Alabama

United States

Culture

20 of the Strangest U.S. State Symbols

Alabama boasts many scenic and recreational areas along the Gulf Coast.

The sandy shores aren't just a place for play, however: They're home to a variety of wildlife, including the large sea snails who leave behind Johnstone's Junonia seashells, the state's official shell since 1990. The scientific name for the shell is the Scaphella junonia johnstoneae. The spotted mollusk exoskeleton is common to the Gulf Coast and was named in honor of Kathleen Yerger Johnstone, an amateur conchologist (someone who studies mollusk shells) from Mobile, Alabama. In total, 15 states have named one of their regional maritime mollusks as an official state shell.

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