This past weekend, I went with Graham Reynolds and Stephen Nelson to west Tennessee in search of reptiles to photograph for the upcoming "Reptiles of Tennessee" book. We drove out early Saturday morning out to Memphis and search the Shelby Farms area in Shelby County for most of the afternoon before driving along the Wolf River and searching in and around the Ghost River SNA and Wolf River WMA in Fayette County during the late evening and night. That night we camped at Big Hill Pond State Park in McNairy County. The weather was great with partly to mostly cloudy skies, temps in the mid 80s during the day with an overnight low around 70 F.
Sunday morning, we herped in and around Big Hill Pond State Park and also south of Chickasaw State Park located in southwestern Chester and northeastern Hardeman counties. That evening, we decided to make the drive to the Land Between the Lakes area in Stewart County when rain moved into the area. After roadcrusing at LBL, we camped at Piney Campground on Kentucky Lake.
Overall we documented 42 species of amphibians and reptiles, including 6 salamanders, 13 frogs, 6 lizards, 12 snakes, and 5 turtles.
Drive to west Tennessee:
Coluber constrictor priapus (Southern Black Racer) 2 DOR adults
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) 1 DOR adult
Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) 4 DOR adults
Terrapene carolina carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) 6 DOR adults and juveniles
Shelby Farms Park & Lucius E. Burch State Natural Area (Shelby Co., TN):
Acris gryllus (Southern Cricket Frog) 10+ adults
Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler's Toad) 10+ adults and juveniles
Gastrophryne carolinensis (Eastern Narrow-Mouthed Toad) 1 adult
Lithobates sphenocephalus (Southern Leopard Frog) 4 adults
Plestiodon fasciatus (Five-lined Skink) 1 adult
Scincella lateralis (Little Ground Skink) 5 adults
Coluber constrictor priapus (Southern Black Racer) 1 adult
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) 1 juvenile
Thamnophis sauritus (Eastern Ribbonsnake) 1 adult
Pseudemys concinna (River Cooter) 1 hatchling
Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-Eared Slider) 1 hatchling and 5 adults
Pseudemys concinna (River Cooter) hatchling
Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-Eared Slider) (L) and Pseudemys concinna (River Cooter) (R) hatchling
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) juvenile
Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler's Toad) adult
Ghost River State Natural Area and Wolf River Wildlife Management Area (Fayette Co., TN):
Plethodon mississippi (Mississippi Slimy Salamander) 1 adult
Siren intermedia nettingi (Western Lesser Siren) 5+ adults
Acris gryllus (Southern Cricket Frog) TMTC adults and calling
Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler's Toad) TMTC adults and juveniles and calling
Hyla avivoca (Bird-Voiced Treefrog) TMTC adults and calling
Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) TMTC adults and calling
Lithobates catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) 5+ adults and calling
Lithobates c. clamitans (Bronze Frog) 20+ adults and calling
Lithobates sphenocephalus (Southern Leopard Frog) 10+ adults
Pseudacris feriarum (Upland Chorus Frog) calling
Plestiodon fasciatus (Five-lined Skink) 3 adults
Scincella lateralis (Little Ground Skink) 5+ adults
Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) 1 adult
Hyla avivoca (Bird-Voiced Treefrog) adult male calling
Lithobates c. clamitans (Bronze Frog) subadult
Plethodon mississippi (Mississippi Slimy Salamander) adult
Big Hill Pond State Park and surrounding area (McNairy and Hardeman Counties, TN):
Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis (Central Newt) 3 efts
Plethodon mississippi (Mississippi Slimy Salamander) 1 adult and 1 juvenile
Acris gryllus (Southern Cricket Frog) TMTC adults and calling
Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler's Toad) TMTC adults and juveniles and calling
Hyla avivoca (Bird-Voiced Treefrog) calling
Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) calling
Lithobates catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) 5+ adults calling
Lithobates c. clamitans (Bronze Frog) 5+ adults and calling
Lithobates sphenocephalus (Southern Leopard Frog) 3 adults
Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) 10+ adults
Aspidoscelis s. sexlineata (Eastern Six-lined Racerunner) 20+ adults and juveniles
Plestiodon fasciatus (Five-lined Skink) 5+ adults
Plestiodon laticeps (Broad-Headed Skink) 2 adults and 1 juvenile
Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) 10+ adults and juveniles
Scincella lateralis (Little Ground Skink) 10+ adults
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) 1 DOR adult
Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) 1 DOR adult
Carphophis amoenus helanae (Midwestern Wormsnake) 2 adults
Coluber constrictor priapus (Southern Black Racer) 2 adults, 1 juvenile, 2 DOR adults, and 1 hit by a train
Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster (Yellow-Bellied Watersnake) 3 adults
Pantherophis guttatus (Red Cornsnake) 1 DOR adult
Storeria o. occipitomaculata (Northern Red-Bellied Snake) 2 adults
Thamnophis s. sirtalis (Eastern Gartersnake) 1 DOR adult
Sternotherus odoratus (Stinkpot) 1 adult
Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster (Yellow-Bellied Watersnake) adult
Storeria o. occipitomaculata (Northern Red-Bellied Snake) adult
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (Southern Copperhead) patterning
Coluber constrictor priapus (Southern Black Racer) juvenile
Aspidoscelis s. sexlineata (Eastern Six-lined Racerunner) juvenile
Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) adult
Plestiodon laticeps (Broad-Headed Skink) juvenile
Sternotherus odoratus (Stinkpot) adult
Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis (Central Newt) eft
Plethodon mississippi (Mississippi Slimy Salamander) juvenile
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (Stewart Co., TN):
Desmognathus conanti (Spotted Dusky Salamander) 1 adult
Eurycea l. longicauda (Longtail Salamander) TMTC adults and juveniles
Pseudotriton r. ruber (Northern Red Salamander) 4 adults and 2 juveniles
Acris crepitans (Northern Cricket Frog) TMTC adults
Anaxyrus americanus (American Toad) TMTC adults and juveniles
Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler's Toad) TMTC adults and juveniles and calling
Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) TMTC adults and calling
Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) 5+ adults
Lithobates catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) 10+ adults and juveniles
Lithobates c. clamitans (Bronze Frog) 20+ adults and juveniles
Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper) TMTC adults and calling
Pseudacris feriarum (Upland Chorus Frog) calling
Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen (Northern Copperhead) 1 DOR adult
Diadophis punctatus stictogenys (Mississippi Ring-Necked Snake) 1 adult
Lampropeltis getula nigra (Black Kingsnake) 1 DOR adult
Storeria dekayi wrightorum (Midland Brownsnake) 1 adult
Thamnophis s. sirtalis (Eastern Gartersnake) 1 adult and 1 DOR adult
Thamnophis s. sirtalis (Eastern Gartersnake) injesting a DOR Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler's Toad) on the road
Storeria dekayi wrightorum (Midland Brownsnake) adult
Diadophis punctatus stictogenys (Mississippi Ring-Necked Snake) ventral patterning
Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper) adult
Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) adult
Pseudotriton r. ruber (Northern Red Salamander) adult