Michigan: Snapping turtles. Don't insult the largest turtles in North America, as snapping turtles will respond. They have a toothless mouth and a growth on their tongues that looks like a worm, which they use to attract fish. Unlike other turtles, they can't pull their limbs or head into their shells. They are solitary and have limited social interactions, mostly fighting with other males. To find a mate, they face each other and communicate through leg movements. Have you ever had a pet turtle?

Minnesota: Gray tree frog. These frogs don't look bizarre, but they have developed a pretty unique adaptation that comes in handy in a state with famously brutal winters. The Twin Cities Pioneer Press details its ability to partially freeze during the winter. It produces large amounts of glycerol to protect its body during the freezing process, but its heart, breathing, and other vital functions can stop. Once it thaws, the frog will reanimate. Do you find this ability to reanimate after being frozen fascinating?

Mississippi: Alligator gar. These large fish, which can exceed eight feet in length, seem like they belong in a museum due to their ancient features. Alligator gars can breathe air, have hard scales, sharp teeth, and stronger bites than many Southern lake fish. They are called "primitive fishes" or "living fossils" for keeping traits from their early ancestors, like a spiral valve intestine, similar to sharks. Have you ever seen one of these toothsome critters in person?

Missouri: Giant desert centipede. It's hard not to get the heebie-jeebies when looking at a giant desert centipede, the largest centipede in North America, and its 21 or 23 pairs of yellow legs, fangs, red head, and greenish-black body. The bright coloration is aposematic, meaning it should act as a warning to stay away. The centipede hunts invertebrates and small vertebrates including rodents and reptiles, sometimes reaching into the air to grab flying bugs, and uses its cell-rupturing, membrane-compromising venom to subdue its future food. It can also pinch with its last pair of legs to bring the pain according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Have you ever kept an arthropod as a pet?