Reptiles

A northern water snake slides on a wet log.

© Jim Schmidt

The Cuyahoga Valley is dotted with wetlands, ponds, and lakes. If you visit one on a warm day, look closely. You might glimpse a northern water snake sunning itself on a log or a common snapping turtle peering through the floating duckweed. Twenty species of reptiles are found in the national park: 11 snakes, 8 turtles, and 1 skink. All are native except for the red-eared slider. These small turtles are commonly sold as pets. Some were probably released into the wild—which is illegal.

 

The painted turtle's shell protects it from predators.

© Jim Schmidt

No venomous snakes have been found within the national park. The eastern massasauga (endangered in Ohio) and the northern copperhead have been identified nearby.

Several of the turtles here have a special conservation status in Ohio. The spotted turtle, a state threatened species, was observed here in 2008. The eastern box turtle and Blanding’s turtle have been designated as species of special interest.

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

Search results will be displayed here.

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

 

Observing Turtles

14 Images

During the warm months, it’s common to see turtles sunbathing in the national park’s many wetlands and ponds. If you’re lucky, you might spy one along the Cuyahoga River or in the forest. Use this gallery to tell who is who, and to sharpen your observation skills.

Observing Snakes

12 Images

Nine types of snakes slither around Cuyahoga Valley. Watch them from a respectful distance. They aren’t venomous but they can bite. Use this gallery to tell who is who. Identification can be tricky!