Mississippi does not have one official symbol simply called “the state animal.” Instead, the state recognizes animals in separate categories: state bird, land mammals, water mammal, waterfowl, fish, reptile, butterfly and insect. Counting those nine living designations plus Mississippi’s state fossil—the prehistoric whale—produces the 10-entry list many readers are looking for.
This guide identifies every entry, explains its official category, notes historical naming differences and shows why the prehistoric whale must be treated as a fossil rather than a living state animal.
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The 10 Mississippi animal symbols at a glance
The table uses the current category names used by Mississippi’s state-symbol pages. Historical publications sometimes use slightly different wording, which is noted where it helps clarify the record.
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| Animal or fossil | Official category | Living symbol? | Historical note or wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mockingbird | State bird | Yes | Selected as the official state bird in 1944. |
| Red fox | State land mammal | Yes | Listed with the white-tailed deer as Mississippi’s land mammals. |
| White-tailed deer | State land mammal | Yes | Listed with the red fox as Mississippi’s land mammals. |
| Bottlenose dolphin | State water mammal | Yes | An older Secretary of State sheet spells it “Bottlenosed Dolphin.” |
| Wood duck | State waterfowl | Yes | Recognized in the waterfowl category. |
| Largemouth bass | State fish | Yes | The symbols sheet says “Largemouth or Black Bass”; the current page uses “Largemouth Bass.” |
| American alligator | State reptile | Yes | Recognized as Mississippi’s official reptile. |
| Spicebush swallowtail | State butterfly | Yes | Chosen as the state butterfly in 1991. |
| Honeybee | State insect | Yes | Recognized in the insect category. |
| Prehistoric whale | State fossil | No; fossil | An animal fossil included to complete the 10-entry animal-symbol list. |
Why Mississippi’s “state animal” list has different categories
State-symbol systems are not required to use one broad animal designation. Mississippi’s official materials sort animal-related symbols by the role each one plays: a bird, a mammal living on land, a mammal associated with the water, waterfowl, a fish, a reptile, a butterfly, an insect or a fossil. That structure is why the state has two land mammals rather than one all-purpose state animal.
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For this 10-entry count, the nine living symbols are the mockingbird, red fox, white-tailed deer, bottlenose dolphin, wood duck, largemouth bass, American alligator, spicebush swallowtail and honeybee. The tenth entry is the prehistoric whale, which is officially a fossil. Calling all 10 “living state animals” would be inaccurate.
Mississippi’s living animal symbols
Mockingbird — state bird
The mockingbird is Mississippi’s official state bird. A Mississippi Secretary of State publication gives 1944 as the selection year and explains that the bird was selected by the Women’s Federated Clubs and the State Legislature. The publication states: “Found in all sections of Mississippi, the cheerful mockingbird was selected as the official State Bird by the Women’s Federated Clubs and by the State Legislature in 1944.”
The wording matters because it records both the institution involved and the date, rather than presenting the mockingbird as an informal favorite. In a classroom or reference list, “mockingbird” should therefore be paired with the category “state bird” and the year 1944.
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Mississippi lists the red fox as one of its state land mammals. It shares that category with the white-tailed deer, so neither animal should be described as the state’s sole land mammal. The designation is a category-level recognition: the red fox represents one of the two land-mammal symbols in the state’s official system.
When compiling a short answer, list “red fox — land mammal.” When compiling a complete answer, include the white-tailed deer in the same section so the category is not accidentally reduced to one species.
White-tailed deer — state land mammal
The white-tailed deer is Mississippi’s second official land mammal. Current state-symbol material places it alongside the red fox. This pairing is one of the clearest reasons the phrase “What is Mississippi’s state animal?” needs a qualification: the official record recognizes multiple animals by category rather than naming one universal mammal.
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Use the full common name “white-tailed deer” in educational material. It distinguishes the symbol from a generic reference to deer and matches the terminology used in the state-symbol listings.
Bottlenose dolphin — state water mammal
The bottlenose dolphin is Mississippi’s official water mammal. The current state page uses “Bottlenose Dolphin,” while an older Secretary of State symbols sheet uses “Bottlenosed Dolphin.” These are spelling variants for the same listed symbol, not two separate designations.
For a current list, use “bottlenose dolphin.” If you are transcribing an older document, preserve its original “Bottlenosed Dolphin” wording or add a note explaining the variation. The category is water mammal, which keeps this designation distinct from both the land-mammal entries and the waterfowl category.
Wood duck — state waterfowl
Mississippi recognizes the wood duck as its state waterfowl. “Waterfowl” is the official category, so the entry should not be relabeled as the state bird even though a wood duck is a bird. Mississippi’s system can recognize a bird in a category based on its association with water while reserving “state bird” for the mockingbird.
This distinction is useful when teaching the list: one species is the state bird, and another is the state waterfowl. Both are official symbols, but they answer different category questions.
Largemouth bass — state fish
The current state-symbol page identifies largemouth bass as Mississippi’s state fish. The Secretary of State symbols sheet gives the older wording “Largemouth or Black Bass.” The current form is the clearest choice for a present-day article, while the historical wording explains why readers may encounter a slightly different name in older references.
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Do not treat “largemouth bass” and “black bass” as two entries in the 10. The older phrase is a naming variant in the symbols material, not an additional fish designation.
American alligator — state reptile
The American alligator is Mississippi’s official state reptile. Its category is separate from the state fish, water mammal and land mammals, so the alligator occupies one distinct place in the official structure.
Including the word “American” is preferable to shortening the entry to “alligator.” It follows the formal common name used in the state-symbol list and avoids ambiguity in a reference article or school project.
Spicebush swallowtail — state butterfly
The spicebush swallowtail is Mississippi’s official state butterfly. The Secretary of State publication gives 1991 as the year it was chosen. One older sheet shortens the name to “Spice Swallowtail,” but the current page and the fuller official publication use “Spicebush Swallowtail.”
That history produces a simple rule for writing the name: use “spicebush swallowtail” in the headline, table and main text; mention “Spice Swallowtail” only when explaining the older wording. The 1991 date belongs specifically to this butterfly designation, not to Mississippi’s entire animal-symbol system.
Honeybee — state insect
The honeybee is Mississippi’s official state insect. It is not a second name for the spicebush swallowtail: the butterfly has its own category, and the honeybee is listed under insect. Keeping both entries preserves the state’s distinction between a specific butterfly designation and the broader insect designation.
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In a classroom chart, place the honeybee under “state insect” and the spicebush swallowtail under “state butterfly.” That arrangement mirrors the official categories and prevents the two from being collapsed into one general pollinator entry.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsPrehistoric whale — Mississippi’s state fossil
The prehistoric whale is the tenth animal-related entry in this list, but it is not a living state animal. Mississippi designates it as the state fossil. Its inclusion reflects the fact that an animal fossil is still an animal-related state symbol, while its fossil status tells readers that no living species is being designated by that entry.
Headings and captions should make this distinction visible—for example, “Prehistoric whale — state fossil (not a living animal symbol).” That wording prevents the common mistake of presenting 10 living animals when the official categories support nine living symbols plus one fossil.
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Mississippi’s list becomes easier to check when grouped by category rather than alphabetically:
- Bird: mockingbird.
- Land mammals: red fox and white-tailed deer.
- Water mammal: bottlenose dolphin.
- Waterfowl: wood duck.
- Fish: largemouth bass.
- Reptile: American alligator.
- Butterfly: spicebush swallowtail.
- Insect: honeybee.
- Fossil: prehistoric whale.
This grouping also provides a quick completeness check. There should be two land mammals, one entry in each of the bird, water-mammal, waterfowl, fish, reptile, butterfly and insect categories, and one fossil entry. If a list has only one land mammal or labels the prehistoric whale as living, it does not match the state’s category structure.
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Only two animal designations in the cited Secretary of State material carry specific selection years: the mockingbird was selected as state bird in 1944, and the spicebush swallowtail was chosen as state butterfly in 1991. Those dates should be attached to the respective entries rather than generalized to the other symbols.
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Mississippi also recognizes an oyster shell as a state symbol. It is additional animal-related context, but it is not one of the 10 animal species in this article and should not be silently counted as another animal. The oyster shell belongs to a separate symbol category.
Other state-symbol history can provide context without changing the animal list. For example, the Secretary of State publication records the magnolia as state flower in 1900 and state tree in 1952. Those are plant designations, not animal entries, so they remain outside the 10-item count.
Using Mississippi’s official symbol resources
The Mississippi Secretary of State publishes a guide to Mississippi emblems and symbols, and the Mississippi Legislature provides educational state-symbol materials and games. These resources are useful for checking category labels, historical wording and classroom activities.
- Start with the current state-symbol categories so that “bottlenose dolphin,” “largemouth bass” and “spicebush swallowtail” appear in their current forms.
- Use the Secretary of State publication for historical notes, including the 1944 mockingbird selection and 1991 butterfly selection.
- Count nine living symbols separately from the prehistoric whale fossil.
- Keep the oyster-shell symbol outside the animal-species count.
- When quoting an older sheet, preserve its wording and identify it as historical rather than treating the variant as a new symbol.
A quick checklist for an accurate Mississippi animal-symbol list
- Are all nine living symbols present?
- Are both land mammals—red fox and white-tailed deer—included?
- Is the mockingbird labeled state bird and dated 1944 when its history is discussed?
- Is the spicebush swallowtail labeled state butterfly and dated 1991 when its history is discussed?
- Is the bottlenose dolphin treated as a water mammal, not a second land mammal?
- Is the wood duck labeled state waterfowl rather than simply replacing the mockingbird as state bird?
- Is largemouth bass treated as one fish entry despite the older “Largemouth or Black Bass” wording?
- Is the prehistoric whale clearly marked as a fossil?
- Is the oyster shell kept separate from the 10 animal entries?
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mississippi have one official state animal?
No. Mississippi assigns official animal symbols to separate categories, including state bird, land mammals, water mammal, waterfowl, fish, reptile, butterfly and insect.
Why is the prehistoric whale included in a list of 10 animals?
It is Mississippi’s state fossil. Including it creates a 10-entry animal-symbol list, but it must be identified as a fossil rather than a living state animal.
Are “Bottlenosed Dolphin” and “Bottlenose Dolphin” different symbols?
No. They are spelling variants found in older and current Mississippi state-symbol publications for the same water-mammal designation.
Is the oyster shell one of Mississippi’s 10 state animals?
No. Mississippi recognizes an oyster shell as a separate symbol, but it is not one of the 10 animal species in this category-based list.
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Which Mississippi animal symbols have documented selection years?
The mockingbird was selected as state bird in 1944, and the spicebush swallowtail was chosen as state butterfly in 1991, according to a Mississippi Secretary of State publication.
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