I'm not really sure if there are any particularly unusual animals native to Cincinnati. However, there are many different types of animals that are native to the area from bats to deer to skunks to turtles, birds, fish, black bears and more. One animal that you can find in Cincinnati that is not native, but is a permanent resident, is the the common wall lizard. You will find these little lizards on old rock walls and railroad tracks. I've seen them mainly around city areas like the Cincinnati Zoo and some of the parks in the Clifton, or Uptown areas (CUF, etc.) The common wall lizard is an exotic species that was brought to Cincinnati in the 1950s from Italy by a vacationing Cincinnatian. The story goes that two lizards were released into a backyard and the population has developed from there. The lizard population currently occupies an area of about two square miles with up to 1500 lizards per acre. So, next time you are eating a sandwich at the park or walking through the zoo and hear a rustling in the brush along the wall, don't get scared...it's most likely just a common wall lizard.
