They prowl all over the Lone Star State, most visibly on Friday nights in the fall.

Lions, Tigers and Bears.

Blackcats, Bearcats, Bobcats, Tomcats and Wildcats.

They're Texas high school mascots.

Some English graduate students at Sam Houston State University (home of the Bearkats) have published a book, "Mascot Mania, Spirit of Texas High Schools."

English professor Paul Ruffin coordinated the semester-long project.

Ruffin's students got a list of schools from the Texas Education Agency and wrote each school a note to explain the project.

Their finished work includes a list of more than a thousand schools.

According to their research, the Bulldog is the most common mascot, claimed by 81 Texas high schools.

Eagles are next, with 77.

But it's the single-name schools that attract the attention.

Consider the Hutto Hippos.

The name goes back to 1915 when a hippo escaped from a circus train in Austin and finally was found in a creek near Hutto.

"Mascot Mania" is published by Texas Review Press, a member of the Texas A&M University Press Consortium (1-800-826-8911).