Tennessee Herpetological Society
Herps of Middle Tennessee Species Master List
Order Anura (Frogs)
___ American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
___ Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
___ Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
___ Bird-voiced Treefrog (Hyla avivoca)
___ Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
___ Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
___ Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)
___ Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
___ Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)
___ Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata)
___ Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
___ Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii)
___ Dusky Gopher Frog (Lithobates sevosus)
___ American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
___ Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
___ Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)
___ Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
___ Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)
Order Caudata (Salamanders)
___ Streamside Salamander (Ambystoma barbouri)
___ Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
___ Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
___ Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum)
___ Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)
___ Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
___ Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus)
___ Cumberland Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus abditus)
___ Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti)
___ Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
___ Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola)
___ Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus)
___ Black Mountain Salamander (Desmognathus welteri)
___ Southern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea cirrigera)
___ Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)
___ Cave Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga)
___ Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea wilderae)
___ Tennessee Cave Salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus)
___ Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)
___ Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
___ White-spotted Slimy Salamander (Plethodon cylindraceus)
___ Northern Zigzag Salamander (Plethodon dorsalis) & Southern Zigzag (Plethodon ventralis). *These are indistinguishable and have not been delineated as yet on maps.
___ Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)
___ Mud Salamander (Pseudotriton montanus)
___ Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
___ Mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus)
___ Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
___ Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia)
Order Testudines (Turtles)
___ Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
___ Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)
___ Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
___ Southern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys dorsalis)
___ Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)
___ Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)
___ False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)
___ River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
___ Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
___ Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta)
___ Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
___ Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor)
___ Eastern Musk (Sternotherus odoratus)
___ Smooth Softshell (Apalone mutica)
___ Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
Suborder Lacertilla (Lizards)
___ Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
___ Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
___ Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)
___ Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
___ Southeastern Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus)
___ Broad-headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
___ Little Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis)
___ Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata)
Suborder Serpentes (Snakes)
___ Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus)
___ Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea)
___ North American Racer (Coluber constrictor)
___ Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
___ Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
___ Yellow-bellied Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)
___ Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides)
___ Eastern Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis nigra)
___ Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
___ Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster)
___ Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)
___ Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)
___ Red Cornsnake (Pantherophis {formerly Elaphe} guttata)
___ Gray Ratsnake (Pantherophis {formerly Elaphe} spiloides)
___ Pinesnake (Pituophis melanoleucus)
___ Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)
___ DeKay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)
___ Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
___ Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata)
___ Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus)
___ Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
___ Rough Earthsnake (Virginia striatula)
___ Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae)
___ Eastern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
___ Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
___ Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
___ Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius)
Disclaimer: This list is only the amphibians and reptiles that are likely to occur in the region based on distributions from the below references. These species do not necessarily occur throughout the whole region. Some do, but many have specific areas/counties/riversheds where they are found.
This list is simply a starting point to rule out those species that have never been found in this region. People move animals (sometimes accidentally, sometimes deliberately) all the time and odd records do sometimes occur. But it is always best to rule out the most likely identifications first before jumping to conclusions. Additionally, just because there are no records for the species I your county, does not mean they do not occur there, more than likely no one has submitted the record to the proper authorities.
This list was compiled using the Atlas of Amphibians in Tennessee, the Atlas of Reptiles in Tennessee and the books The Amphibians of Tennessee and The Reptiles of Tennessee