Since 2005, I have been formally cataloguing the amphibians and reptiles of Wooster Memorial Park (Wayne Co., Ohio). As of the spring of 2022, I was aware of seven species of salamanders, five species of frogs, six snakes and two turtles that occur at the park. In the last ten years, I have only added one or two to that list and figured I had probably found most of what was out there. Then came 2022, which was a banner year for amphibian discoveries. In early October, I found not one, but two new salamanders in the park: (the four-toed salamander, Hemidactylium scutatum) and the smallmouth salamander (Ambystoma texanum, thanks to Caileigh Briggs for finding and photographing this one!). I was still basking in the glow of those discoveries when in late October, I found a pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris) in one of the narrow ravines found throughout the park.
So, a new frog was added to the park to the park list as well. So that puts the official list at: nine salamanders, six frogs, six snakes and two turtles (23 species of amphibians and reptiles total). Not bad! Who knows what else is out there? I guess you just have to keep looking!
