Animals of Indiana

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It is featured in some stories of the indigenous peoples of North and Central America and in the folklore of European-descended inhabitants of the Americas.

Groundhog

Marmota monax

The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a lowland rodent of North America. It was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. These adorable animals play an important role maintaining healthy soil in woodland and plain areas. They are...

Common Snapping Turtle

Chelydra serpentina

The Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a species of large freshwater turtle. It is noted for its combative disposition when out of the water with its powerful beak-like jaws, and highly mobile head and neck (hence the specific epithet...

Copperhead

Agkistrodon contortrix

The copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) is a venomous pit viper endemic to eastern North America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae. As a common species within its range, it may be encountered by humans. Unlike other...

White-Tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

The White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a medium-sized deer native to the Americas where it is the most widely distributed wild ungulate. Texas is home to the most White-tailed deer of any U.S. state or Canadian province, with an estimated...

Painted Turtle

Chrysemys picta

The Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is the most widespread native turtle of North America. Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago. In the traditional tales of Algonquian tribes, the colorful turtle played the part of a...

North American River Otter

Lontra canadensis

The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a semiaquatic mammal that lives along its waterways and coasts. It is the only river otter that is found north of Mexico. These animals live in burrows and like most predators, prey upon the most...

Eastern Fox Squirrel

Sciurus niger

The Eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. Despite the differences in size and coloration, it is sometimes mistaken for American red squirrels or Eastern gray squirrels in areas where...

American Red Squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

The American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is one of three species of tree squirrels currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus, known as the pine squirrels. The American red squirrel is variously known as the Pine squirrel, North...

Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

The Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America.

Eastern Chipmunk

Tamias striatus

The Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a small stripped rodent found in North America. The name "chipmunk" comes from the Ojibwe word ajidamoo (or possibly ajidamoonh, the same word in the Ottawa dialect of Ojibwe), which translates literally as...

Blanding's Turtle

Emydoidea blandingii

Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a semi-aquatic turtle native to North America. It is considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its range. Blanding's turtle is of interest in longevity research, as it shows little to no...

Eastern Fence Lizard

Sceloporus undulatus

The eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus ) is a medium-sized species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is found along forest edges, rock piles, and rotting logs or stumps in the eastern United States. It is sometimes...

Southern Flying Squirrel

Glaucomys volans

The southern flying squirrel or the assapan (Glaucomys volans ) is one of three species of the genus Glaucomys and one of three flying squirrel species found in North America. It is found in deciduous and mixed woods in the eastern half of North...

Spiny Softshell Turtle

Apalone spinifera

The spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera ) is a species of softshell turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Both the common name, spiny softshell, and the specific name, spinifera (spine-bearing), refer to the...

Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel

Ictidomys tridecemlineatus

The Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) is a ground squirrel that is widely distributed over grasslands and prairies of North America. It is well known for standing upright to survey its domain, diving down into its burrow...

Eastern Meadow Vole

Microtus pennsylvanicus

The Eastern meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) is a North American rodent. It is active year-round, usually at night. It also digs burrows, where it stores food for the winter and females give birth to their young.

Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen

Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen was formerly a venomous pit viper subspecies found in the eastern United States. However, recent taxonomic changes do not recognize the northern copperhead (A. c. mokasen ) as a valid taxon.

Pond Slider

Trachemys scripta

Pond sliders (Trachemys scripta) are medium-sized, semiaquatic turtles found in North America. Their name 'slider' comes from the behavior of these turtles when startled. Groups of sliders often bask and sun on logs, branches, and vegetation at or...

Eastern elk

Cervus canadensis canadensis

The eastern elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis ) is an extinct subspecies or distinct population of elk that inhabited the northern and eastern United States, and southern Canada. The last eastern elk was shot in Pennsylvania on September 1, 1877....

Common Musk Turtle

Sternotherus odoratus

Sternotherus odoratus is a species of small turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States. It is also known commonly as the common musk turtle, eastern musk turtle, or stinkpot...

Heath hen

Tympanuchus cupido cupido

The heath hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido ) is an extinct subspecies of the greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido ), a large North American bird in the grouse family. It became extinct in 1932.Heath hens lived in the scrubby heathland barrens...

Alligator gar

Atractosteus spatula

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a euryhaline ray-finned fish in the clade Ginglymodi of the infraclass Holostei, being most closely related to the bowfins. It is the largest species in the gar family (Lepisosteidae), and is among the...

Common Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina

The Common box turtle is a species of a box turtle that lives in the Eastern United States and Mexico. This turtle gets its common name from the structure of its shell which consists of a high domed carapace (upper shell), and a large, hinged...

Spotted Turtle

Clemmys guttata

The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata ), the only species of the genus Clemmys, is a small, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches a carapace length of 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) upon adulthood. Their broad, smooth, low dark-colored upper shell, or carapace,...

White-Footed Mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus ) is a rodent native to North America from Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, and the Maritime Provinces (excluding the island of Newfoundland) to the southwestern United States and Mexico. In the Maritimes, its...

River Cooter

Pseudemys concinna

The river cooter (Pseudemys concinna ) is a species of freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is native to the central and eastern United States.

Northern Map Turtle

Graptemys geographica

The northern map turtle (Graptemys geographica ), also known as the common map turtle, is an aquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. It is endemic to North America.

Diadophis punctatus edwardsii

Diadophis punctatus edwardsii, commonly known as the northern ringneck snake, is a subspecies of Diadophis punctatus, a snake in the family Colubridae. The subspecies is endemic to North America.

Prairie Vole

Microtus ochrogaster

The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster ) is a small vole found in central North America. The vole has long, coarse grayish-brown fur on the upper portion of the body and yellowish fur on the lower portion of the body. It has short ears and a short...

Hoary Bat

Lasiurus cinereus

The hoary bat (Aeorestes cinereus ) is a species of bat in the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. It lives throughout most of North America (possibly including Hawaii, although this is disputed).

Indiana Bat

Myotis sodalis

The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis ) is a medium-sized mouse-eared bat native to North America. It lives primarily in Southern and Midwestern U.S. states and is listed as an endangered species. The Indiana bat is grey, black, or chestnut in color and...

Goldfish

Carassius auratus

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have become an...

Southern leopard frog

Lithobates sphenocephalus

The southern leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus or Rana sphenocephala ) is a medium sized anuran in the family Ranidae (The True Frogs). It is native to eastern North America from Kansas to New York to Florida. It is also an introduced species...

Eastern Red Bat

Lasiurus borealis

The eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis ) is a species of microbat in the family Vespertilionidae. Eastern red bats are widespread across eastern North America, with additional records in Bermuda.

Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma

The western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma ) was once classified as a subspecies of the cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus ). However, DNA based studies published in 2008 and 2015, revealed no significant genetic difference between...

Aedes aegypti

Aedes aegypti (/ˈiːdiːz/ from Greek αηδής: "hateful" and /aɪˈdʒɛpti/ from Latin, meaning "of Egypt"), the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever viruses, and other disease...

Meadow Jumping Mouse

Zapus hudsonius

The meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius ) is the most widely distributed mouse in the family Zapodidae. Its range extends from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Great Plains west, and from the arctic tree lines in Canada and Alaska to the...

Eastern Mud Turtle

Kinosternon subrubrum

The Eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) is a small semiaquatic species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. It can be found only in the United States and has two recognized subspecies.

Southeastern Crown Snake

Tantilla coronata

The Southeastern crown snake (Tantilla coronata) is a common species of small colubrid snake. It is endemic to the southeastern United States. In most areas of its range, the Southeastern crown snake is not considered to be a conservation risk....

Least Chipmunk

Tamias minimus

The least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus ) is the smallest species of chipmunk and the most widespread in North America.

Guppy

Poecilia reticulata

The guppy (Poecilia reticulata), also known as millionfish or the rainbow fish, is one of the world's most widely distributed tropical fish and one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae and,...