Welcome to the Cutest Animals in the US.
The world is full of different animals, and they all have different traits and characteristics that set them apart. Some are wild creatures, while others are lovable and make great pets and companions. In this list of the cutest animals in the US, some can be pets, whereas some should be admired from a distance.
Among all these different species of animals, some leave you in admiration of their adorableness. Their physical appearance depicts cuteness which makes them irresistible to caress. Even individuals who are not animal lovers will get a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Today we will talk about these admirable cute creatures around the United States. They have adorable physical features, which you would want to cuddle and hug at first glance.
However, it needs to be stated that some of these cute creatures may seem fluffy and cute but might have an aggressive nature – they may harm you if they feel threatened by you.
For aggressive cute creatures, admiring them from a distance is advisable.
Here is a list of the cutest animals, along with their unique physical traits, dietary specifications, and habitats all around the United States:
#1 The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
Appearance
The eastern cottontail rabbit is an animal of the New World, meaning it typically lives in the world’s western hemisphere, especially the region of America. It belongs to the family of rabbits having solid fur in shades of brown, red, and grey.
Their body comprises large feet, long ears, and a tiny tail that looks like a cotton ball. The tail has rusty patches on top while having white fur underneath it.
The features that make their appearance look especially cute are their big brown eyes and large ears. Apart from this, they have fluffy bodies, which makes them ideal for cuddling. It is a medium-sized animal 36-48 centimeters long, weighing 800 to 2000 grams.
Habitat And Distribution
These cottontail rabbits form their habitats in open fields and grassy lands with abundant herbs and grasses that they can feed on. Similarly, they prefer residing in areas where they have ample escape cover from predators.
They live in meadows and clearings of the South and the Central United States. They are also sighted in the region of the Caribbean Island of Margarita.
Diet
They are herbivores and like to feed on plants and vegetables. Their diet comprises vegetation such as barks, grass seeds, buds, sedge fruits, twigs, leaves, and rush seeds.
#2 Albert’s Squirrel
Appearance
It belongs to the family of tree squirrels, having a grey fur coating on its body along with a white underbelly. They have a red and rust-toned stripe down their backs. Their most noticeable feature is their ear tufts that are 2-3 centimeters long.
Albert’s Squirrel are small-sized creatures which makes them adorable to look at. They have a 56-58 centimeter-long body with a tail lengthening to 25 centimeters. These species are very similar to the Eurasian red squirrel.
Habitat And Distribution
These squirrels form their habitats in a ponderosa pine tree to find cover, nesting, and food. They are mainly endemic to the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountains of Colorado, along with Utah, Mexico, and Arizona.
Diet
Since they form their habitats in ponderosa pine, they consume it throughout the year. They eat seeds, the inner side of the bark, pollen cones, staminate buds, and terminal buds. They also consume bobes, fungi, carrion, and antlers.
#3 Antelope Ground Squirrel
Appearance
Antelope Ground Squirrels belong to the family of squirrels. All the squirrels belonging to the squirrel family look similar in appearance. Antelope squirrels have a white stripe on their back that does not go up to their heads and a flat tail that curves towards their back.
They are small and adorable creatures, only measuring 14-17 centimeters with a 6-10 centimeter-long tail. Their weight ranges from 110-150 grams.
Habitat And Distribution
They primarily reside in the dry scrub areas of the south and west ends of the United States. These areas are dry, comprising sand and rocks. To protect themselves from the heat, they burrow holes in the sand.
They are adapted to endure extreme temperatures because these shrubby lands can reach high-temperature levels during the day, and during the night temperatures drop to freezing points.
Diet
These squirrels are omnivores, feeding on insects, arthropods, and carrions whenever they are available in their region. Other times they feed on fruits, vegetables, and seeds. They are also known as seed dispersers, as they hide their food in deep burrows for later use.
#4 American Black Bear
Appearance
These animals are medium-sized bears having a coating of colors black and grey. Their round size and soft fur make them adorable to look at. But don’t be fooled by their lovable exterior. They are hazardous animals with sharp and solid claws and are likely to attack if threatened.
Black Bears’ weight ranges from 57-250 kilograms, with females being lighter than males. Tiny cubs of these bears are delightful to look at, similar to tiny babies playing innocently.
Habitat And Distribution
They are present in the forested regions of North America in the United States. Usually, they form their habitat in areas where they have access to ample vegetation.
Diet
The diet of these bears consists of 85% vegetation. They feed on various fruits and berries. Sometimes they also consume honey bees, insects, ants, and yellow jackets.
#5 Box Turtle
Appearance
Box turtles have a very similar appearance to a tortoise and belong to the American turtle family. They have a giant shell on their backs and contract their legs and head inside the shell when feeling threatened. The surface of the shell has a pattern in shades of orange and yellow.
They are adorable creatures because of their small size. Many individuals keep box turtles in their homes as pets. They need proper care and a sufficient diet to survive in human houses.
Habitat And Distribution
Box turtles are endemic to North America. These are among the widest-distributed species existing in the US. The habitat varies from season to season, but they mainly inhabit woodlands and grasslands.
Diet
They are naturally omnivores, and their diet includes insects, worms, millipedes, and fruits such as apples and berries.
#6 White-Tailed Deer
Appearance
These deer are endemic to North America. They have a reddish-brown coating on their body that changes colors to grey-brown during the fall and winter seasons. These deer are categorized as white-tailed deer due to the white underside of their body.
The age of the deer can be estimated by looking at its coating. Similar to humans, it tends to turn grey as they age. The population of these species in the region of New York is white. These medium-sized animals are adorable to look at.
Habitat And Distribution
They are endemic to North America and Central America. Sometimes they inhabit parts of Southern Canada as well. They prefer to reside in woodlands but are often sighted on farmlands in the urban region.
Diet
White-Tailed Deer have a heavy diet comprising leaves, legumes, grass, corn, fruit, and similar food forms. They have multi-chambered stomachs, which allow them to easily digest numerous food items that are dangerous to consume even for humans, poison ivy and poisonous mushrooms for example.
#7 Grizzly Bear
Appearance
Grizzly bears also come in the category of cute animals due to their round bodies and fluffy fur. Their coating comes in the colors brown and black. They have a hump on their back, a straight face, and long rounded ears.
They are medium to large-sized animals having a length of 198 centimeters. Their bodies are on the bulkier side, weighing 100 to 227 kilograms. Although they look like cute fuzzy animals, they are extremely dangerous with sharp and strong claws.
Habitat And Distribution
Grizzly bears mainly live in the western regions of Canada and the states of Idaho, Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming in the United States. They form their habitats in boreal and deciduous forests, coastal areas, and sub-alpine mountains.
Diet
They are omnivores but have a digestive system similar to that of a carnivore. Therefore, their diets comprise both plants and animals. They prey on large mammals such as caribou, white-tailed deer, moose, elk, mule deer, bison, and bighorn sheep. Occasionally they also feed on fish.
#8 Northern Pygmy Owl
Appearance
They come in shades of grey and brown. The most adorable feature of these animals is their round head with white spots on top of it. They have a long tail which differentiates them from other owl species.
Another lovable feature is their yellow eyes, which are an absolute attraction to the viewers. They have two dark patches at the back of their neck that look similar to their eyes. They are small in size, having a length of 7 inches and a weight of only 2 ounces.
Habitat And Distribution
This bird is endemic to the regions of the United States and Canada. They form their habitats in temperate areas of moist tropical and subtropical forests, wetlands, and savanna.
Typically they form their nests near streams in forests where they can have ample access to fresh water.
Diet
These owls are labeled as “sit and wait” predators. They observe their prey and swoop down to catch its food, such as insects, birds and small mammals.
#9 American Pika
Appearance
Pikas are tiny animals that are related to the rabbit and hare families. They have a cute diminutive size of 6 to 8 inches. They have a round, oval body with dense fur coating on top. These features make them perfect for cuddling.
The fur coating of the pika varies in shades of brown, grey, and cinnamon, which changes to grey during the winter. They have small hands and feet with black pads at the end of their toes.
Habitat And Distribution
They inhabit the mountain ranges of North and Central America. Pika has 30 species, and only two of them (American Pika and Collared Pika) form their habitats in the region of North America in the United States.
They like to reside in rocky and alpine areas. These species cannot stand high temperatures. Therefore, they form their habitats in cool and moist areas with ample fresh water.
Diet
They are herbivores in nature and therefore consume plant-based diets. Green plants comprising fireweed, sedges, grasses, and thistles are their food source.
#10 Harbor Seal
Appearance
They have a unique spotted pattern on their bodies in different shades: tan and grey. If their body base is dark, it will have light spots – and vice versa. They have round heads and short flippers.
Moreover, their small-looking bodies make them particularly loveable and one of the cutest animals in the US. They can weigh around 168 kilograms and have a length of 1,8 m; females are usually smaller than males.
Habitat And Distribution
They typically live at the coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere in the Atlantic Pacific Ocean, north and the Baltic seas, inhabiting rocky coasts and sandy beaches.
They cover up to 50 kilometers in search of food, as they can swim for miles in the water.
Diet
They feed on flatfish, crabs, salmon, menhaden, sea bass, herring, whiting, anchovy, shrimp, cod, mollusks, squids, and mackerel. Sometimes, they prey on ducks as well.
#11 Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
Appearance
This animal species is the smallest among its family of sea turtles. Their small size of 58-70 centimeters makes them cute and eye-catching creatures, weighing around 36-45 kilograms. These turtles change their color as they mature. The younger ones are dark purple but change color as they age. When they mature, they become yellow-green, white, and then grey-green.
They are among the only species of turtle that nest during the daytime.
Habitat And Distribution
Mature adults of these species reside in Mexico, Florida, and Texas. They inhabit shallow waters and coastal areas, forming their nests near beaches.
These species are critically endangered and on the Red List of the IUCN list.
Diet
Their diet comprises jellyfish, mollusks, seaweed, crustaceans, fish, sea urchins, and algae. Younger ones enjoy feeding on crabs.
The Final Word on Cutest Animals in the US
The above-mentioned cute animals have their traits and features that set them apart from other animals – but they all reflect an extremely lovable appearance. The only thing common among all is their attractive physical features that produce that warm fuzzy feeling of love in the viewer’s heart, granting them a place on the list of the cutest animals in the US.
Their big eyes, soft exterior fur, small hands and feet, big ears, and small size are all features that add to their cuteness.
They are distributed in the United States, inhabiting various areas such as forests, coastal areas, grasslands, and more. Each of them requires a specific environment and temperature to survive. Some can survive in high temperatures, while others can only survive in moderate temperatures.
To find more information on how to take care of animals here are a few tips that can be useful for you.
Thank you for reading this article! If you still want to enjoy more cute creatures, take a look at:
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