. A bayou is a slow-moving stream. Hundreds of them flow through this southern state, and many are full of alligators!

Maine, in the nation's northeast, is the

Pine Tree State

because it is covered in evergreen woods. And directly across the country, on the Pacific Coast, is the state of Washington. It also has lots of evergreen trees so, not surprisingly, it is the

Evergreen State

.

The eastern state of Massachusetts is the

Bay State

. This body of water separates most of the state from famous Cape Cod.

Six state nicknames are taken from native animals. Michigan is the

Wolverine State

. A wolverine is a small, fierce mammal. The badger is a similar and equally fierce creature and Wisconsin is the

Badger State

.

Neighboring Minnesota, the

Gopher State

, is named for a much nicer animal that builds hills and tunnels. However, the

Land of Ten Thousand Lakes

is written on Minnesota's vehicle license plates.

North Dakota gets its nickname, the

Flickertail State

not from some bird, but from a little squirrel. South Dakota takes its nickname, the

Coyote State

, from an animal that thinks flickertails are good to eat!

And Oregon, the

Beaver State

, borrows its nickname from the large, flat-tailed rodent that uses trees to build dams.

Next week, we will tell you about more state nicknames, including one that is about people's feet!