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21 Animals That Call Cuyahoga Valley National Park Home

Animals that call Cuyahoga Valley National Park Home. Image created with Canva

Discover the top 21 animals that call the Cuyahoga Valley National Park home. The park lies along the Cuyahoga river in Ohio, spanning across 33,000 acres. It is home to a variety of wildlife each playing an important role.

1. White-tailed Deer

White-tailed deer. Image via depositphotos.

These graceful creatures are a common sight throughout Cuyahoga Valley National Park, often seen grazing in meadows or crossing woodland paths.

2. Eastern Gray Squirrel

EasternGraySquirrel
Gray Squirrel image via wikimdeia commons.

With their bushy tails and acrobatic abilities, gray squirrels are abundant in the park’s forests, where they forage for nuts and seeds.

3. American Beaver

North American beaver
North American beaver (Castor canadensis), also known as the Canadian beaver. Image by wrangler via depositphotos.com

Beavers are ecosystem engineers, constructing dams and lodges along the park’s waterways, creating vital habitat for numerous other species.

4. Eastern Chipmunk

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) standing on a mossy log with its cheep pouches full of food – Lambton Shores, Ontario, Canada Image via Depositphotos

Chipmunks dart among the fallen leaves and underbrush of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, gathering food and seeking refuge in their burrows.

5. Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit in its natural habitat. Image by David Solce via Unsplash

These shy rabbits are found in the park’s grasslands and brushy areas, where they feed on grasses, herbs, and vegetables.

6. Red Fox

Red fox in ice
Red fox standing in ice. Image via Joanne Redwood, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Known for their cunning and adaptability, red foxes roam the park’s woodlands and fields, hunting small mammals and scavenging for food.

7. Raccoon

raccoon
Image by Alexa via Pixabay

Nocturnal and omnivorous, raccoons are a familiar sight in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, raiding trash cans and searching for food along streams and in wetlands.

8. Eastern Box Turtle

Eastern box turtle. Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

These slow-moving reptiles inhabit the park’s forests and meadows, where they forage for plants and bask in the sun.

9. American Crow

American Crow. Image via depositphotos.

Crows are intelligent and adaptable birds that are commonly seen and heard throughout the park, often congregating in large flocks.

10. Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird
Male Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) in flight Image by PantherMediaSeller via depositphotos.

With their striking blue plumage, bluebirds brighten the meadows and open woodlands of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where they nest in tree cavities and nest boxes.

11. Black-capped Chickadee

Chickadee
Image by Veronika_Andrews via pixabay

These small, cheerful birds are year-round residents of the park, often seen flitting among the trees and shrubs in search of insects and seeds.

12. White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch. Image via depositphotos.

Nuthatches are adept climbers, using their strong bills to probe for insects in the bark of trees in the park’s woodlands.

13. Wood Duck

wood duck
A beautiful wild wood duck hanging out at the Memphis Zoo. Image by Joshua J. Cotten via Unsplash

These colorful ducks can be spotted in the park’s wetlands and along its waterways, where they nest in tree cavities and forage for aquatic plants and invertebrates.

14. Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey. Image via depositphotos.

Turkeys are a symbol of the wild spaces of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where they roam the forests and fields in search of food and mates.

15. American Bullfrog

american bullfrog animals in washington
American bullfrog about to leap. Image by Maddy Weiss on Unsplash. Image by Maddy Weiss via Unsplash

Bullfrogs are a familiar sight and sound in the park’s ponds and wetlands, where their deep, resonant calls echo through the night.

16. Eastern Tiger Salamander

Eastern Tiger Salamander. Image via depositphotos.

These large, striking salamanders inhabit the park’s woodlands and wetlands, where they hunt for insects and other small prey.

17. Eastern Garter Snake

Eastern Garter Snake
Eastern garter snakes eats pests such as slugs. Image via depositphotos.

Garter snakes are common in the park’s grasslands and wetlands, where they feed on small rodents, amphibians, and fish.

18. Eastern Red-backed Salamander

Full body closeup on an adult North american Eastern red backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus on green moss. Image via depositphotos.

These small, secretive salamanders are found in the moist forests and leaf litter of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where they prey on insects and other invertebrates.

19. Common Raven

Common Raven. Image via depositphotos.

Ravens are large, intelligent birds that inhabit the park’s forests and cliffs, where they scavenge for food and build their nests.

20. Northern Watersnake

A Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) off the Bearskin trail in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Image via depositphotos.

Watersnakes are often seen basking on rocks or swimming in the park’s streams and wetlands, where they hunt for fish, frogs, and other aquatic prey.

21. Mink

A mink eating a bird. Image via depositphotos.

These sleek, semi-aquatic mammals are found along the park’s waterways, where they hunt for fish, frogs, and small mammals.

Conclusion

Breandywine Falls at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Untied States. Image via depositphotos.

Each of these animsl plays an important role this ecosystem each contributing uniquely to the park. I hope you enjoyed reading about the animals that call the Cuyahoga Valley National Park home. To read more like this, check out the articles below:

Latest posts by Alana Theron, BSc in Biodiversity and Ecology (see all)