Reptiles, Turtles and Amphibians

There are 33 entries matching this topic. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

American Toad: The American toad (Bufo americanus) is nocturnal and can be found through Ohio where there is moisture -- from urban yards to woodlands. The 2 - 3.5 inch long amphibian comes in a variety of colors, but is most commonly brown. . . .
Black Racer Snake: There are two racers in the state of Ohio, the Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor) and the Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxi). The black racer is black with no markings. The blue racer is a gun metal gray, with a greenish cast. . . .
Black Rat Snake: The black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta) is the largest species of snake in Ohio. It can reach lengths of up to eight feet, averaging 42 - 72 inches. It is black with a faint gray or brown checkerboard pattern and white between its scales. . . .
Bullfrog: The bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is the largest species of frog in not only Ohio but North America. It is green to yellow with some dark coloring across its body. Male and females may be differentiated by the size of the ear drum. The female has ear drums the size of her eye. This is much larger than the male. . . .
Constriction: If a snake is not venomous, it most likely a constrictor. . . .
Dusky Salamander: The dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus fuscus) is one of the most common salamanders in Ohio, living in all but the northwestern quarter of the state. This amphibian is a member of the lungless salamander family. . . .
Eastern Box Turtle: The box turtle (Terrapene Carolina Carolina) gets its name from its hinged plastron that allows it to close tightly against the carapace for protection. The upper shell is very dome-shaped with a ridge and comes in a variety of colors such as tan, dark brown, yellow, orange or olive. The shell can have no design but often has a block pattern or blotching. . . .
Eastern Garter Snake: There are three species of garter snakes in Ohio -- the Eastern garter, Easter plains garter, and the Butler’s garter snake. The Eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) is the most common, ranging throughout Ohio. . . .
Eastern Hognose Snake: The hognose snake (Heterodon platyrhinos) gets its name from the turned up, pig-like nose that it uses to dig for toads. Its coloring can range from yellow and brown to black and gray, making its nose the best method for identification. . . .
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake: The Massasauga Rattlesnake is dark colored and stocky with a thick, triangular shaped head with black stripes. It has a small, but noticeable, rattle on the end of its tail. . . .
Eastern Milk Snake: Nocturnal and secretive, the milk snake (Lampropeltis doliata triangulum) is often confused with the northern copperhead. It has similar reddish-brown, black bordered blotches on its back and sides but the milk snake has a Y or V shaped patch on its neck. . . .
Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle: Unlike most turtles that Ohioans are familiar with, the spiny softshell turtle's (Apalone spinifera spinifera)shell is covered with a tough, leathery skin. The carapace is olive green with black-bordered "eye spots" and a dark rim. It gets its name from the row of small spines on the front of the shell. It has a long, pointed snout. . . .
Eastern Tiger Salamander: The tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) is the world's largest land salamander. It gets its name from the light spots or bars on a dark body. It has a broad head and small eyes. . . .
Eastern Timber Rattlesnake: The coloring of the Eastern timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus) ranges from yellow to brown or gray to black. It has a series of dark chevron-shaped crossbands. It has a noticeable, rattle on the end of its tail. . . .
Eastern Wood Frog: The Eastern wood frog (Rana sylvatica sylvatica) is the only North American frog found north in Canada and Alaska. It is even found north of the Arctic Circle. Its range is farther north than any other reptile or amphibian in North America. In Ohio, the wood frog can commonly be found in the eastern two-thirds of the state. . . .
Five-lined Skink: A skink is a commonly found member of the lizard family. They are very close to snakes except they have four legs, external ear openings and moveable eyelids. In addition to the five-lined skink (Eumeces fasciatus), Ohio also has the broad-head skink (E. laticeps) and the ground skink (Lygosoma laterale). . . .
From Tadpole To Frog: Amphibians are the only land vertebrates that go through a metamorphosis. This transformation is easy to recognize in toads and frogs, but the change is less dramatic in salamanders and newts. . . .
Gray Treefrog: The gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) is a master of disguises. The largest treefrog in Ohio, the gray treefrog can be any shade of brown, green, gray or black, using its camouflage to blend into its surroundings. . . .
Hellbender: The hellbender is the largest amphibian in Ohio and all of North America. . . .
Jefferson's Salamander: The Jefferson's (or Jefferson) salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) looks similar to the spotted salamander. It has a slender dark body, 4 ½ to 7 inches long, with a wide nose, long toes and small silver-blue specks on its sides. . . .
Map Turtle: The map turtle (Graptemys geographica) gets its name from the yellow lines on its carapace that look like roads on a map. It was named in 1816, by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, a scientist and naturalist. He originally described it as a "Lake Erie Tortoise" . . .
Mudpuppy: As the name implies, the mudpuppy's (Necturus maculosus) prefer a habitat of deep, muddy water in large rivers, streams and ponds. They are nocturnal. For these reasons, they are rarely seen. . . .
Northern Copperhead Snake: The northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) has a stocky body that may be copper, orange or pinkish with dark hourglass-shaped crossbands. . . .
Northern Fence Lizard: The fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus) belongs to the group of spiny lizards. Lizards have rough, dry scaly skin and claws. It is not, however, the only lizard in Ohio. . . .
Northern Leopard Frog: It's easy to see how the leopard frog (Rana pipiens pipiens) got its name. Most of its brown to green body is covered with black "leopard spots." . . .
Northern Red Salamander: The northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber ruber) is easy to identify. It is a bright red with black spots and its eyes are a bright yellow. . . .
Northern Spring Peeper: With the possible exception of the bullfrog the spring peeper (Hyla crucifer crucifer) is the most popular frog in Ohio. Its shrill peep, or whistle, is one of the first signs of spring. . . .
Northern Water Snake: The northern water snake (Natrix sipedon sipedon) is abundant and can be found throughout Ohio around any permanent body of water, including lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, streams, and rivers as habitats. . . .
Red Spotted Newt: The red spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is definitely unique. Most salamanders live in water until the become an adult, when they become land-living. The opposite is true for this species. . . .
Reptile: The first reptile appeared around 340 million years ago. These looked like some of the lizards of today. . . .
Snapping Turtle: The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentine) is the largest turtle in Ohio. They may weigh as much as 35 pounds. . . .
Spotted Salamander: The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is sometimes confused with the Jefferson's salamander. It has a dark body, like the Jefferson's, but the spotted salamander has a chunkier body with two rows of bright yellow or gold spots on its sides. . . .
Venomous Snakes: On average, 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year. However, only 9 - 15 of these victims actually die. More people are struck and killed by lightning each year. . . .