Species
| Type | Symbol | Description | Year | Image | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird | Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis |
The male cardinal is bight red and the female is brown and dull red. They live in Kentucky year-round. | 1926 | ||
| Butterfly | Viceroy Butterfly Limenitis archippus |
Viceroys are a Müllerian mimic to the Monarchs which birds avoid eating because they are toxic and distasteful. The butterfly is usually found all over the state, except in mountainous areas, from April till November. | 1990 | ||
| Fish | Kentucky Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus |
Similar to the largemouth bass, a common sporting fish that usually weighs up to 5 pounds (2.3 kg). | 2005 | ||
| Flower | Goldenrod Soldiago gigantea |
The goldenrod has a yellow flower that blooms in late summer and early fall. It is also the state flower of Nebraska. | 1926 | ||
| Fruit | Blackberry Rubus allegheniensis |
This soft fruit is used to make jams, seedless jellies and wine. | 2004 | ||
| Horse | Thoroughbred Equus caballus |
A horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Over 30% of all U.S. thoroughbred birth happen in Kentucky, more than any other state | 1996 | ||
| Insect | Honey Bee Apis mellifera |
Official state insect in 17 states | 2010 | ||
| Tree | Tulip Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera |
The tulip tree is also called the yellow poplar. It has a distinctive leaf shape and yellow, bell-shaped flowers. | 1994 | ||
| Wild animal game species | Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis |
Predominantly gray fur but it can have a reddish, black or white color. It has a white underside and a large bushy tail. | 1968 |
Read more about this topic: List Of Kentucky State Symbols
Famous quotes containing the word species:
“Not only does every animal live at the expense of some other animal or plant, but the very plants are at war.... The individuals of a species are like the crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“There are minds so impatient of inferiority that their gratitude is a species of revenge, and they return benefits, not because recompense is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“Nature seemed to have adorned herself for our departure with a profusion of fringes and curls, mingled with the bright tints of flowers, reflected in the water. But we missed the white water-lily, which is the queen of river flowers, its reign being over for this season.... Many of this species inhabit our Concord water.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)