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Wildlife in Mammoth Cave National Park

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

4,592
recent observations
30
species listed
22
plants
4
insects & arthropods
2
mammals

Naturalists have logged 4,592 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Mammoth Cave. The most frequently seen is the Mammoth Cave Cricket, with 479 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (22 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (4).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave Cricket
Hadenoecus subterraneus
479 observations · iNaturalist
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
244 observations
Woodland Stonecrop
Sedum ternatum
230 observations
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
216 observations
Virginia Saxifrage
Micranthes virginiensis
187 observations · iNaturalist
Northern Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum pedatum
182 observations
Fire Pink
Silene virginica
163 observations
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
162 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
162 observations
Celandine Poppy
Chelidonium diphyllum
155 observations · iNaturalist
Blue Phlox
Phlox divaricata
153 observations
Toadshade
Trillium sessile
148 observations
Dwarf Larkspur
Delphinium tricorne
145 observations · iNaturalist
Cut-leaved Toothwort
Cardamine concatenata
143 observations
Fowler's Toad
Anaxyrus fowleri
140 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
129 observations
American Tuliptree
Liriodendron tulipifera
125 observations
Crane-fly Orchid
Tipularia discolor
124 observations · iNaturalist
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
121 observations
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor
121 observations
Common Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
117 observations
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
113 observations
Cross Vine
Bignonia capreolata
112 observations · iNaturalist
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
111 observations
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
108 observations
Rue Anemone
Thalictrum thalictroides
107 observations
Dwarf Crested Iris
Iris cristata
103 observations
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum
99 observations
Drooping Trillium
Trillium flexipes
97 observations
Banded Tussock Moth
Halysidota tessellaris
96 observations

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.

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