What is America’s greatest natural resource? Some might say coal. Some might say oil. Some may even say it’s our people. But looking across this great nation of ours, it’s clear that one natural resource outshines them all: cute animals. The United States is a land rich and abundant in incredibly cuddly creatures, and it’s high time we celebrated them all! That’s why we put together this list of the cutest animals from each state. Get ready to pledge allegiance to all the feels.
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Alabama: The American Pygmy Shrew
The American pygmy shrew is the smallest mammal in North America. When it comes to cuteness, being tiny gives you a big advantage.
Alaska: The Little Brown Bat
America is full of bats, but these guys have got to be the cutest. They’re little and brown! They might as well be sky kittens!
Arizona: The Ringtail Cat
Someone decided to combine the cutest parts of a fox, cat and raccoon to create the Arizona ringtail cat, a true symbol of America’s unparalleled cuteness levels.
Arkansas: Ozark Pocket Gopher
America’s gophers are so cute you just want to pick them up and put them in your pocket. It’s like we’ve got our own Pokemon.
California: The California Newt
This little dude is so cute you may just want to pet it, but its skin produces a toxin a hundred times more poisonous than cyanide, so maybe don’t do that.
Colorado: The Kangaroo Rat
Not only are kangaroo rats tiny, adorable and fluffy, but they also have giant feet for jumping. Jumping is the cutest mode of transportation.
Connecticut: Flying Squirrel
America is a land so blessed with cuteness that it isn’t only limited to the ground. Cute squirrels populate the sky in some states.
Delaware: The River Otter
By land or by sea, river otters are just as cute in the water as they are out of the water. When it comes to cuteness, America has all terrains covered.
Florida: Bottlenose Dolphin
It’s not just looks that make you cute. These clever sea mammals win a ton of cuteness points for their incredible intelligence. Luckily, they also look super cute.
Georgia: North American Beaver
These industrious, dam-building heroes prove that just because our animals are cute doesn’t mean they aren’t hard workers.
Hawaii: Java Sparrow
A hot cup of Java will kickstart your day with caffeine. Java sparrows will kickstart your day with cuteness.
Idaho: The American Pika
These mountain-dwelling mammals prove that American cuteness can stand up to even the rockiest terrains.
Illinois: The Pine Marten
Snow can’t keep down American cuteness either. Just ask the pine marten. This cuddly weasel may be cute, but it has the endurance to stand up to some frigid winters.
Indiana : Cottontail Rabbit
Obviously, we needed to have at least one bunny on this list, and with a name like “cottontail,” you know this one has to be the cutest.
Iowa: The Northern Cardinal
These flying cutie pies look like little Christmas tree ornaments. They’re ready to light up any tree with holiday cheer all year long.
Kansas: Jumping Mouse
If you’re ever in a wheat field in Kansas and you see little round balls of fluff jumping in and out of the stalks, you’re not going crazy. You’ve just met a pack of jumping mice!
Kentucky: White-Footed Mouse
These tiny little guys spend most of their time in the woods, making sure America’s forests are supplied with ample amounts of cuteness as well.
Louisiana: American Green Tree Frog
Some people say the American green tree frog is timid and cowardly because it doesn’t like to be picked up or handled. We say it’s just using common sense. It knows we have to be careful about wasting America’s cuteness reserves.
Maine: Black-Capped Chickadee
Maine is for lovers … of super cute birds.
Maryland: Porcupine
Just because you can’t pet it doesn’t mean it’s not cute.
Massachusetts: Stoat
These adorable dudes perform cute little dances to entertain other animals, then they kill and eat those other animals. It’s a great reminder that cuteness can be a great advantage in combat.
Michigan: Marbled Salamander
These little guys are marbled, just like your mom’s cute new kitchen countertop!
Minnesota: Least Chipmunk
They might be the least chipmunk, but they’ve got the most cuteness!
Mississippi: Honey Bee
Even with its stinger, there’s no denying how adorable a teeny, tiny honey bee is. And it gets bonus points for making honey, America’s cutest food.
Missouri: Eastern Bluebird
Eastern bluebirds are like chubby little teardrops fluttering through the sky.
Montana: Western Spotted Skunk
It’s like a regular skunk but with polka dots. You’ll have to take several baths to get rid of all the cuteness this guy rubs off on you.
Nebraska: White-Tailed Deer
Deer are the princes of the forest — also the princes of cuteness.
Nevada: Burrowing Owl
These owls live underground. Maybe they don’t want to overwhelm the surface with all their cuteness.
New Hampshire: Wood Turtle
Remember the old saying: “Slow but steady wins the cuteness race.”
New Jersey: Eastern Goldfinch
America’s gold standard of cuteness.
New Mexico: Kit Fox
Maybe it should change its name to “cute fox.”
New York: Long-Tailed Weasel
The long-tailed weasel is an incredibly crafty hunter, proving that being cute doesn’t mean you can’t get the job done!
North Carolina: Scarlet Snake
The scarlet snake’s radiant colors deter predators by making them think they’re venomous. Way to use your cuteness to your advantage!
North Dakota: Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Get along, cute little doggies!
Ohio: Smoky Shrew
The smoky shrew builds intricate underground tunnel systems; a huge, subterranean reserve of cuteness could be under your feet anywhere in Ohio.
Oklahoma: Dark-Eyed Junco
Those dark eyes are hiding a world of cuteness!
Oregon: American Wigeon
So much cuter than those Canadian wigeons!
Pennsylvania: Ruffed Grouse
They’re called ruffed because they love putting their big, flashy feathers on display. In America, we never apologize for our cuteness!
Rhode Island: Harbor Seals
These guys belong on an elite team of super soldiers: Seal Team Cute!
South Carolina: Northern Right Whale
Some say whales are some of the wisest creatures on Earth. If they could talk, could they tell us the secret of their cuteness?
South Dakota: Yellow-Bellied Marmot
What it lacks in courage, it makes up for in cuteness.
Tennessee: Mockingbird
One of America’s greatest books is “To Kill a Mockingbird.” We never read it because we think mockingbirds are too cute to kill.
Texas: Armadillo
They may be rough and scaly, but when an armadillo rolls up into a little ball, their cuteness factor increases 1 million percent.
Utah: Tiger Salamander
Amphibious cuteness to the extreme.
Vermont: Black Bear
Rumbly, tumbly, honey-loving cutie bears. Remember to play dead if they attack you with their cuteness — or their deadly claws.
Virginia: American Foxhound
These dogs love to hunt. Their greatest catch is a serious overload of cuteness.
Washington: Opossum
They make playing dead look so cute.
West Virginia: The Virginia Big-Eared Bat
These sky kittens have big ears, probably to help them overhear all the compliments about how cute they are.
Wisconsin: Badger
Incredibly cute and incredibly tough. A badger will take on an animal twice its size and win. Who says cute can’t be tough?
Wyoming: Horned Lizard
A cute little devil!
