Amphibians

Frogs can be found in park wetlands.

© Jerry Jelinek

Amphibians are an important part of the ecological balance of many habitats. They can behave like sponges, soaking up water and air through their skin. This makes them prone to localized sources of contamination. It also makes them good indicators of environmental health.

Cuyahoga Valley is home to 10 members of the family that includes salamanders and newts, and nine members of the frog and toad family. You can hear or see these animals in many of the wetlands and ponds that dot the park landscape. Remnants of the Ohio & Erie Canal often contain water and are a great place to see both reptiles and amphibians. Take a short walk on the Towpath Trail on a late spring morning and you might hear the quick "peep-peep-peep" of spring peepers or the low resonant "rumm-rumm-rumm" of a bullfrog.

The park's salamanders are harder to find. They are typically hidden in the forest near small temporary ponds, or in and along streams. However, seasonal migrations of salamanders can be observed during rainy spring nights. The migration is dangerous in many park locations, because it includes crossing roadways to get to the amphibians' breeding ponds. Park scientists are working to better understand the effects of mortality caused by road collisions during migration. Scientists and engineers across the federal government are working together to design safer road crossings for amphibians and other wildlife.

 

Spotted salamanders migrate to breeding pools in early spring.

Courtesy ODNR

Marsh Monitoring

Park staff and volunteers have monitored frogs and marsh birds since 1995 as part of a long term Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP). The MMP was established by Bird Studies Canada and Environment Canada in 1994. It is a bi-national, long term monitoring program that coordinates the skills, interests, and stewardship of hundreds of citizens across the Great Lakes basin. It seeks to help understand, monitor, and conserve the region's wetlands and their amphibian and bird inhabitants. The program receives support from Environment Canada, U.S. Great Lakes Protection Fund, U.S. Environmental Protection Fund, and Great Lakes 2000 Cleanup Fund.

The MMP has been monitoring trends in marsh birds and calling amphibians using data provided by more than 600 volunteers. Recent population trends for certain Great Lakes marsh birds suggest habitat fragmentation and degradation are occurring throughout the region. MMP data also showed that most Great Lakes frog and toad species are declining, which further highlights the need for wetland conservation and restoration. Visit the MMP website to learn more.

Marsh birds and frogs are monitored at five sites in the park as part of this long term monitoring project. Marsh birds are monitored twice each spring using broadcast calling surveys. Frogs are monitored three times each spring using point counts.

Use the search tool below to see which creatures call the Cuyahoga Valley home.

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

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Species attribute definitions

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Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.