Cryptosporidium serpentis is a protozoan parasite specific to and pathogenic in squamate hosts. Knowledge of this pathogen in wild populations is limited but studies from captive snakes indicate the parasite causes severe gastroenteritis, long-term immune impairment, and probable death. C. serpentis was discovered in quarantined captive breeding colonies of Ohio endangered Plains Gartersnakes (Thamnophis radix), a species dependent on Ohio’s scarce wet-prairie habitat. It was hypothesized that the pathogen entered these colonies via breeding stock from Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area (KPWA; Wyandot and Marion Counties, Ohio). To assess prevalence of C. serpentis in wild snakes of KPWA we collected cloacal swabs and opportunistically collected fecal samples from all snake species during the annual Ohio Division of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) snake survey in 2024 (May and June). Following DNA extraction, we used quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting the 18S rRNA gene region of Cryptosporidium spp. together with a C. serpentis specific FAM-labeled probe to examine parasite loads across samples. C. serpentis was detected in 10.4% of snakes (N=209 total samples) and in 3/7 snake species sampled, including two imperiled species (Opheodrys vernalis and Clonophis kirtlandii). In 2025, we expanded our survey to sample snakes from April to October (389 samples) to capture any apparent changes in prevalence over time since this is an intermittently shed parasite. While our pathogen surveillance results thus far may illicit concern, it is important to next assess whether infected wild snakes develop the associated disease state, cryptosporidiosis, as often seen in animals housed in captivity. Furthermore, our results encourage consideration of potential environmental reservoirs for the pathogen’s infectious stage (oocyst) since wet-prairie conditions are ideal for this parasite’s persistence outside of the host. Potential parasite mitigation strategies including land management techniques such as prescribed fire are being considered.