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Gila Monster - America’s largest lizard is no joke, reaching up to two ft long.

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Gila Monster - This critter lives in the Southwest, and it’s not only scary-looking, but also venomous. No big deal or anything.

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Kit fox - This endangered critter is the size of a house cat and incredibly cute.

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Kit fox - It primarily makes its home in California.

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Gemsbok/African oryx - The gemsbok, also known as the African oryx, is native to southern Africa.

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Gemsbok/African oryx - How the heck did it end up in New Mexico, then? People put it there, and because its typical predator (the lion) wasn’t invited to the party, the oryx has thrived and multiplied.

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Africanized bees - Despite the name, Africanized bees do exist in the American South.

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Africanized bees - They also go by the name “killer bees,” although BBC notes that they’re not necessarily bigger or more venomous than a European honey bee. The issue, says BBC, is that the bees are more aggressive when it comes to defending their hive.

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Thick-billed parrot - This parrot is native to the US and used to make its home in Arizona and New Mexico.

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Thick-billed parrot - However, the colorful bird is largely considered to be extinct in the US, so you may need to dip down to Mexico to visit this US native.

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Alligator gar - One of the largest freshwater fish in the country, these guys are funny-looking and possess rows of needle-sharp teeth.

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Alligator gar - While they once had a bigger range, the alligator gar now exists primarily in the southern US.

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Jaguar - This beautiful cat is largely extinct in the US (you can still find it in other countries, though), but some still make their homes in the Southwest.

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Jaguar - Jaguars are the largest cats in the Americas.

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Bighorn sheep - You can find these curly-horned lookers in an area that stretches from the Rocky Mountains of Canada to the American Southwest.

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Bighorn sheep - The shape of their hooves to give them easy traction on rugged terrain.

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Gulf Coast jaguarundi - These endangered wild cats are about the size of a large house cat.

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Gulf Coast jaguarundi - They live in southern Texas.

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Burro - Burros, or donkeys, were brought over to the Americas with Christopher Columbus, missionaries, and later were used as beasts of burden during the gold rush.

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Burro - Burros have since formed a feral population in the Arizona desert. They are really, really cute.

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White-nosed coati - The coati is a member of the raccoon family.

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White-nosed coati - You can find these little critters in Arizona and New Mexico.

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Condor - The California Condor lives in mountainous areas in Arizona and the west coast of the US.

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Condor - It is the largest flying bird in the country.

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Flying squirrels - These weird little mammals are squirrels, not bats, but they can glide through the air, thanks to a parachute-like membrane that stretches between their limbs.

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Flying squirrels - Most species of flying squirrel only exist in Asia, but two species can be found in forested areas all over the US.

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Black spiny tailed iguana - You’d expect to see this Mexican and Central American native south of the US border, but the lizard now includes Florida in its territory.

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Black spiny tailed iguana - This iguana also happens to be the fastest-running lizard on the planet.

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Golden eagle - Everyone knows the bald eagle is American, but what do you know about the golden eagle?

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Golden eagle - It’s the country’s largest bird of prey, and also happens to be the national bird of Mexico.

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Hooded seal - These seals are more typically found in areas like Newfoundland and Labrador, but can wander long distances.

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Hooded seal - This means the seals sometimes appear in areas around Alaska.

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Javelina - Also called a “collared peccary,” the javelina is a type of New World pig that lives in American deserts.

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Javelina - It has a strong resemblance to domestic pigs.

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Kodiak bear - Everyone knows about black, brown, grizzly, and polar bears, but did you know kodiak bears also live in the States?

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Kodiak bear - It’s actually a subspecies of brown bear, lives in Alaska’s Kodiak Archipelago, and is absolutely huge.

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Lamprey - There are many species of these jawless fish, but some are parasites, which FEED ON THE BLOOD of other fish and have MANY-TOOTHED, SUCKING MOUTHS. You know, casual.

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Lamprey - They are also literal nightmares and may or may not be the actual monsters from ‘Stranger Things’ (unconfirmed). Thanks, nature!

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Monk seal - Most seals make their homes in colder climates, but Hawaiian monk seals live on and around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

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Monk seal - The endangered species can only be found in Hawaii. You won’t find them anywhere else in the world.

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Musk ox - Herds of the, er, musky-scented, long-haired animal can be found in Alaska.

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Musk ox - They were wiped out in Alaska during the 19th and 20th centuries, but have since been reintroduced.

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Luna moth - These pretty moths are huge! According to BAMONA, they have a wingspan that ranges from just over 2 inches to just over 4 inches.

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Luna moth - You can find them in states like Florida, North Dakota, and Texas.

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Salamander - According to Mother Earth News, there are more than 150 species of salamanders in North America. If you haven’t seen one yet, you’re not looking hard enough.

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Salamander - Some salamanders live in the water, some live on land.

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Orca - Orcas, also called killer whales, are actually large dolphins.

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Orca - They can be found in the waters of the west coast, from California to Alaska.

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Spoonbill - The Roseate Spoonbill is pink, strange, and found in areas like Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

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Spoonbill - Like many animals on this list, the population has dwindled in the US.

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Pacific walrus - Some of these long-tusked mammals can be found off the coast of Alaska.

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Pacific walrus - They’re endangered due to the melting of sea ice.

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Tree frog - The Pine Barrens tree frog can be found in New Jersey, North and South Carolina, southern Alabama, and Florida.

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Tree frog - The US is home to several species of tree frogs.

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Bobcat/lynx - The bobcat, sometimes called a lynx, can be found all over America.

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Bobcat/lynx - It is typically a solitary animal, and very territorial.

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Pronghorn antelope - These guys aren’t actually antelopes, but they are faster than every other land mammal in the world (except for the cheetah) according to National Geographic.

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Pronghorn antelope - They live in western and central North America.

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Atlantic Puffin - According to Smithsonian.com, these east coast cuties were once essentially gone from the Maine shore.

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Atlantic Puffin - Luckily, they’ve since made a comeback.

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Puma - The puma is sometimes called a cougar, panther, mountain lion, or catamount.

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Puma - It lives in different habitats across the US, and is more closely related to house cats than it is to jaguars.

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Porpoise - These marine mammals are closely related to dolphins.

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Porpoise - They can be found off both the east and west coasts of the US.

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Red wolf - Many people think of wolves as gray, but you can also find red wolves in the US.

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Red wolf - Also known as the Florida black wolf or Mississippi Valley wolf, this tawny-furred canine was once extinct in America, but was reintroduced by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It is still considered to be endangered.

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Roadrunner - This silly-looking bird isn’t just a cartoon character, and it really does live in the US.

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Roadrunner - They’re a type of ground cuckoo and yes, they do run really fast.

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Rubber boa - This unpleasant-looking snake really does appear rubbery, thanks to its loose skin and smooth scales.

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Rubber boa - It’s hard to differentiate its head from its tail, which the boa uses to its advantage when under attack.

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Tropical parula - You can spot these New World warblers in Texas.

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Tropical parula - They also live in Central and South America, and northern populations will migrate south when it’s not breeding time.

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Wild boar - “Wild Pigs Are Taking Over America and Your Country is Next,” declared a 2017 Gizmodo headline. The US has an invasive population of feral pigs, also known as wild boars, and yes, it’s growing.

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Wild boar - These boars are a combination of escaped domestic pigs, boars brought over from Europe and released for hunting purposes, and their descendants.

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Wild horse - Native horses lived in North America once upon a time, but they became extinct in the US over 10,000 years ago, according to Smithsonian.com.

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Wild horse - However, present day America does have wild horses, which Smithsonian.com says are the descendants of domesticated horses brought over by 16th and 17th-century Spanish explorers.

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Wolverine - The largest member of the weasel family can be found in Alaska.

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Wolverine - Sadly, its numbers are dwindling.

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Bison - If you’ve ever played Oregon Trail, you probably know that the American bison, also known as the American buffalo, exists in the US. If you haven’t, it may come as a surprise.

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Bison - Females and males often live in separate groups, except when it comes time to mate.

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