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Wild About Illinois Species!

Provided by: Illinois Department of Natural Resources|Published on: June 6, 2026

Articles/Websites

678

Synopsis

This resource is a collection of pages about species that live in Illinois.
There are dedicated sections for mammals, birds, lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs and toads, salamanders, fish, fungi, invertebrates, and plants.
Many sections include videos for more information, additional pages for specific species, and links to educational materials.

Subjects: Biology

Authors: Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Region: Illinois

Languages: English

Positives

Prerequisites

This is a very comprehensive resource that teachers may want to preview beforehand, especially for readers with low reading stamina, since not all sections are the same length.

Differentiation & Implementation

Teachers can use this resource for a regular “Illinois Species of the Week” activity, where students read one of the articles weekly and write a one or two-sentence summary about the species.
This collection can be used as a starting point for a research project about an Illinois species.
This resource includes the taxonomy for each species, so it may be helpful for supporting lessons about taxonomy.
Teachers may also be interested in this resource to talk about how climate change and human activities impact Illinois species, such as the greater prairie chicken.
The bat section covers white-nose syndrome, which is a useful example of how human activity and climate change can threaten wildlife populations.
This resource can be used to make regional connections to Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water, and Goal 15, Life on Land.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.