Field Herping in Tennessee

My family and I took a week vacation to Tennessee earlier this summer, and I got to do quite a bit of field herping! Here are some shots from the trip!


This Southern Black Racer was the first herp that I found in Natchez Trace state park near Memphis, TN.



A big Eastern Garter Snake found in the Smokies.



A beautiful Northern Watersnake from the Smokies



An absoluelty stunning looking Eastern Garter Snake from Meeman-Shelby Forrest State Park!



Broad-banded Watersnake



Copperhead from Meeman-Shelby Forrest State Park


Yellow-bellied Watersnake in shed from Meeman-Shelby Forrest State Park


Another Yellow-bellied Watersnake


Florida Redbelly Snake


Midland Brown Snake


Another Copperhead



A pair of Black Rat Snakes mating 15 feet up in a tree. We were able to view them for around 15 minutes before both fell into the brush below. Immediately one of them took off, but I was able to grab the other!




This is a Mud Snake that the rangers at the Meeman-Shelby Forrest State Park had just recently caught, and they were kind enough to allow me to photograph it! It was such a gorgeous snake!!!!


Well, that is just the snakes! lol (and not even all of the snakes we saw btw)


Now for the turtles!


Common Musk Turtle (aka Stinkpot Turtle)



River Cooter

We also saw tons of Red Eared Sliders, and several Three-toed Box Turtles


Now for the Salamanders!

(feel free to correct me on the identification if any are wrong, I am not very familiar with salamanders yet really)

Shovel-nosed Salamander

Another Shovel-nosed Salamander


Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander


Spotted Dusky Salamander



Santeelah Dusky Salamander


Spotted Dusky Salamander variant


Seal Salamander

And here's some other photos from the trip


Eastern American Toad


Scorpion






One of the two mother Black Bear we saw in the smokies


Canadian Geese


We sent canoeing in a Cypress Swamp in the Meeman-Shelby Forrest State Park


this is the cabin we stayed in on the side of a mountain near the Smoky Mountains! It was really secluded and really nice!

Sorry for so many pics! lol Hope you enjoy the photos!

Thank you Cameron.

Those were GREAT shots.

Thanks Larry! Glad you like them!!!

As always nice pics man. I love swamps man. Id like to hunt there.

Hey my post isn't on there from earlier. Is someone (Michael) messing with my head.

It said something like, Dude, something something something, I love that garter snake, you should of snuk'it home and gave it to me!!!

Thanks Zak! The cypress swamp was awesome! We saw several watersnakes and turtles from the canoe, and there is supposedly a small population of American Alligator there!
Robin, I didn't see your original post. But yeah, that garter snake looked even prettier in person! With blues and reds all down its body!!!

Fantastic stuff Hodges!!!!!!! That mud snake is friggin awesome!!!!!

great pics man, thanks for posting!

LOVE those copperheads....

I need to go to Tennessee.

Thanks guys! It sure was hot and humid out there though! And the mosquitoes were the worst I had ever seen there at the edge of the Mississippi River in the Shelby Forrest State Park!

great stuff! Love the Farancia
I have also heard of a small alligator population near Memphis.

Nice pictures, i really liked the mud snake ,very pretty. It lookrd like you were in Herp Heaven...lol

Thanks! Yes, it was some of the best herping that I have ever done!