Some Local Wildlife!

Continue scrolling through the gallery for some information down below about wildlife encounters, safety guides, animal identification guides, nature centers, firewood policy, and what to do if you find an orphaned animal.

American Grey Toad
Barn Owl
Black Bear
Black Racer Snake
Box Turtle
Large Flowering Trillium (State Flower)
Brown Bat *Don’t kiss*
Cecropia Moth
Copperhead (VENOMOUS)
Coyote
Destroying Angel
(POISONOUS, NO ANTIDOTE)
Eagle
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Ordovician Sea Fossils
Garter Snake
Groundhog
Blue (Grey) Heron
Indigo Milky Mushroom
Kestrel
Luna Moth
Morel Mushroom
Newt
Opossum
Virginia Bluebells
Eastern Paint Turtle (Slider)
Piliated Woodpecker
Red Tail hawk
Spotted Salamander
Squirrel
Eastern Turkey
Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Whitetail Deer
Wolf Spider
Amanita Mushroom (POISONOUS)
American Crow
Red Colombine
Timber Rattlesnake (VENEMOUS)
Flint
Killdeer
Beaver
Praying Mantis
Purple Coneflower
Paper Wasp Nest
*VERY SPICY NO TOUCH*
Great Horned Owl
Snapping Turtle
*DON’T approach from front: ANGRY*

All photographs are taken from various online sources including but not limited to the State Parks, the ODNR, the National Park Service, Ohio Metro Parks, iNaturalist, The Ohio State University, and various naturalist identification sites. All photo credit remains with the original source photographer and owner.

Wildlife Guide

  • Ohio has an absolutely amazing and inspiring diversity of wildlife, whether it’s the mammals and birds, the insects and amphibians, or even the flowers and mushrooms. Most of these creatures are common to the area and in good population. Others are protected species, and some have been reintroduced after being nearly run out or killed off by humans.
  • All of these creatures should be respected, observed from a distance, and never harmed. Look, don’t touch! When animals look or act scary or aggressive, it’s often because they feel threatened or scared, and are best left alone. When it comes to plants and mushrooms, never pick, harvest, or eat anything you find in the woods, unless you are specifically trained and knowledgeable in this field. Eating mushrooms you can’t 100% positively identify is 100% a good way to get yourself killed.
  • Many of the nearby state and metro parks have nature centers that you can visit to learn more about the native wildlife, and some of them even have live creatures for educational observations. These are a wonderful place to take your family, as they often cater their programs around children. Use some of the field guides at cabin, or do some research on the internet to familiarize yourself with some of the cool creatures you might see on your stay at Moonlight Forest Cabins.

Don’t Move Firewood!

Due to invasive and destructive species of insects, when it comes to firewood, you are supposed to “buy local, burn local”. Don’t transport unregulated wood across county lines. For more detailed information and how you can help to protect our Ohio forests while camping, please check out Dontmovefirewood.org Here’s a list of all the currently invasive insects in Ohio, half of which can be curtailed by good firewood practices! Invasive Insects

Fun Facts & Field Guides!

You found a baby animal? What should you do? Read this ODNR guide about finding injured or orphaned wildlife to decide the next best step.
ODNR Orphaned Wildlife Guide PDF

Fun facts, trivia, and nature guides about Ohio:
Symbols of Ohio
ODNR Ohio Wildlife Fieldguides PDFs
NatGeo Kids Ohio Facts
Conservation & Natural History Flashcards PDF

Reserve Antler Ridge Cabin and Make Memories!