Twelve Months of Northern Ohio Herps in 2025 (Part 3)

Early June was a great time to find more cool herps. I don't see very many Ringneck Snakes in northern Ohio, so coming across this one was an excellent find. These small snakes eat mostly earthworms and salamanders.

I find a fair number of Two-lined Salamanders in the Summer. Sometimes they are under rocks along creeks, other times I find them under logs a bit of a distance from water.

A neat looking juvenile Eastern Garter Snake that I found in northwest Ohio. This subspecies can be quite variable in appearance.

Midland Painted Turtles are one of the Buckeye State's most beautiful and most common turtles. I saw this one crossing a road and released it in a nearby pond.

A Green Frog in the process of absorbing its tadpole tail.

I found this healthy-looking DeKay's Brown Snake in a field. This small species mostly eat earthworms and slugs.

A newly metamorphosed Spring Peeper. There is a pond across the street from me where these frogs call during the Spring and Summer.

I found my first Eastern Fox Snake of the year on June 29th. Only occurring in five of Ohio's 88 counties, they are listed as a state species of concern. In the United States, they inhabit the emergent wetlands along the shores of the Lakes Erie and Huron.

A Northern Water Snake that it starting to lose its juvenile pattern and become overall dark in color.

A fine looking Dusky Salamander in Wooster County on the last day of June. This creature inhabits streams and their floodplains, and the margins of seeps and swamps.

Long-tailed salamanders have large eyes and a slender body with stout limbs. This is another classic creekside amphibian. It does not occur in the northernmost part of Ohio, but if you travel south, they are a fun find.

On July first I spotted this American Toad on the driveway feasting on June Beetles that were attracted to our garage light.

A sharp looking juvenile Eastern Milk Snake that I found in Lake County on July 1st. As juveniles, they eat small reptiles and as adults, they mainly consume rodents.

Although not a herp, I was pretty stoked about my first-ever encounter with a Striped Fishing Spider.

A handful of Queen Snakes. This neat species mainly feeds on soft-shelled crayfish that have just shed their exoskeletons.

This cool looking Eastern Garter Snake I found in northwest Ohio in July 2nd. Eastern Garters from this area are often lacking in dorsal stripes.

On July 3rd I found this newly metamorphosed Spotted Salamander in the wooded lot across the street from me. Over time it will develop its characteristic yellow spots.