West Virginia legislators may soon consider adopting a new pair of official state symbols - one poisonous and one long-dead - to help draw attention to the state's diverse natural life.

Bills have been introduced that put the timber rattlesnake up for adoption as the West Virginia's official state reptile, while a giant prehistoric ground sloth, the Megalonyx jeffersonii, has been nominated for designation as the official state fossil.

The timber rattler, with its unforgettable alarm system and potentially lethal bite, is in my view a worthy candidate for the official state reptile's position. However, since the serpent is an icon in certain religious services in several Southern West Virginia communities, lawmakers may feel compelled to adhere to the philosophy of separating church and state, and opt to leave the post vacant.

The prehistoric ground sloth is another matter. The fossilized remains of one of the Ice Age creatures was found in Monroe County's Organ Cave in the 1790s. The sloth's bones were sent to Thomas Jefferson, who in 1797 displayed and discussed them in Philadelphia during a meeting of the American Philosophical Society, of which he was president while serving as John Adams' vice president.

Jefferson initially believed the fossilized remains, which included unusually long claws, belonged to an ancient species of lion, but they were later determined to belong to a lumbering, ox-sized strain of ground sloth.

To any late-Pleistocene Mountaineers dwelling in the area 15,000 years ago, they were probably determined to taste a lot like chicken.

Bones of the Megalonyx jeffersonii, first discovered in West Virginia, were later found as far away as Alaska. The sloth, like the snake, deserves official state recognition.

While West Virginia already has 10 official state symbols, ranging from official state tree (sugar maple) to official state soil (Monongahela silt loam), many symbol-conscious states with dozens of official designees have left the Mountain State in their official state dust (Myakka fine sand in the case of Florida).

For instance, Florida designated the key lime pie as its official state dessert two years ago, perhaps in response to Massachusetts' officially adopting the Boston cream pie a few years earlier. Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York have official state muffins (corn, blueberry and apple), while 10 states have official state vegetables.

Bills have been introduced that put the timber rattlesnake up for adoption as the West Virginia's official state reptile, while a giant prehistoric ground sloth, the Megalonyx jeffersonii, has been nominated for designation as the official state fossil.

The timber rattler, with its unforgettable alarm system and potentially lethal bite, is in my view a worthy candidate for the official state reptile's position. However, since the serpent is an icon in certain religious services in several Southern West Virginia communities, lawmakers may feel compelled to adhere to the philosophy of separating church and state, and opt to leave the post vacant.

The prehistoric ground sloth is another matter. The fossilized remains of one of the Ice Age creatures was found in Monroe County's Organ Cave in the 1790s. The sloth's bones were sent to Thomas Jefferson, who in 1797 displayed and discussed them in Philadelphia during a meeting of the American Philosophical Society, of which he was president while serving as John Adams' vice president.

Jefferson initially believed the fossilized remains, which included unusually long claws, belonged to an ancient species of lion, but they were later determined to belong to a lumbering, ox-sized strain of ground sloth.

To any late-Pleistocene Mountaineers dwelling in the area 15,000 years ago, they were probably determined to taste a lot like chicken.

Bones of the Megalonyx jeffersonii, first discovered in West Virginia, were later found as far away as Alaska. The sloth, like the snake, deserves official state recognition.

While West Virginia already has 10 official state symbols, ranging from official state tree (sugar maple) to official state soil (Monongahela silt loam), many symbol-conscious states with dozens of official designees have left the Mountain State in their official state dust (Myakka fine sand in the case of Florida).

For instance, Florida designated the key lime pie as its official state dessert two years ago, perhaps in response to Massachusetts' officially adopting the Boston cream pie a few years earlier. Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York have official state muffins (corn, blueberry and apple), while 10 states have official state vegetables.

West Virginia has no edible official state designees, except for the state fish (brook trout) or for the really hungry, our official state animal (black bear).

In contrast, Oklahoma takes the cake - and pie and muffin - with its designation of an official state meal:  Fried okra, squash, cornbread, black-eyed peas, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken fried steak and pecan pie. It's enough to make artery clogging the official state dance - which 30 states (but not West Virginia) have designated.

Perhaps it's time to recognize our state's unique presentation of the all-American entrée - the hot dog - by designating mustard, bean-free chili sauce, creamy coleslaw and diced onions as the wiener's official state garnishes.

Then we could join with 14 other states in naming an official state amphibian  (I suggest the Cheat Mountain salamander, which lives only in West Virginia), or become the second state to designate an official snack food (Illinois has dibs on popcorn) and give props to the pepperoni roll.

Or we could blaze a new trail and become the first state in the nation to name an official resident alien - in our case, Mothman - or an official endangered plant - the chemical factory.

With a little imagination, we can dance to our own drummer - starting by not naming the square dance our official state dance, as 24 of the 30 states with official state dances have done.

I vote for the West Virginia Shuffle - two steps forward and one step back. It may not be fast or pretty, but it's easy to remember, keeps you in touch with your past, and eventually gets you where you're going.

And it sure beats the reverse.