Tennessee Herpetological Society

West Tennessee

Herps of West Tennessee Species Master List

Order Anura (Frogs)

    ___ American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

    ___ Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

    ___ Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)

    ___ Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus)

    ___ Bird-voiced Treefrog (Hyla avivoca)

    ___ Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

    ___ Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

    ___ Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)

    ___ Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)

    ___ Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

      ___ Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)

    ___ Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)

    ___ Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii)

    ___ Crawfish Frog (Lithobates areolatus)

     ___ Plains Leopard Frog (Lithobates blairi)

    ___ American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

    ___ Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)

    ___ Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)

    ___ Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)

 Order Caudata (Salamanders)

    ___ Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

    ___ Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)

    ___ Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum)

    ___ Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)

    ___ Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)   

    ___ Three-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum)

    ___ Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)

    ___ Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti)

    ___ Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)

    ___ Southern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea cirrigera)

    ___ Three-lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata)

    ___ Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)

    ___ Cave Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga)

    ___ Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)

??? ___ Northern Zigzag Salamander (Plethodon dorsalis)

    ___ Mississippi Slimy Salamander (Plethodon mississippi)

    ___ 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 Turtle (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)

    ___ Coal Skink (Plestiodon anthracinus)

    ___ 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)

     ___ Kirtland’s Snake (Clonophis kirtlandii)

     ___ North American Racer (Coluber constrictor)

    ___ Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus)

    ___ Red-bellied Mudsnake (Farancia abacura)  

    ___ Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

    ___ Yellow-bellied Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)

     ___ Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides)

    ___ Eastern Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis nigra)

    ___ Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum)

    ___ Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)

    ___ Mississippi Green Watersnake (Nerodia cyclopion)

    ___ Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster)

    ___ Southern Watersnake (Nerodia fasciata)

    ___ Diamond-backed Watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer)

    ___ Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)

    ___ Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)

    ___ Red Cornsnake (Pantherophis {formerly Elaphe} guttata)

    ___ Gray Ratsnake (Pantherophis {formerly Elaphe} spiloides)

    ___ Pinesnake (Pituophis melanoleucus)

    ___ DeKay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)

    ___ Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)

    ___ Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata)

    ___ Western Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus)

    ___ Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus)

    ___ Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

    ___ Rough Earthsnake (Virginia striatula)

    ___ Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae)

    ___ Estern 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