Smokies Most Wanted
We need iNaturalist observations of these species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Every observation you add gives us another datapoint about where and when these species occur in the Smokies. We use them to map and learn about these species, helping park officials make informed ...more ↓
Fowler's Toad
Fowler's toad (Anaxyrus fowleri, formerly Bufo fowleri ) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. The species is native to North America, where it occurs in much of the eastern United States and parts of adjacent Canada. It was previously considered a subspecies of Woodhouse's toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii, formerly Bufo woodhousii ).
Northern Cricket Frog
The northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans) is a species of small hylid frog native to the United States and northeastern Mexico. Despite being members of the tree frog family, they are not arboreal. It has two recognized subspecies.
Upland Chorus Frog
The upland chorus frog (Pseudacris feriarum) is a species of chorus frog found in the United States. It was recently separated from the Western chorus frog, (Pseudacris triseriata), being identified as an individual species rather than a subspecies.
Pickerel Frog
The pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris, formerly Rana palustris) is a small North American frog, characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface.
Northern Green Anole
The Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) (US: /əˈnoʊ.li/ ( listen)) is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern United States and some Caribbean islands. Other common names include the American green anole, American anole, and red-throated anole. It is also sometimes referred to as the American chameleon due to its ability to change ...more ↓
Common Snapping Turtle
The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a large freshwater turtle of the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia and Florida. This species and the larger alligator snapping turtles are the only Macrochelys species in this family found in North America (though the ...more ↓
Eastern Screech-Owl
The eastern screech owl or eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio) is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, and more so than any other owl in its range, has adapted well to manmade development, although it frequently avoids detection due to its strictly ...more ↓
American Woodcock
The American woodcock (Scolopax minor), sometimes colloquially referred to as the timberdoodle, is a small chunky shorebird species found primarily in the eastern half of North America. Woodcocks spend most of their time on the ground in brushy, young-forest habitats, where the birds' brown, black, and gray plumage provides excellent camouflage.
Killdeer
The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a medium-sized plover. The genus name Charadrius is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine"). The specific vociferus is Latin and comes from vox, "cry" and ...more ↓
Peregrine Falcon
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females ...more ↓
Mallard
The mallard (/ˈmælɑːrd/ or /ˈmælərd/) (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. The ...more ↓
Common Grackle
The common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is a large icterid which is found in large numbers through much of North America.
European Starling
The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known as the European starling, or in the British Isles just the starling, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in ...more ↓
Blue Grosbeak
The blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea, formerly Guiraca caerulea), is a medium-sized seed-eating bird in the same family as the northern cardinal, "tropical" or New World buntings, and "cardinal-grosbeaks" or New World grosbeaks.
Eastern Kingbird
The eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) is a large tyrant flycatcher native to North America.
Nine-banded Armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), or the nine-banded, long-nosed armadillo, is a medium-sized mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. Its ancestors originated in South America, and remained there until the formation of the Isthmus of Panama allowed them to enter North America as part of the Great ...more ↓
Eastern Chipmunk
The eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a chipmunk species found in eastern North America. It is the only living member of the chipmunk subgenus Tamias, sometimes recognised as a separate genus. The name "chipmunk" comes from the Ottawa word ajidamoonh or the Ojibwe word ajidamoo, which translates literally as "one who descends trees headlong."
Southern Rock Vole
The Southern Rock Vole medium-sized, short-tailed, brown mouse with small eyes and ears, and a yellow-orange snout. It is a distinct Rock Vole subspecies found in the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Differs from subspecies CHROTORRHINUS by darker coloration, larger skull, longer tooth rows, and heavier zygomata (Handley 1991).
Northern Threetooth
Triodopsis tridentata, common name the northern three-tooth or northern threetooth, is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Polygyridae.
Riley's Clearwing Moth
Synanthedon rileyana, the horsenettle borer or Riley's clearwing moth, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in the United States, including Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Abbott's Sphinx
Sphecodina abbottii, the Abbott's sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It lives in eastern North America.
Hickory Horned Devil / Regal Moth
The regal moth (Citheronia regalis), also called the royal walnut moth, is a North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The caterpillars are called hickory horned devils. The adult (imago) has a wingspan of 3.75-6.1 in (9.5-15.5 cm).
Eastern Giant Swallowtail
The giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) is the largest butterfly in North America. It is abundant through many parts of North America and ranges south as far as Colombia and Venezuela. Though it is often valued in gardens for its striking appearance, its larval stage can be a serious pest to citrus farms, which has earned its caterpillars the names orange dog or ...more ↓
Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis, the white admiral or red-spotted purple, is part of the cosmopolitan genus Limenitis. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable hybrid wing patterns within this nominal species; it is one of the most dramatic examples of hybridization between non-mimetic and mimetic populations.
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa, known as the mourning cloak in North America and the Camberwell beauty in Britain, is a large butterfly native to Eurasia and North America.
Harvester
Feniseca tarquinius, the harvester, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae, and the only member of the monotypic genus Feniseca. It is found in North America.
The Neighbor
Haploa contigua, the neighbor moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by Walker in 1855. It is found in eastern North America, from Quebec to the mountains of Georgia and west to South Dakota, Arkansas and Mississippi.
Spear-marked Black
Argent and sable moths or Rheumaptera hastata are day flying moths of the Geometridae family, with distinctive black and white colourings. They tend to live on wetlands and hillsides. The larvae spin together the leaves of their food plants (such as birch and bog myrtle) to form their cocoons. It was named argent and sable in 1778. Argent and sable refers to the heraldic ...more ↓
White-spotted Sable
Anania funebris is a species of moth of the Crambidae family. It is found in Europe, Siberia, the Northern parts of the Far East and North America.
Orange-patched Smoky Moth
Pyromorpha dimidiata, the orange-patched smoky moth, is a species of leaf skeletonizer moth of the Zygaenidae family found in eastern North America.
Nason's Slug Moth
Natada nasoni, Nason's slug or Nason's slug moth, is a moth of the Limacodidae family. It is found in the United States from Missouri to the Atlantic coast and south to the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Spun Glass Slug Moth
Isochaetes beutenmuelleri, the spun glass slug moth, is a moth of the Limacodidae family. It is found in the United States from New York to Florida and west to Colorado and Texas. The name comes from the appearance of their pupal stage, when they are very nearly transparent, and covered in spiny hairs containing poison that can cause dermatitis, as is not uncommon for ...more ↓
Saddleback Caterpillar Moth
The saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea (formerly Sibine stimulea), is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. It is also found in Mexico y Central America and possibly in the northern part of South America. The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae.
Skiff Moth
Prolimacodes badia, the skiff moth, is a moth of the Limacodidae family. It is found in North America from New Hampshire to Florida, west to southern Ontario, Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi.
Spotted Thyris Moth
Thyris maculata, the spotted thyri, is a species of window-winged moth in the family Thyrididae.
European Hornet
The European hornet (Vespa crabro) is the largest eusocial wasp in Europe and the largest vespine in North America. It is actually the only true hornet found in North America. V. crabro is usually regarded as a pest by those humans who come into contact with it. Vespines, like V. crabro, are known for making nests out of surrounding plant materials and other fibers ...more ↓
Eastern Ironclad Beetle
This intricately-sculpted beetle is a member of the ironclad beetle family (Zopheridae). Find it on shelf fungi or under bark nearby between May and September.
Red-banded Fungus Beetle
This lovely beetle is part of the aptly-named family of pleasing fungus beetles, Erotylidae. It can be found on shelf fungi and under bark nearby from May through September.
Pleasing Fungus Beetle
This gorgeous beetle is aptly named the Pleasing Fungus Beetle. It's part of the beetle family Erotylidae and can be found on shelf fungi and under bark nearby from May through September.
Riffle Beetle
Optioservus trivittatus is a species of riffle beetle in the family Elmidae. It is found in North America.
Emerald Ash Borer
Agrilus planipennis, commonly known as the emerald ash borer, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to northeastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. In its native range, it is typically found at low densities and does not cause ...more ↓
Redlegged Grasshopper
The red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) is a species of grasshopper belonging to the genus Melanoplus. It is one of the most common grasshoppers found in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This grasshopper is frequently used as a model organism in scientific studies, due to their abundance throughout North America and behavioral response to changes in ...more ↓
Green Stink Bug
The green stink bug or green soldier bug (Chinavia hilaris) is a stink bug belonging to the family Pentatomidae.
Great Blue Skimmer
The great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. With a total length of 50 to 63 mm, it is one of the largest skimmers. The immature forms of the skimmer are brown in color and mature forms are blue hued. Look for it near lakes, ponds, and slow streams in the eastern United States and rarely in southern Ontario.
Brown Spiketail
Cordulegaster bilineata, the brown spiketail, is a species of spiketail in the family of dragonflies known as Cordulegastridae. It is found in North America.
Ashy Clubtail
The Ashy Clubtail (Phanogomphus lividus) is an early spring species and darker than most other clubtails, with little color on the abdomen. The face is pale green without dark stripes and the vertex is brown. The thorax is grayish-green with a parallel-sided middorsal thoracic stripe. The antehumeral and humeral stripes are fused, with the former sometimes free at its upper end. Occasionally, ...more ↓
Black-shouldered Spinyleg
Black-shouldered spinyleg (Dromogomphus spinosus) is a species of dragonflies in the family Gomphidae.
Zebra Clubtail
Stylurus scudderi, the zebra clubtail, is a species of clubtail in the family of dragonflies known as Gomphidae. It is found in North America.
Common Green Darner
The green darner or common green darner (Anax junius), after its resemblance to a darning-needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America, it also ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico. It also occurs in ...more ↓
Superb Jewelwing
The superb jewelwing (Calopteryx amata) is a species of damselfly in the family Calopterygidae. It is native to North America, where it is distributed in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States as far south as Tennessee.
Appalachian Jewelwing
Calopteryx angustipennis is a species of damselfly in the family Calopterygidae known commonly as the Appalachian jewelwing. It is endemic to the United States, where it occurs in the southeastern and eastern states as far north as New York. It lives near rivers and streams, especially near riffles.
Variable Dancer
The variable dancer (Argia fumipennis) is a damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread throughout the east and present in the interior western United States.
Powdered Dancer
The powdered dancer (Argia moesta) is a damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to North America. It may be seen year-round in at least some of its range.
Fishfly
Nigronia fasciata is a megalopterous dark fishfly in the Corydalidae family. The typical size of N. fasciata is 22 to 28 millimeters, or 2.2 to 2.8 centimeters.
