Places CitiesLexington

Wildlife near Lexington, KY

Illustrated wildlife of Lexington

Lexington sits in the Kentucky bluegrass, a landscape of horse pasture, limestone, and woodland edges. Eastern bluebirds and northern cardinals hold the fence lines, red-tailed hawks hunt the open ground, and the wooded parks and the Kentucky River palisades nearby hold white-tailed deer, barred owls, and pileated woodpeckers. The region’s caves and springs give it salamanders and bats that most cities never see.

Everything below is pulled live from recent research-grade observations near Lexington. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

17,563
recent observations
30
species listed
16
insects & arthropods
9
plants
2
birds

Naturalists have logged 17,563 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Lexington. The most frequently seen is the Bold Jumping Spider, with 1,624 recorded sightings.

Insects & Arthropods account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (16 of the species listed here), followed by plants (9).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Lexington

Bold Jumping Spider
Phidippus audax
1,624 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
975 observations
dwarf larkspur
Delphinium tricorne
773 observations · iNaturalist
Huron Skipper
Atalopedes huron
768 observations · iNaturalist
Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
708 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
653 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
626 observations
toadshade
Trillium sessile
609 observations
Silvery Checkerspot
Chlosyne nycteis
572 observations · iNaturalist
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
566 observations
Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos
533 observations
blue phlox
Phlox divaricata
524 observations
Great Spangled Fritillary
Argynnis cybele
523 observations · iNaturalist
fortune's spindle
Euonymus fortunei
505 observations · iNaturalist
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
494 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
491 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
488 observations
red deadnettle
Lamium purpureum
487 observations · iNaturalist
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
483 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
483 observations
Red-spotted Admiral
Limenitis arthemis
483 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
480 observations
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Everes comyntas
479 observations
Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia
478 observations
Hackberry Emperor
Asterocampa celtis
476 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
471 observations
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
468 observations
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
453 observations
rue anemone
Thalictrum thalictroides
448 observations
cut-leaved toothwort
Cardamine concatenata
442 observations

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