Official Mammal of Every State

The official mammal of every state shouldn’t be too surprising to most people. There might even be a few similar entries.

Alabama-Black Bear

Despite having a wide range across the USA this dark-furred bear is claimed by Alabama. It’s a smaller bear, but no less ferocious.

Alaska-Moose

It’s not too surprising that this is Alaska’s official mammal since the further north one goes they’re bound to run into one of these big buggers. But a word of advice, don’t make them angry.

Arizona-Ringtail

A cousin of the raccoon and coatimundi, this furry bugger is kind of an odd choice. But it fits, I suppose.

Arkansas-White-Tailed Deer

Not only is this deer the official mammal of the state, but it’s one of the favored game animals too. Yeah, they’re majestic, but they’re also rather tasty.

California-Grizzly Bear

You might think that these would have been found further north, but technically they are extinct, so they might not be the best choice. Still, this is the animal that California chose.

Colorado-Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Hence the name, it’s tough to find these creatures outside of the Rockies. You might find a few in a local zoo, but otherwise, they stick to their favored terrain.

Connecticut-Sperm Whale

Read Moby Dick and you’ll get a decent idea of how this state has every right to claim these water-born mammals. After all, the whaling industry used to be huge.

Delaware-Grey Fox

As an indigenous mammal to the state, Delaware selected the fox as their animal of choice. A lot of people don’t know much about this mammal, but they might initially think it’s pretty cute.

Florida-Panther

It does feel as though Florida can’t make up their mind since they do list manatees and dolphins, or porpoises, as their favored mammal. But the panther is the official mammal of this state.

Georgia-Right Whale

Since another state has laid claim to one of the other mammals that Georgia keeps as one of its favored animals, the right whale sounds like a good choice. Not only that, but whales are quite majestic.

Hawaii-Humpback Whale/Hawaiian Monk Seal/Hawaiian Hoary Bat

Yeah, it’s tough to nail it down to one animal sometimes. But it does sound as though the hoary bat is the last native land mammal remaining on the islands.

Idaho-Appaloosa

Technically this state doesn’t have an official mammal, but a horse is a mammal, and the Appaloosa is the state horse. Hey, it works.

Illinois-White-Tailed Deer

I did say there would be similar entries, right? In states where these deer abound, it’s very easy to see how many people would think nothing of sharing a state mammal.

Indiana-N/A

As of 2023, Indiana has not selected an official mammal. That’s kind of odd since there are plenty of entries to pick from.

Iowa-N/A

This feels like a trend in this region. For whatever reason a couple of states don’t want to make this distinction.

Kansas-American Bison

Don’t get in front of these shaggy beasts if they start running. They’re cool to look at, but thankfully they’re usually docile.

Kentucky-Gray Squirrel

They’re cute and they’re fun to watch. But if you have a garden or are trying to feed the birds they’re kind of annoying.

Louisiana-Black Bear

It’s kind of amazing how many states share state animals. But then again, when a mammal roams around so much it’s easy to see how many states would claim the same animal.

Maine-Moose

See? Moose tend to roam around where it’s a little bit colder at least.

Maryland-N/A

They might not have an official state mammal, but they did pick a state dog (Chesapeake Bay Retriever), favorite cat,(Calico) and favorite horse (Thoroughbred). Those are all mammals last time I checked.

Massachusetts-Right Whale

You can easily see how this part of the country appears to like the whales. They do put on a good show when they surface, and they are interesting creatures.

Michigan-White-Tailed Deer

As a game animal, this deer gets around and is favored by many hunters. Hey, people gotta eat.

Minnesota-N/A

There’s no official mammal in this state, but they do have a few ideas such as white-tailed deer, the timber wolf, and the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. Seriously, take your pick.

Mississippi-Red Fox

They do have a couple of other state mammals, but one is a water mammal and the other is the same deer I’ve been discussing. Originality isn’t always prevalent in picking a state animal.

Missouri-Missouri Mule

It’s an interesting pick to be certain. The hybrid offspring of a donkey and a horse is an intriguing creature.

Montana-Grizzly Bear

This feels like an accurate and sensible choice. It was voted on by schoolchildren, but it’s still one of the best choices.

Nebraska-White-Tailed Deer

Seriously, are there no other indigenous animals around this part of the country? One might wonder if the hunters went a bit too hard back in the day.

Nevada-Desert Bighorn Sheep

Have you seen the mountains in Nevada? There’s plenty of climbing to do there.

New Hampshire-White-Tailed Deer

This must be an extremely popular deer since it shows up in so many places. This must be a gimme species for hunters.

New Jersey-Horses

This is simple and to the point and covers, a wider range of types. But given their importance it’s not hard to make such a choice.

New Mexico-American Black Bear

There’s a reason why a bear was selected as the mascot for a fire prevention campaign. Remember Smoky Bear?

New York-Beaver

There was a time when beaver pelts were worth their weight in gold, or something like it. But they were important creatures to the establishment of trading posts.

North Dakota-Nokota Horse

So it’s not actually the state mammal, but it’s the state horse, and as such it can double up as the state mammal. Technicalities, right?

Ohio-White-Tailed Deer

Is there anything else up in this area? It’s almost as though several states got bored and decided to name the same animal.

Oklahoma-American Bison

It almost feels as though people got bored of affixing state labels to everything, right? It’s not tough to see that this might be the case.

Oregon-Beaver

This is kind of a gimme since beavers were important back in the day and are still a symbol of this state. They don’t generally come out and interact with humans, but they’re still around.

Pennsylvania-White-Tailed Deer

What a surprise, right? It’s as though people don’t ever walk through their own wilderness.

Rhode Island-Harbor Seal

This is kind of recent since the seal was named the state mammal in 2016. Maybe other states will take note.

South Carolina-Mule Deer

Originality kind of goes out the window when picking certain state symbols I guess. But hey, it is what it is.

South Dakota-Coyote

Coyotes sometimes get a bad reputation, especially when game is scarce and they need to find something to eat. But in truth, they’re a great symbol that means different things in various cultures.

Tennessee-Raccoon

Called ‘trash pandas’ by a lot of people, raccoons are still impressive animals who are quite intelligent. But then again, they are kind of a nuisance sometimes.

Texas-Armadillo

Texas tends to symbolize a few animals, and the armadillo is one of the smallest. It’s an odd creature to be fair, but it’s also quite interesting.

Utah-Elk

As one of the more majestic creatures in nature, spotting a mature elk is something special. Taking one down though, that’s kind of a rite of passage.

Vermont-Morgan Horse

Horses play a big part in the cultivation and growth of the nation. Picking this mammal as a state symbol isn’t surprising at all.

Virginia-American Foxhound

Honestly, this state doesn’t claim a single mammal, but the inclusion of a hound feels right. They also give a special nod to the big-eared bat.

Washington-Orca

As the state marine mammal the orca is kind of fun to watch. One can see them in the Puget Sound if they’re lucky.

West Virginia-Black Bear

Students have a soft spot for bears since students made the choice to view this as the state animal. Hey, bears are soft and fuzzy and look friendly.

Wisconsin-Dairy Cow

Hey, this is cheese country, so it makes a lot of sense. Some might want to argue that they’re domesticated, but so are a few other animals on this list.

Wyoming-Bison

All that open country and rich history is enough to impress a lot of people. Then a herd of these creatures go running by and their jaws drop even further.