that Sabal palmetto is able to survive relatively short periods of temperatures as low as 7 °F (-14 °C). However, it has also been reported to survive temperatures much lower. Maintenance of the Cabbage Palm tree is very easy and very adaptable. The Cabbage Palm is known to tolerate drought, standing water and brackish water. Even though this palm is drought-tolerant, it thrives on regular light watering and regular feeding. It is highly tolerant of salt winds, but not saltwater flooding.

The Boykin Spaniel is a medium-sized breed of dog, a Spaniel bred for hunting wild turkeys in the Wateree River Swamp of South Carolina, in the United States. It is the state dog of South Carolina.

The striped bass (Morone saxatilis, also called Atlantic striped bass, stripers, linesiders, rock, pimpfish or rockfish) is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater (marine) fish of New York and New Hampshire. They are also found in the Minas Basin and Gaspereau River in Nova Scotia Canada.

The peach (Prunus persica) is a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach. It is a deciduous tree growing to 4?10 m tall, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It is classified with the almond in the subgenus Amygdalus within the genus Prunus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell.

The leaves are lanceolate, 7?16 cm long (3?6 in), 2?3 cm broad, pinnately veined. The flowers are produced in early spring before the leaves; they are solitary or paired, 2.5?3 cm diameter, pink, with five petals. The fruit has yellow or whitish flesh, a delicate aroma, and a skin that is either velvety (peaches) or smooth (nectarines) in different cultivars. The flesh is very delicate and easily bruised in some cultivars, but is fairly firm in some commercial varieties, especially when green. The single, large seed is red-brown, oval shaped, approximately 1.4?2 cm long, and is surrounded by a wood-like husk. Peaches, along with cherries, plums and apricots, are stone fruits (drupes).

The scientific name persica, along with the word "peach" itself and its cognates in many European languages, derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia (now Iran). The modern botanical consensus is that they originate in China, and were introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region along the Silk Road before Christian times.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5. Cultivated peaches are divided into clingstones and freestones, depending on whether the flesh sticks to the stone or not; both can have either white or yellow flesh. Peaches with white flesh typically are very sweet with little acidity, while yellow-fleshed peaches typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness, though this also varies greatly. Both colours often have some red on their skin. Low-acid white-fleshed peaches are the most popular kinds in China, Japan, and neighbouring Asian countries, while Europeans and North Americans have historically favoured the acidic, yellow-fleshed kinds.

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), also called Indian grass, is a North American prairie grass, and is the official state grass of both Oklahoma and South Carolina. Indiangrass is a perennial bunchgrass, prominent in tallgrass prairie, along with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).Category: File - :SorghastrumNutans.jpg|thumb|right

The Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) is a praying mantis native to the Southern United States and one of six species found in North America. It grows to approximately in length.

The Carolina mantis has a dusty brown, gray, or green color useful as camouflage in certain environments. An unusual trait is that its wings only extend three quarters of the way down the abdomen in mature females, seen also in Iris oratoria, which can be distinguished by the large eyespots on its inner wings.

Sexual cannibalism occurs in roughly one quarter of all intersexual encounters of this species, though specimens of this species will engage in cannibalism regardless of age or gender if the opportunity presents itself.

Carolina mantis oothecae can be purchased in garden supply centers as a means of biological control of pest insects. It is the state insect of South Carolina.

The species was first described in Centuria Insectorum Rariorum (1763) as Gryllus carolina.

Category: File - :Common Funnel web spider (Hippasa agelenoides) W IMG_2780.jpg|thumb|250px|Hippasa agelenoides- Common Funnel web spider

Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, from the Greek word "?????" meaning "wolf". They are robust and agile hunters with good eyesight. They live mostly solitary lives and hunt alone. Some are opportunistic wanderer hunters, pouncing upon prey as they find it or chasing it over short distances. Others lie in wait for passing prey, often from or near the mouth of a burrow.

Wolf spiders resemble Nursery web spiders (family Pisauridae), but they carry their egg sacs by attaching them to their spinnerets (Pisauridae carry their egg sacs with their chelicerae and pedipalps). Wolf spiders have two eyes out of eight that are large and prominent. The eight eyes of the Nursery web spiders are all of approximately equal size.

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) is a sea turtle and the only member of the genus Caretta. The genus name "Caretta" is a latinization of the French "caret", meaning turtle, tortoise, or sea turtle.http:www.widecast.org/sea/definitions.cfm A loggerhead sea turtle reportedly grows up to 800 lbs (364 kg) and long. Their shell color is a reddish brown color, and the color of their skin is brown yellow. They are named for their disproportionately large head. They are also the state reptile of South Carolina.

The lettered olive, Oliva sayana, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Olividae, the olive shells, olive snails, or olives.

Category: File - :Milk.jpg|thumb|200px|A glass of pasteurized cow's milk.

Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. The early lactation milk is known as colostrum, and carries the mother's antibodies to the baby. It can reduce the risk of many diseases in the baby. The exact components of raw milk varies by species, but it contains significant amounts of saturated fat, protein and calcium as well as vitamin C. Cow's milk has a pH ranging from 6.4 to 6.8, making it slightly acidic.William H. Bowen and Ruth A. Lawrence, Comparison of the Cariogenicity of Cola, Honey, Cattle Milk, Human Milk, and Sucrose, PEDIATRICS Vol. 116 No. 4 October 2005, pp. 921-926. pediatrics.aappublications.org. Retrieved on 21 July 2009.Soil pH: What it Means, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. www.esf.edu. Retrieved on 21 July 2009.

Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek a- ("not") and methustos ("intoxicated"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication.

Boiled peanuts are popular in some places where peanuts are common. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts; rather raw or "green" ones are used. "Raw" denotes peanuts in a semi-mature state, having achieved full size, but not being fully dried, as would be needed for roasting or peanut butter use. After boiling they take on a strong salty taste and become softer with the length of cooking, somewhat resembling a pea or bean, to which they are related. The most flavorful peanuts for boiling are the Valencia type. These are preferred in the United States, being grown in gardens and small patches throughout the South. Green Virginia type peanuts are also sometimes used.

Category: Image - :Boiled peanut.jpg|frame|South Carolina Boiled Peanut in Shell

Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the south of the US since the 19th century, where they were originally called goober peas. In late August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra, black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of southern culture and cuisine.

Spirituals (or Negro spiritualsThe "Negro Spiritual" Scholarship FoundationThe Negro Spiritual SingersNegro Spirituals Heritage DayThe Negro Spiritual Workshopnegrospirituals.comNegro Spirituals: Songs of Survival) are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.

South Carolina () is a southern U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was originally named in honor of King Charles I, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. South Carolina was the first state to vote to secede from the Union and was a founding state of the Confederate States of America. According to an estimate by the United States Census Bureau, the state's population in 2008 was 4,479,800 and ranked 24th among the U.S. states. South Carolina contains 46 counties and its capital is Columbia.

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census (2008 population estimates put the city at 127,029). Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063. The city's name comes from a poetic synonym for America, derived from the name of Christopher Columbus.

Located just northwest of South Carolina's geographic center, Columbia is the primary city of the Midlands region of South Carolina, which comprises several counties in the central portion of the state. At the confluence of two major rivers, Columbia is a kayak and canoe destination. It is also increasingly becoming known as an ideal place to retire. CNNMoney.com named Columbia as one of America's 25 best places to retire and US News & World Report ranked the city 6th on its 2009 [http://www.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/slideshows/americas-best-affordable-places-to-retire/6 "America's Best Affordable Places to Retire"] list.