State herp calendar
Reptiles and Amphibians of Ohio
Ohio is farmland in the west, hill country in the southeast and Lake Erie up north. American Toads and Painted Turtles are the most-reported herps. Salamanders are the biggest group. April is the busiest month, and the Eastern Copperhead lives here.
52 species4 ecoregions1 venomous
Search entire stateSpecies out across Ohio, by group and month
| Group | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes | 2 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 2 | |
| Lizards | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Turtles | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Frogs and Toads | 2 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| Salamanders | 5 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 3 |
Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).
Keep Herp Calendar free
Hi, I'm Nick. I built Herp Calendar on my own and I keep it free, with no ads. If it has helped you find a herp this season, a small tip goes straight into the hosting and the data work. Only if you can spare it. Either way, I'm glad you're here.
Pick your ecoregion
Loading map…
Tap a region to see what's out
Ecoregions of Ohio
Seasons shift a lot between Ohio's ecoregions. Pick the one nearest you for a 12-month calendar of what's out.
Northern and Central Appalachians
40 speciesPlateau forest and streams with newts, red-backed salamanders and ratsnakes.
View calendar →Corn Belt Midwest
37 speciesFarm country with ponds and parks full of toads, painted turtles and garter snakes.
View calendar →Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands
28 speciesLowland woods and wetlands with red-backed salamanders, newts and spring peepers.
View calendar →Great Lakes Shore
31 speciesLakeshore marshes and dunes with painted turtles, toads and garter snakes.
View calendar →Venomous here: Eastern Copperhead. Don't handle any snake you can't identify.
About Ohio
When are reptiles and amphibians most active in Ohio?
April is the busiest month in Ohio, with 45 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from March through October.
What reptiles and amphibians live in Ohio?
52 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 17 salamanders, 14 snakes, 12 frogs and toads, 6 turtles, and 3 lizards. The most-reported are the American Toad, Painted Turtle, and Common Garter Snake.
Are there venomous snakes in Ohio?
Yes. The Eastern Copperhead lives here. Don't handle them.
Which reptiles and amphibians in Ohio are introduced?
The Common Wall Lizard is not native here.
Where does this data come from?
Activity calendars are built from iNaturalist research-grade observations (downloaded through GBIF, September 2026), corrected for how many people are out observing each month. Rare and protected species are left off on purpose.