Twelve Months of Northern Ohio Herps in 2023 (Part 4)

A Green Frog seen crossing the road on a rainy night on June 11th.

This fine looking Spotted Salamander was seen crossing the road on the same night as the Green Frog.

In mid-June I found two of my favorite frogs not far from where I live. The Gray Tree Frog's color changes in response to its environment and activities, and can range from green to gray or brown.

The Northern Leopard Frog is arguably Ohio's most handsome amphibian. It is semi-terrestrial, utilizing wet fields and floodplains for habitat.

Northern Ringneck Snakes aren't all that commonly encountered in Cuyahoga County, so this one was a welcome find.

An American Bullfrog that I caught in a roadside ditch on June 15th.

An Eastern Garter Snake that I found on June 22nd. This reptile found in a wide variety of habitats, including meadows, marshes, woodlands, and hillsides.

A Northern Two-lined Salamander that I found on July 2nd. For me these often turn up in wooded areas well away from water in the Summer months.

This large American Bullfrog was seen in Cuyahoga Valley National Park on July 11th.

It was a good day for hiking and herping - this Common Snapping Turtle in need of a haircut was also seen.

A Green Frog. Young frogs of this species may disperse into wooded areas or meadows when it rains.

By far, Midland Painted Turtles were the most commonly seen herps that day.

An American Toad that I found across the street from me on July 10th. This the most broadly distributed species of toad in North America.

I found my only Black Rat Snake of the year on July 11th. This is Ohio's largest snake as well as the largest snake in the northeastern United States. This one was crawling across a bike path and I saved it from being run over by a biker who was unaware of it crossing in front of him.

A DeKay's Brown Snake that I found on the last day of July in Ottawa County. These are small snakes that are usually less than a foot long.

And a Butler's Garter Snake found on the same day in Lucas County. This is one of the smallest species of Garter Snakes and is chiefly an inhabitant of flat, open fields.

I kicked off the month of August by finding this fantastic Red Eft on the first day of the month in Columbiana County. This amphibian is terrestrial stage of the Red-spotted Newt.

A newborn DeKay's Brown Snake - this species gives birth to tiny live offspring.

A larval Two-lined Salamander. These amphibians have an aquatic stage and breathe with gills before transforming to air-breathing, land-dwelling adults.

A Midland Painted Turtle/Red-ear Slider combo in Cuyahoga Valley National Park on August 8th.

A mid-August frog (that looks to be an American Bullfrog) undergoing metamorphosis.

And a mid-August Redback Salamander - Cleveland had a more rain than usual in the Summer of 2023 (its third-wettest Summer on record), allowing for more salamanders to be found than usual.