The Official Animal Of Every U.S. State
The United States is full of incredible, beautiful, and wondrous animals that make up our wide range of ecosystems. Powerful bears, elegant deer, sly foxes and everything in between, there are exemplary creatures in every state. So many and so exemplary, that most states have chosen one (or more) of these animals as their representative. Here is every state's official animal.
Alabama
Alabama's official animal is the black bear. Though populations declined in the 20th century, they are slowly making a comeback thanks to habitat protection.
Alaska
Alaska's state animal is the moose, common along the Unuk River and in the Southeast, Southcentral, and Interior Alaska.
Arizona
Arizona's state mammal, the ringtail, is a small, nocturnal animal related to raccoons. It's known for its agility and long, striped tail, and often nests in rocky canyons and cliffs.
Arkansas
Arkansas' state animal is the white-tailed deer, a designation it shares with many other states, as you'll come to see. It's a popular choice as it's the most popular game mammal in many areas across the U.S.
California
Though extinct in the state since the 1920s, the California grizzly remains the state's official mammal, and it's featured prominently on the state flag.
Colorado
Colorado's state animal, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, is a species that's only found in the Rockies, which run through a large chunk of the state.
Conneticut
Conneticut's state marine mammal is the sperm whale, which represents the state's long maritime history. Connecticut played a key role in the American whaling industry during the 19th century.
Delaware
Delaware's state animal, the grey fox, is known for its unique ability to climb trees, unlike most members of the canine family. It's native to Delaware’s forests and woodlands.
Florida
Florida's state mammal is the Florida panther. A rare subspecies of cougar, the Florida panther is critically endangered and protected. They also have an alternate state animal, the dolphin, and a state marine mammal, the manatee.
Georgia
Georgia is another state that named the white-tailed deer its official animal, but it also has a state marine mammal, the right whale.
Hawaii
Hawaii has three state mammals. The first is he Hawaiian monk seal, then the Hawaiian hoary bat, then the humpback whale. The hoary bat in particular is the only remaining native land mammal in Hawaii.
Idaho
Idaho doesn't have an official state mammal. The closest it has is its state horse, the Appaloosa.
Illinois
Illinois is another state that has named the white-tail deer its official animal.
Indinana
Indiana sadly doesn't have any appointed state animal.
Iwoa
Iowa also doesn't have an appointed state animal, but it does have one that's been proposed, the muskrat.
Kansas
Kansas has the American bison as its state animal, a large, sturdy creature that once roamed plains in abundance across the country.
Kentucky
Also using a game mammal as basis, Kentucky named the grey squirrel its official animal.
Louisiana
Another bear on the board, Louisiana's state animal is the black bear, a once-endangered but now widely spread species.
Maine
Like Alaska, Maine also chose the moose as its official animal, as it's the only eastern state with a notable moose population. They also have the Maine Coon cat as an alternate, as the breed originated there.
Maryland
Maryland doesn't have a single state animal, but it does have a state horse, dog, and cat. The thoroughbred, the Chesapeake Bay retriever, and the calico, respectively.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts also doesn't have a single state animal. It has a marine mammal, the right whale, and a few alternates, including the tabby cat and the Morgan horse.
Michigan
Not exactly the state animal, but Michigan's state game mammal is, you guessed it, the white-tailed deer.
Minnesota
Minnesota has no official state animal, but there are several proposed options. These include the black bear, the eastern wolf, the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, and, again, the white-tailed deer.
Mississippi
Mississippi actually has two state animals, the red fox and the white-tailed deer. They also have the bottlenosed dolphin listed as an alternate.
Missouri
The state animal of Missouri is the Missouri mule, a hybrid between a horse and a donkey.
Montana
Montana's state animal, voted on by school children in the '80s, is the grizzly bear.
Nebraska
Nebraska is another state that named the white-tailed deer its official animal.
Nevada
Nevada's official state animal is the desert bighorn sheep.
New Hampshire
Yet another state that's chosen the white-tailed deer as its official representative, but New Hampshire also has the bobcat as an alternate.
New Jersey
New Jersey's official animal is the horse. Chosen by two school children, one in fifth grade and one in eighth, they picked it because of the horse's importance to farming and racing in the state.
New Mexico
New Mexico's official animal the American black bear. The mascot Smokey Bear was based of a real black bear that was found injured after a forest fire in the state, meaning black bears have long since had a notable impact on the area.
New York
New York's state animal is the beaver. It was beaver fur commerce that led to the creation of the Dutch and English trading posts in New York's early days of colonization.
North Carolina
North Carolina's first state animal is the eastern grey squirrel, though alongside it is the Virginia opossum.
North Dakota
North Dakota has no official state animal, but it does have a state horse, the Nokota.
Ohio
Ohio has also named the white-tailed deer it's official state animal.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has deemed the American bison its state animal. It's also named the Mexican free-tailed bat its official state flying mammal, and the raccoon as its state furbearer.
Oregon
Known as the "Beaver State," Oregon has aptly named the beaver as its state animal.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is yet another state that named the white-tailed deer its official animal.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island doesn't have a standard official state animal, but it did named the harbor seal as its official marine mammal.
South Carolina
South Carolina actually has quite a few state animals. The list begins, again, with the white-tailed deer (official state animal), but it also includes the bottlenose dolphin (marine mammal), the right whale (migratory marine mammal), and the mule (heritage work animal).
South Dakota
Only the third canine on the list of state animals, South Dakota's animal is the coyote.
Tennessee
Tennessee's animal is both its state animal and its state wild animal, and it's the raccoon.
Texas
Texas has three categories of state animal. It has its state small mammal, the nine-banded armadillo, its large mammal, the Texas longhorn, and its flying mammal, the Mexican free-tailed bat.
Utah
Utah's official state animal the majestic Rocky Mountain elk.
Vermont
Vermont's official animal is the Morgan horse, as the breed originated in the state, but they also have the Randall lineback, a species of cow, as their heritage livestock breed.
Virginia
Virginia doesn't have an official animal, but it has the Virginia big-eared bat as its state bat and the American foxhound as its state dog.
Washington
Washington also doesn't have one official animal, but it does have the Olympic marmot as its state endemic mammal (meaning a mammal that can only be found in one location) and the orca as its state marine mammal.
West Virginia
West Virginia also has the American black bear as its state animal, reportedly voted on by student, teachers, and sportsmen alike in the '70s.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin's state animal is the American badger, though it also lists the white-tailed deer as its official wildlife animal and the dairy cow as its official domestic animal.
Wyoming
Wyoming's state animal, like a few of its brethren, is the American bison.