Wildlife in Kentucky

Here’s what naturalists are spotting in Kentucky right now - pulled live from recent research-grade observations. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

134,938

recent observations

30

species listed

16

plants

5

reptiles & amphibians

5

insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 134,938 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Kentucky. The most frequently seen is the Common Box Turtle, with 9,559 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (16 of the species listed here), followed by reptiles & amphibians (5).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Kentucky

Common Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina

9,559 observations

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus

6,423 observations

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

5,885 observations

Danaus plexippus

5,644 observations

Virginia Springbeauty

Claytonia virginica

5,378 observations

Podophyllum peltatum

5,345 observations

Polystichum acrostichoides

5,328 observations

Asimina triloba

4,802 observations

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

4,701 observations

Turdus migratorius

4,647 observations

Notophthalmus viridescens

4,605 observations

Phlox divaricata

4,570 observations

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

4,393 observations

Delphinium tricorne

4,190 observations · iNaturalist

Asian Lady Beetle

Harmonia axyridis

4,148 observations

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

4,122 observations

Central Ratsnake

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

4,099 observations

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

4,079 observations

American tuliptree

Liriodendron tulipifera

4,043 observations

Thalictrum thalictroides

4,007 observations

Anaxyrus americanus

3,955 observations

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus impatiens

3,795 observations

cut-leaved toothwort

Cardamine concatenata

3,667 observations

Bold Jumping Spider

Phidippus audax

3,508 observations

Cercis canadensis

3,478 observations

Lamium purpureum

3,455 observations · iNaturalist

Southern Two-lined Salamander

Eurycea cirrigera

3,355 observations

Sanguinaria canadensis

3,282 observations

fortune's spindle

Euonymus fortunei

3,266 observations · iNaturalist

Virginia creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

3,209 observations

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