Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Guys,

I am usually found over on the Pituophis forum but I need some help.
Work will have me in the Stubenville area for about ten days later in the month and I wondered what sort of herps I might encounter w/in a 100 mile radius? My map shows Stubenville as about due west of Pitt. PA just over the river.

I know that it will be the hot part of the season and not ideal but hey, I have never seen an eastern milk, very few copperheads...many things I need to ad to my life list.

Thanks for any help. Cheers, Ginter

Gunter,

Unfortunately, there probably aren't too many people here in Cinci who can help you out, but I can do my best for ya.

That area is one that typically hasn't had the best surveying, so it is tough to know what really is or isn't there.

The most common things around there (that county) are probably milks, rats, watersnakes, garters and ringnecks. There are records of copperheads from before the 1950s but nothing since. There are some more recent records of coppers from the county above that, but still pre75.

100 miles is a good range and would put you in copperhead range if you went SW as well as many of the other smaller snakes. Heading north would give you new species as well.

Here is a link to Ohio's Species list as well as laws.

http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/PDF/pub03.pdf

Steubenville is kinda sitting on the border between the hill country of the SE and the till/lake plains of the N and W. For some of the more moutainous, or southernly species, you need to get down into the hills more. That being said, that seems to be a pretty nice spot for clear mountain streams coming in/out of West Virginia and Penn. Also, at that time of the summer, you might want to just do some poking around for mudpuppies or their larger cousin...

Good luck,

Jason
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www.buckeyeherps.com

Jason, thanks for the info. If by larger cousins you mean hellbenders I am all ears as I have always wanted to get a look at one of those guys.
For the record I am a biologist and not a field collector. I capture photos now that I have grown out of the "take every thing home" childhood phase of my herping experience. Again, thanks for the help. Copperheads are high on my list of animals to see do you have any more advice?

Cheers, Ginter

Ginter,

Unfortunately, I do not have a ton of advice. I am very infamiliar with that area and really can only talk about the little stuff I have read and the old records I have seen. My experience with coppers in OH is restricted to the counties further south.

As for benders, they are almost nonexistant in OH now. They are a bit more abundant in West Virg and Penn and I think the Alleghany River has a good amount of them. I would try looking at some of the streams in those drainages.

Milks should be easier though. If you can find some good dumps/trash piles or rock cuts/rocky hillsides you should turn one up. I have been having lots of luck with carpet this year for them.

Jason
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www.buckeyeherps.com

Steubenville is my home town, and I know pretty much everywhere worth looking. I guess its kinda late for that know though.

Beaver Creek State Forest is about 30 min. north of Steubenville and has a decent population of Hellbenders as well as River Otters.

You can find some nice Black Rats at the local ball field Beatty Park. And maybe save them from the men's softball players.

Jefferson Lake State Park in Richmond has a nice pop. of Queen Snakes and Long-tailed Salamanders in the creek below the dam as well as other common species.

Since you don't know any of the farmers around there the best place for Milks would be to cruise back roads in the more rural areas for illegal dumps, there are a lot of those around.

The only spot I now of for Copperheads is private land that I no longer have permission to be on. The nice older man passed away and his son is a @#$!

I wish I would have seen this earlier as I would have loved to get a chance to do some herping back home without having to drag my wife out and listen to her complain the whole time.