Kids found this garter snake in our yard in Chardon. We noticed this spot near its tail where the scales seem to be open and inner parts are visible. Is the snake injured or is this a natural part of snakes?

Looking at your great photo of the underside of the snake, the scales that are from the head to the end of the body are single scales known as ventral scales. The plate dividing the body from the snake’s tail and covering the cloacal opening is known as the anal plate or anal scale. I have also heard that opening referred to as the vent. The scales covering the underside of the tail are known as subcaudal scales. You will notice that these scales appear as two scales instead of one, as we saw in the body of the snake. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Snakes are amazing critters!

Thanks for your inquiry!

-Naturalist Dottie Drockton

Hello, would like to ID this snake I saw in my backyard.

Thanks for sending a picture of a Common Garter Snake. It’s nice to have one to control garden pests and small mammals. They are beneficial critters and harmless to humans. Enjoy having him/her patrolling your property. -Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Do we have pawpaw trees in Geauga County?

Thanks for inquiring about Pawpaw trees.  Yes, indeed we do have them in Geauga County. If you hike the Pawpaw Trail at Big Creek Park, you will see them. In fact, you may feel like you are in a tropical forest.

Pawpaws belong to the custard-apple family. From a botanical perspective, pawpaws are really special because they are the only member of their family adapted to growing outside of the tropics and able to survive our temperate climate. They get an edible, globular-shaped fruit that has a unique flavor and texture. Pawpaws are also the host plant for the beautiful Zebra Swallowtail butterfly. Naturalist Trevor Wearstler is our local pawpaw guru; perhaps he may have something to add to this post.

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

What type of beetle is this?

Thanks for sending a picture of this cool beetle! I ran your picture through iNaturalist.org, which suggested an ID in the genus Onthophagus.

You may be pleased to know – or not – that it is a dung beetle. It could be the Green-bronze Dung Beetle, but I don’t see any records for it in iNaturalist.org for Ohio. If you make an iNaturalist account and upload your picture to the site, it might be the first record in the database for our state! You can also click here for a bugguide.net link with some info and pictures.

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

We spotted a mink living under our neighbor’s barn. Should we be concerned?

Wow, you got a picture of a mink during the day! That doesn’t happen very often, since they are usually nocturnal. There is no need to be concerned about its presence. You have a unique opportunity to observe this creature, so enjoy! You might also click here for an article from Cleveland Metroparks that features the mink with some nice information on the species.

Thanks for inquiring! -Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Hello! I wanted to see if there is perhaps anyone with a knowledge of mycology and could assist me in identifying whether the attached picture is an oyster mushroom. It was found in a shelf formation attached to the side of a tree stump. Thank you so much for your help!

Thanks for sending a picture of the mushroom in question. Mushroom ID is difficult, and the picture is small that I can’t see a lot of details. But here is a link to members of the Ohio Mushroom Society that may be helpful. These folks have more expertise and could probably ID your mushroom. Local author of Mushrooms of the Northeast Field Guide Walt Sturgeon has been helpful with IDs. Also, the field guide is excellent! -Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Type of frog?

This is a Gray Treefrog. They can change their color from gray to brown to green to match the color of their surroundings. They have tiny suction cups on the end of each toe to enable them to climb, and spend much of their time in trees and shrubs. You can hear their loud musical trill frequently following spring and summer rains.

– Naturalist Denise Wolfe

My husband and I live in a slightly wooded area in Munson township.
We have heard owls in our trees and would love to add an owl nesting box. Any ideas on what type we should get?
We are between the smaller house for screech owls and the larger for barn owls.
Thank you!

I would definitely recommend the smaller box for Screech Owls, since we no longer have Barn Owls in Geauga. We have a healthy population of Screech Owls, and they readily take to boxes both for nesting in the spring and roosting in the winter.

– Naturalist Tami Gingrich

Are there any sightings of large cats (puma) in Geauga County? We think we saw one a few days ago.

Our knowledge of mountain lions in Geauga County is that they were extirpated from the State of Ohio in the 19th century, and there have been no confirmed sightings of them since. If you think you have an unusual sighting to report, please contact the Ohio Division of Wildlife; a sighting may be confirmed with a quality photo or a verified sighting by a wildlife officer.

– Chief Naturalist John Kolar

In the Westwood’s, are you allowed to fish for Brook Trout within the little creeks. Also if allowed, what locations on the trails are you allowed to fish at. Only to catch and release of course.

Native Ohio Brook Trout are a protected fish in Ohio and are listed as a “Threatened Species.”  This means that possession of brook trout in the Chagrin River (and its tributaries, some of which are in The West Woods, etc.) and the Rocky River (and its tributaries) is strictly prohibited.  If you would like to fish for a different trout, Rainbow Trout, Geauga Park District offers anglers a chance to catch this species at Beartown Lakes Reservation; we stock them in the late fall.

Thank you for your interest in the parks!

– Park Biologist Paul Pira