Ohio
We hope this page serves as a landing pad for learning about amphibians, reptiles, and their conservation. The resources featured were compiled by members of the MW PARC Advisory Board with input from other professionals working in amphibian and reptile conservation and management.
If links or information are out of date, please let us know!
State species
Ohio has three state herps. The Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor) is the state reptile, Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) the state amphibian, and American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) the state frog.
Pictured here is a Black Racer (Photo by P. Paplanus from Flickr; CC 2.0).
Field guides and species accounts
Amphibians of Ohio. Edited by R. Pfingsten, T. Matson, G. Lipps Jr., and B. Armitage. (Available for purchase)
Reptiles of Ohio. Edited by J. Davis, G. Lipps Jr., D. Wynn, B. Armitage, T. Matson, R. Pfingsten, and C. Caldwell. (Available for purchase)
Pocket Field Guides. The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources has produced numerous pocket-sized field guides for amphibians, reptiles, and other wildlife. (PDFs)
Ohio Herp Atlas. Please submit your Ohio amphibian and reptile observations to the Ohio Herp Atlas or via the HerpMapper app.
Conservation and management
Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources State Wildlife Action Plan. This is collaborative effort to develop conservation actions that will support the diverse wildlife and habitats found in Ohio.
Ohio's Listed Species of Wildlife. This list details what species of wildlife are considered to be endangered, threatened, species of concern, species of special interest, extirpated, or extinct in Oho.
Regulations
Ohio regulations regarding the collection of wild animals: amphibians and reptiles.
Ohio regulations regarding the propagation of wild animals: noncommercial species.
Ohio fishing regulations: frog and turtle regulations. You can learn more about fishing licenses via this document and purchase a fishing license online.
Educators who want to possess wild animal parts, nests, eggs, etc. need an education permit.
To conduct scientific research with amphibians and reptiles you will need a scientific collecting permit.
Community science and local organizations
Ohio Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (OH PARC). This is a volunteer based state chapter of Midwest PARC.
FrogWatch USA. There are multiple volunteer chapters of FrogWatch in the state.
Museum collections
Cincinnati Museum Center. The collections at this museum date back to the mid-19th century and include amphibians and reptiles with an emphasis on species in the Ohio Valley.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The Cleveland Museum has a herpetology collection along with other extant and fossil specimen collections.
The Ohio State University's Museum of Biological Diversity. The Tetrapods Collection houses reptiles and amphibians from the region and from global collections. Their digital database can be explored via VertNet, GBIF, and iDigBio.
Ohio Wesleyan University Museum of Zoology. This collection includes amphibians, reptiles, and other vertebrates.