Did You Know North Dakota Has 4 Different State Animals?

Moose, deer, buffalo, pheasant, walleye, etc. -- There are so many different animals North Dakota is known for having, but which animals are recognized above all the others?

You might find it surprising that North Dakota has more than one state animal. You might also find it surprising that North Dakota has more than two state animals.

Yep, North Dakota has a total of four recognized state animals.

Which Are They?

You would think that one of our state animals is a bison, but you would be wrong.

Let's go through the list shall we?

State Insect

North Dakota's state insect is none other than the lovely Lady Beetle (Otherwise known as the Ladybug).

Let's be honest, no one is choosing a mosquito or spider as the state insect. The ladybug is one of the most favorable insects across the board. They're cute, and colorful, and they leave you alone.

According to a-zanimals.com, they ladybug was named North Dakota's state insect in 2011.

State Bird

North Dakota's state bird is the Western Meadowlark. According to the source, the reason the Western Meadowlark was chosen as the state bird is simply due to the fact that there are a lot of them around here. Makes sense.

A Western Meadowlark is part of the Blackbird family, and is known for being a songbird.

According to the source, in addition to North Dakota, the Meadowlark is the state bird in Wyoming, Oregon, Kansas, Nebraska and Montana.

The Meadowlark has been the state bird of North Dakota since 1947.

State Fish

According to A-zanimals.com, North Dakota's state fish is not the Walleye, but instead, the Northern Pike. It became the state fish in 1969.

State Horse

Last but not least, North Dakota's state horse is the Nokota Horse (Honorary Equine).

Wild horses are a true sight to see, and you don't come across them in very many places. Take a trip out to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and you are bound to see some running across the rugged terrain.

According to the source, this breed of horse almost went extinct in the early 20th century. Conservation efforts have since been made, and in 1993 the Nokota Horse was officially named the state horse.

These are all the state aninals we have now, though I'm sure as time goes on, we will add more.

Thanks for reading! TTFN.