Monthly Archives: January 2022

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Kentucky Wildlife

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The US state of Kentucky has a diverse landscape with mountains, lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, and caves, It is home to a large variety of mammals, insects, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Among the better known wild animals in Kentucky are the little brown bat, black bear, sandhill crane, Kentucky warbler, copperhead snake, eastern box turtle, and largemouth bass.
Even though horses are not considered wild animals they are looked upon with favor and treasured in the state of Kentucky. The state is home to many thoroughbred farms and breeding programs. The horse became the official mammal of the state in 1966 and every year people from all over come with bated breath to watch the incredibly beautiful racehorses run and win the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May annually.
Official State Bird of Kentucky: Northern Cardinal
Official Fish of Kentucky: Kentucky Spotted Bass
Visiting the Mammoth Caves you can spot unique wildlife like little brown bats, cave salamanders, and Kentucky cave shrimp. There are also strange eyeless fish dwelling in the caves. It is possible to catch a look at the endangered Indiana brown bat.
In the forests, you can find white-tail deer, rabbits, American toads, coyotes, opossums, squirrels, skunks, and foxes.
Other creatures making their home in the forest are rodents including mice, pine voles, and eastern woodrats.
Wild animals along the rivers of Kentucky include fish like flathead catfish, spotted bass, white bass, walleye, and bluegills among others. The state is popular for both amateur and seasoned fishermen.
In the wetlands the creatures making their homes there are common snapping turtles, alligator gar, swamp darters, masked shrews, Kirtland’s snake, and the heron.
In the mountains like the Appalachian Mountains, you can find elk, black bears, whitetail deer, beaver, weasels, and chipmunks.

Kentucky Endangered animals include:

Cumberland Darter making their home in streams and shallow pools and threatened by water pollution and habitat loss.
Whooping crane the tallest bird in North America has become the rarest sight in the Bluegrass State. They are threatened by the loss of their wetland habitat.
Backside Dace are fish found in the Cumberland River System. They have green and gold scales with bright yellow fins, They are threatened by habitat loss and water pollution.
Rusty Patched Bumble Bee make their homes in grasslands and prairies, They are becoming a rare sight in the state due to habitat loss, and use of pesticides.
Gray Bats have dark gray fur all over their bodies, They live in caves and are threatened due to habitat loss. When caves flood these bats lose their only shelter.
Indiana Bat lives in caves and trees in Kentucky. Also threatened by habitat loss when entrances to caves become blocked in the winter they lose their shelter. Another threat to these bats is white-nosed syndrome, a deadly disease caused by a fungus that thrives in caves during cold temperatures.
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Indiana Wildlife

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The US state Indiana is known as the Hoosier state and is a midwestern state that is part of the Great Lakes Region. It has many major rivers – the Ohio River, Whitewater River, and Wabash River, which is the longest river east of the Mississippi. Indiana has dense forests, grassland prairies, riverbanks, lakeshores, and rocky hills. A good part of the land is farmland but there are many wild places that are home to native wildlife.
The wildlife making their homes in the forested areas are black bears, coyotes, badgers, beavers, and cottontail rabbits.
There are rodents such as fox squirrels, gray squirrels, and grounds hogs.
In the grasslands, you can see bison and whitetail deer.
Indiana’s chief predators are gray foxes, red foxes, bobcats, and coyotes.
Indiana has 13 native bat species among them one of the rarest species like Rafineque’a big-eared bat, red bats, silver-haired bats, and Indiana myotis.
The state also has native species like the Allegheny woodrat and the Eastern mole, Among the reptiles and amphibians are the alligators, snapping turtles, Blanding’s turtle, and Eastern hog-nosed snake.
In the forests and wetlands, you can see herons, ducks, geese, and other waterfowl. There are Western chorus frogs and the spring peeper.
Among small mammals are the muskrat, opossum, and raccoon.
Indiana’s native birds include the ruffed grouse, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, and many different songbirds.
The state has one of the country’s rarest kingfishers the belted kingfisher which is the only kingfisher found in the state.
The rivers and stream are home to the northern pike, striped bass, muskie and walleye. Indiana is also home to the eastern hellbender which is a salamander that is one of the rarest amphibians in the world and is the largest salamander species in North America.
Indiana Dunes State Park is a protected stretch of beach along the coast of Lake Michigan, It has sand dunes that soar as high as 200 feet. It is a great place to see shorebirds and native flowers.
In the park, you can also see muskrats, otters, beavers, white-tailed deer, rabbits, and ducks.
Along the Wabash River, you’ll find Oubache State Park with a resident herd of bison.
Tippecanoe River State Park stretches along the Tippecanoe River. Here you can see frogs, newts, squirrels, raccoons, beavers and an enormous variety of waterfowl. Among the rarest birds spotted her is the swamp sparrow.
Chain of Lakes State Park offers nine large lakes and 25 miles of forested trails. It’s a great place for fishermen with fish species like catfish, white bass and northern pike. Among the wildlife are amphibians, reptiles, white-tail deer, bobcats and many small rodents.
Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area stretches between the Ohio and Wabash Rivers in southwest Indiana. The park has a lake, swampland, and forested areas, It is a great place to fish and to birdwatch, Slong the lakes muskrats and bevers make dams and there are many small mammals and rodents getting water at the streams.
Endangered Animals in Indiana
Barn owl
Allegheny woodrat

Eastern hellbender

Eastern mud turtle
Plains pocket gopher
Swamp rabbit
Badger
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Places in Wisconsin to See Wildlife

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At Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Fox Point on the shores of Lake Michigan, you’ll find different types of habitats. Here you can see different kinds of birds among them geese and ducks as well as turtles and frogs, There are trails to walk and a large observation tower from which you can see all around.

At Buffalo Overlook in Oneida, you’ll see a large herd of buffalo. There is a viewing platform and a large bronze buffalo by which to take photos.

At International Crane Foundation you can see over 15 different crane species.

At Sandhill Wildlife Area in Babcock, you’ll enjoy seeing Sandhill and Whooping cranes, beavers, a small herd of bison and other birds and animals. The area is right next to the Necedah Refuge. There is a car loop to make getting out and seeing nature easier.
Horicon Marsh in Horicon is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the US. This is both a state and national wildlife refuge, There are habitats for many species of birds like ducks, great blue herons, and Canada geese. You can also see fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, muskrats, and insects. Look for beavers and their dams.
Take the scenic Great River Toad to Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge in Trempealeau where you can see many bird species that travel up and down the Mississippi River like eagles, pelicans, and terns.
Buena Vista Grasslands Wildlife Area is the largest remnant population of greater prairie chickens in Wisconsin. The site has well open grassland so several rare and uncommon grassland bird species thrive here. The area is designated as an Important Bird Area and you can also see short-eared owls, sandpipers, and other birds.
Prairie du Chien is a town in southwest Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. It is known for its bald eagles. These majestic birds nest here and fly along the river looking for fish. To see them better you can get viewing spots on Blackhawk Avenue and Washington Street bridges.
Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area in far northern Wisconsin has many different habitats and 37000 acres of wetlands, open water, and islands. Here you can see bald eagles, osprey, common loons, black terns, merlins, trumpeter swans, and more than 150 other bird species. There are also a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals among them deer, bear, bobcat, and timber wolves.