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.

133,587

recent observations

30

species listed

16

plants

5

reptiles & amphibians

5

insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 133,587 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Kentucky. The most frequently seen is the Common Box Turtle, with 9,448 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

9,448 observations

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus

6,304 observations

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

5,788 observations

Danaus plexippus

5,363 observations

Virginia Springbeauty

Claytonia virginica

5,358 observations

Podophyllum peltatum

5,339 observations

Polystichum acrostichoides

5,301 observations

Asimina triloba

4,746 observations

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

4,664 observations

Turdus migratorius

4,629 observations

Notophthalmus viridescens

4,581 observations

Phlox divaricata

4,556 observations

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

4,362 observations

Delphinium tricorne

4,130 observations · iNaturalist

Asian Lady Beetle

Harmonia axyridis

4,094 observations

Central Ratsnake

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

4,073 observations

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

4,055 observations

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

4,049 observations

Thalictrum thalictroides

4,005 observations

American tuliptree

Liriodendron tulipifera

4,003 observations

Anaxyrus americanus

3,942 observations

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus impatiens

3,759 observations

cut-leaved toothwort

Cardamine concatenata

3,662 observations

Cercis canadensis

3,460 observations

Lamium purpureum

3,453 observations · iNaturalist

Bold Jumping Spider

Phidippus audax

3,446 observations

Southern Two-lined Salamander

Eurycea cirrigera

3,341 observations

Sanguinaria canadensis

3,277 observations

fortune's spindle

Euonymus fortunei

3,243 observations · iNaturalist

Virginia creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

3,156 observations

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