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.

137,128

recent observations

30

species listed

15

plants

6

insects & arthropods

5

reptiles & amphibians

Naturalists have logged 137,128 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Kentucky. The most frequently seen is the Common Box Turtle, with 9,682 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (15 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (6).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Kentucky

Common Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina

9,682 observations

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus

6,509 observations

Danaus plexippus

6,023 observations

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

5,992 observations

Polystichum acrostichoides

5,386 observations

Virginia Springbeauty

Claytonia virginica

5,383 observations

Podophyllum peltatum

5,349 observations

Asimina triloba

4,857 observations

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

4,788 observations

Turdus migratorius

4,672 observations

Notophthalmus viridescens

4,639 observations

Phlox divaricata

4,593 observations

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

4,451 observations

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

4,225 observations

Asian Lady Beetle

Harmonia axyridis

4,224 observations

Delphinium tricorne

4,191 observations · iNaturalist

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

4,166 observations

Central Ratsnake

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

4,164 observations

American tuliptree

Liriodendron tulipifera

4,091 observations

Thalictrum thalictroides

4,011 observations

Anaxyrus americanus

4,008 observations

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus impatiens

3,950 observations

Bold Jumping Spider

Phidippus audax

3,808 observations

cut-leaved toothwort

Cardamine concatenata

3,669 observations

Cercis canadensis

3,496 observations

Lamium purpureum

3,456 observations · iNaturalist

Red-spotted Admiral

Limenitis arthemis

3,381 observations

Southern Two-lined Salamander

Eurycea cirrigera

3,373 observations

fortune's spindle

Euonymus fortunei

3,301 observations · iNaturalist

Sanguinaria canadensis

3,290 observations

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