Ohio has 3 venomous snakes named by official sources: Eastern Copperhead, Massasauga and Timber Rattlesnake, as labelled by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. This guide covers 8 animal groups from Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife lists and other official sources, with photos, venomous status and when each group is active.
Identification help has limits: a photo cannot confirm that an animal is safe. Watch from a distance and never handle a wild animal.
These are the animals official sources describe as venomous or as a risk to people in Ohio, across 5 groups. The reason is given in the source's own terms.
Venomous: “Copperheads have the dubious distinction of having bitten more people in the United States than any other venomous snake … Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at …”
Venomous: “This is still a venomous snake, however, and should be treated with utmost caution and respect. … Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at the end of the tail.”
Venomous: “By virtue of their large size, timber rattlesnakes are the most dangerous snakes in northeastern America. … Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at the end of the …”
Disease vector (tick, an arachnid, not a spider): “Three tick species in Ohio are medically important because they are disease vectors: the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (commonly called the deer tick), and the lone star tick.”
Disease vector (tick, an arachnid, not a spider): “Three tick species in Ohio are medically important because they are disease vectors: the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (commonly called the deer tick), and the lone star tick.”
Disease vector (tick, an arachnid, not a spider): “Three tick species in Ohio are medically important because they are disease vectors: the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (commonly called the deer tick), and the lone star tick.”
Darker cells are the months with more open-licence observation records of each group in Ohio (GBIF). They show when people see and record these animals, not how many there are. The current month, this month, is highlighted.
Report: ODNR Division of Wildlife: 1-800-WILDLIFE (Wildlife headquarters and district offices are listed in the 2018 Reptiles of Ohio guide). An older undated ODNR brochure (Pub 115) asks people to report timber rattlesnake sightings by mail to the Division of Wildlife, 360 E. State Street, Athens, OH 45701; that address may be out of date. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife
Official safety advice
Venomous snakebite: call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. ODNR: get the person to a hospital immediately; Poison Help can tell you the nearest hospital that treats snakebites. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife
Not established. USGS NAS has 7 Ohio records of American alligators (2007-2023). Six are marked "failed" (not established); a 2023 St. Marys River (Auglaize County) record is marked "unknown". USGS notes that collection records do not mean a population is established. US Geological Survey
Are there pythons in Ohio?
Not established. USGS NAS has one Ohio Burmese python record (Chagrin River, 2016), marked "failed". US Geological Survey
Are there black widows in Ohio?
Yes. ODNR: northern and southern black widows occur but are not nearly as common as in the southern states; most frequent in the southern unglaciated portions. Only females pose a bite risk. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife · More
Are there brown recluse spiders in Ohio?
Rarely. ODNR: very rare. Only nine specimens from three localities out of more than 24,400 Ohio Spider Survey records, no verified outdoor records, and the few records come from inside buildings. Most spiders sent in as brown recluses are misidentified harmless spiders. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife
Yes. ODNR lists five lizards: Eastern Fence Lizard, Little Brown Skink, Common Five-lined Skink, Broad-headed Skink and the invasive Common Wall Lizard (Cincinnati area). The broad-headed skink is the largest. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife
“Copperheads have the dubious distinction of having bitten more people in the United States than any other venomous snake … Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at the end of the tail.”
“This is still a venomous snake, however, and should be treated with utmost caution and respect. … Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at the end of the tail.”
“By virtue of their large size, timber rattlesnakes are the most dangerous snakes in northeastern America. … Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at the end of the tail.”
“This exotic species was introduced into Cincinnati in 1951 and has become well established.”
“For more information about Ohio’s native wildlife, please contact the Division of Wildlife: 1-800-WILDLIFE (1-800-750-0750 Ohio Relay TTY only)”
“Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at the end of the tail. The third species is the Northern copper-head.”
“Remnant colonies persist in widely scattered areas in southern unglaciated Ohio.”
“Copperheads are widely scattered throughout most of unglaciated Ohio.”
“Water moccasins are not native to Ohio.”
“A master of deceit, the completely harmless hog-nosed snake can put on an act that will frighten the bravest of people.”
“The broad-headed skink is the largest lizard in Ohio.”
“This is Ohio’s largest snake. Although it is typically four to six feet long, individuals have been known to exceed eight feet.”
“Get the victim to a hospital immediately! Call the Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) to find the nearest hospital capable of treating snake bites.”
“Prevention is the best method for dealing with snakebites. Learn how to distinguish venomous from nonvenomous snakes and learn where to find – and therefore how to avoid – the venomous ones.”
Common Spiders of Ohio Field Guide (Publication 5140). Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife (text by Richard A. Bradley, Ph.D.). PUBLICATION 5140; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (7)
“Almost all of Ohio’s 624 spider species fall within the Araneomorphae.”
“Only two groups of Ohio spiders, the black widows and the recluse spiders are considered dangerous to humans.”
“Only the females pose a bite risk. Their bite can be serious, and anyone bitten should seek medical attention immediately.”
“There are a few cases of bites that have caused some medical problems (slow healing wounds).”
“These infamous spiders are not nearly as common in Ohio as they are in the southern states. Within our state they occur most frequently in the southern unglaciated portions.”
“Brown recluse is represented by only nine specimens from three localities out of over 24,400 records in the Ohio Spider Survey database.”
“Their bite can be serious, and anyone bitten should seek medical attention immediately.”
Official OOS Ohio Bird Checklist. Ohio Ornithological Society. "456 species as of July 2026"; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“The official Ohio checklist stands at 456 species as of July 2026.”
“Ohio was home to 65 native mammal species. Unfortunately, 12 species no longer occur, leaving a current fauna of 53 native species.Two nonnative introductions, the brown rat and house mouse, occur widely, and commonly in some areas.”
“The salivary glands of the northern short-tailed shrew produce a venom which helps in subduing prey.”
“Cougars probably disappeared from Ohio by the mid-1850s.”
“Bounties for wolf hides were paid by the state, and the gray wolf was eradicated by the 1850s.”
“While porcupines disappeared by 1900, a number of recent reports suggests they may be recolonizing from the east.”
Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases (HYG-2073). Ohio State University Extension (Ohioline); co-authors from the Ohio Department of Health. June 6, 2013; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (4)
“Three tick species in Ohio are medically important because they are disease vectors: the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (commonly called the deer tick), and the lone star tick.”
“Adults are active during spring and summer, but they are most abundant from mid-April to mid-July.”
“One or more life stages may be active during every month of the year (Figure 4), depending on temperature. Because of this year-long activity, preventative measures should be taken outdoors where the tick occurs, even during autumn and winter.”
“All stages can be found throughout the warm months of the year.”
“In some cases, the ovipositor can be used as a defensive weapon that delivers venom from a gland inside the abdomen.”
“For some people, bee and wasp stings are serious business due to severe reactions. They must – or should – carry epinephrine pens in case of stings.”
“Be vigilant such that you don’t run a lawnmower over a nest entrance, or drive a garden stake into one.”
“The underground nests harbor 1,000-3,000 workers or more by late summer or early autumn. Males and queens are produced in the fall. The colony collapses in late fall, males and remaining workers dying by the first hard frost.”
“Adult wasps can be seen from July through mid-September.”
“…can be heard reverberating from Ohio ponds, marshes, and large slow-moving streams from late April through late summer.”
“During the brief breeding period in late February to early April, often before the ice has completely melted, woodland ponds may be suddenly full of courting Wood Frogs.”
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