The hare wasn't even eligible as a contender in this race, but the western painted turtle beat out plenty of fellow cold-blooded creatures to become the Colorado State Reptile in March.
The turtle's biggest fans? The students of Skyline Vista Elementary who nominated the shelled reptilian quadruped for the coveted state slot.
"I wanted something that wasn't slimy or weird looking," Amy Loi, 10, said.
The students decided to take action last fall when they discovered that Colorado didn't have an official state reptile.
The Wildlife Experience in Parker granted students from Skyline Vista a scholarship that brought them to the museum April 25 to place a western painted turtle replica permanently on exhibit in the museum's wetland biome.