Mammals

Coyotes are more often heard than seen in Cuyahoga Valley.

Courtesy MPSSC

The expansive green space of Cuyahoga Valley National Park provides a refuge for many types of mammals. Forty-one mammal species have been documented in the park.

Coyotes and Foxes

Coyotes returned naturally to the valley in the 1980s after a long absence. They are now the dominant predator in several park ecosystems. The abundance of forest edge habitat along open meadows and fields provides coyotes with plenty of food. Here they find fruits, nuts, small mammals, and other food sources. Coyotes are present in all 88 counties in Ohio. No one is sure how many coyotes live in the Cuyahoga Valley, but recent surveys estimate 100 to 150.

Red and gray foxes take advantage of the same food sources as coyotes, though gray foxes are considered rare in the park. When identifying foxes, remember to look at the tail. Red foxes are taller and lankier with dark legs and a white tip at the end of the tail. Gray foxes are lower to the ground and have a black line running down the top of the tail ending in a black tip. Coyotes also have a black-tipped tail. Red foxes thrive on the edge of suburbia, often taking advantage of human-modified landscapes. They appear to avoid confrontation with coyotes and will often use old groundhog dens to raise their young, known as kits. Gray foxes have semi-retractable claws and can use them to climb trees. This animal's numbers have been declining in the state over the last decade. Its presence has not been confirmed in the national park since 2006, though several people have reported sightings.

 

A chipmunk is a small, squirrel-like rodent.

© Neil Evans

Small Mammals

Small mammals make up the majority of the mammal population in Cuyahoga Valley. These animals can be found through out the park's forests, fields, and wetlands. They include mice, moles, voles, shrews, chipmunks, and squirrels. If you hear rustling leaves while hiking through the woods, one of these small critters is usually the culprit. A small mammal inventory showed that white-footed mice and short-tailed shrews are two of the most abundant animals in the park.

Bats

Nine species of bats have been found in the park, three of which were first identified in a 2002 bat survey. The Indiana Bat, a federally endangered species, found in the 2002 survey was not identified in the 2022 survey. Two federally listed species, the Tri-colored bat and Northern Long-eared bat, are still observed in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Biologists from Summit Metro Parks were the first in the region to detect a bat-killing fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), at the Liberty Park Reservation in Twinsburg in 2012. This fungal disease has killed millions of bats in the northeastern and eastern United States, including bats that live in the national park. Learn more about the bat population and WNS.

Deer and Other Mammals

Along roadsides, white-tailed deer and woodchucks graze on grasses and forbs in open fields. At night, you may catch a glimpse of raccoons or opossums scurrying across the road, in a hurry to find food or shelter before the day begins.

 

Mink have luxurious fur.

NPS Collection

Many of the park's wetlands are filled with beaver and muskrat activity. Where a tree once stood, there may be nothing left but a stump and woodchips, signs of the beaver's need for food, shelter, or a dam. Mink, in search of fish, snakes, or other foods, often visit wetlands or streams are occasionally seen. River otter sightings usually occur in the very early morning when there is minimal human disturbance. In general, these mammals are also very active at dusk and throughout the night feeding on fish and at times, other aquatic animals.

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):

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Species attribute definitions

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