Twelve Months of Northern Ohio Herping Highlights 2023 (Part 1)

All herps were found in Cuyahoga County except where noted. Despited having a significant snowstorm on Christmas Eve 2022, the start of January was relatively mild in northeast Ohio. I found two Redback Salamanders in my backyard on January 2nd - the high temperature for the day was 51 degrees.

This example is known as a "leadback" morph of the Redback Salamander, because it lacks the red-orange stripe down its back. I suspect these amphibians hibernate in underground tunnels under rocks and logs and get flooded out when the snow melts, bringing them to the surface in the Winter months.

What's the toughest turtle in the land? Well, that's easy - Common Snapping Turtles are occasionally seen walking along the bottom of ice-covered waterways. This one was coming up for air on January 5th in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Even though Red-ear Sliders are not native to northern Ohio and are considered a southern species, they can sometimes been seen basking earlier and later then our native Midland Painted Turtles - this one was out on January 19th.

Male Red-ear Sliders often become dark with age, sometimes turning completly black. Here is a melanistic example, also out on January 19th. It's in the process of shedding the scutes on its shell.

On February 9th I saw my first Green Frog of the year in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This is an adaptable species and for me, the most commonly seen frog in Ohio - sometimes they even make their home in my backyard turtle pens.

A Midland Painted Turtle also seen in Cuyahoga Valley National Park on February 9th.

On February 15th I dip netted this young American Bullfrog that was at the bottom of a pond.

On the same day I found this Redback Salamander in the wooded lot across the street from my house.

Mid-February rains brought out some early amphibian migrators that were heading to vernal pools to lay their eggs. This Spring Peeper on the night of February 16th, was one of them.

Jefferson Salamanders usually make their way to breeding pools before Spotted Salamanders and this fine creature was also out on the night of February 16th.

Herp habitat in Summit County.

A chilly Summit County Green Frog on March 1st. I have found that cold frogs are often very dark and they "gain" their color when they warm up.

A Red-spotted Newt also dip netted from the same place as the Green Frog on March 1st.

A mid-March Midland Painted Turtle.

My first snake of the year - an Eastern Garter in Portage County on March 21st - the first day of Spring. The dried mud on the snake indicates time spent in an underground hibernation burrow.

Spotted Salamanders are "classic" signs of Spring in the world of field herping. Here's one found near a vernal pool where they gather to lay eggs.

Spotted Salamanders are undeniably handsome.

A Wood Frog crossing the road on March 22nd, this is the is the northernmost occurring frog in North America and the most widely distributed frog in Alaska. Like the Garter Snake from the day before, it looks to be partially caked with mud - a clue to it's underground hibernation habits.

A Green Frog seen crossing the road on a rainy night on the last day of March 2023.