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Exact locality, based on specimen(s) or photographs examined |
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Exact locality, based on literature record believed valid |
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Approximate locality based on specimen(s) or photographs examined |
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Approximate locality based on literature record believed valid |
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County record only, based on specimens or photographs examined |
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County record only, based on literature report believed valid |
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Type locality |
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Taxonomy:
Accepting the conclusions of Makowsky et al.
(2010), Crother et al. (2017) listed N. erythrogaster as a monotypic species.
Distribution:
The Plain-bellied Watersnake is found across all of
West Tennessee and along the lower Cumberland River in Middle Tennessee from
Land Between the Lakes (Stewart County) upstream to Nashville (Davidson County).
Museum Records
by Counties: Anderson—UMMZ
115693, 115694.
Benton—APSU 3284, 16681.
Cheatham—APSU 4316, 5967.
Coffee—MTSU 78S.
Crockett—APSU 19138.
Davidson—APSU 18939.
Fayette—APSU 16683- 16686.
Franklin—APSU 19788.
Gibson—APSU
12396; MTSU 79S.
Hardeman—APSU 16858, 16861, 16870;
LSUMZ 14001, 34931, 44005; UIMNH 83498; UMMZ 97015-97017; UTKVZC 4812.
Hardin—UTKVZC 4785.
Haywood—APSU 15731-15733.
Henderson—APSU 2604.
Henry—UMMZ 53327, 53531-53535.
Humphreys—APSU 17720.
Lake—APSU 12878, 13462; KU 21803,
82974, 82975; MoSU R780A, R793, R794, R2926-R2929, R3520, R3521, R3530, R3586,
R4407; SIU R-890, R-961, R-962, R-1164-1166, R-1169, R1170, R1172, R-1276,
R-1467, Uncataloged (1 specimen); TTU 277, 690; UIMNH 16757; UTKVZC 4689-4690.
Lauderdale—UTKVZC 3873.
Lawrence—APSU
19960.
Madison—UMMZ 78517.
McNairy—APSU 12279.
Montgomery—APSU 2078, 2116, 2125,
2129, 2130, 2230, 3295, 4309, 4486, 5457, 5463, 5481, 5488, 5491-5496, 5499,
5977, 5990, 6013, 6014.
Obion—APSU 2171, 2184,
2211, 3031, 13459-13461; KU 82411, 154144, 206544; LSUMZ 43978; MoSU R253; MSU
1007; USNM 125606; UTKVZC 6640.
Shelby—APSU 11903, 11907-11910, 12275, 12382, 12386, 12401, 12894,
13376-13378, 13380-13394, 13396-13404, 13406-13442, 13444, 13446, 13447, 13458,
13476, 15734, 15735, 15813,
16575, 16668, 16680, 16682, 16687-16689, 17330, 17895; MSU 971, 1012, 1027,
1110.
Stewart— APSU 280, 633, 703, 2190, 2944, 4749, 4926, 5459, 5462, 5465,
5497, 5498, 5952; NLU 16516.
Tipton—APSU 12876, 12895,
17547.
Weakley—APSU 15736.
Literature
Sources by Counties: Carroll—Gibbons
and Dorcas (2004).
Cheatham—Bufalino and Scott (1997,
2003), Bufalino (1999), Gibbons and Dorcas (2004), Smith (2009).
Chester—Endsley (1954),
Gibbons and Dorcas (2004).
Coffee—Miller et al. (2005).
Crockett—Colvin and Dennison (2012b).
Dyer—Waller et al. (2006).
Fayette—Ream (2008).
Franklin—Miller
et al. (2018).
Gibson—Miller (1995a), Gibbons and
Dorcas (2004).
Hardeman—Parker (1948),
Norton (1971), Norton and Harvey (1975), Bufalino (1999), Gibbons and Dorcas
(2004).
Hardin—Bufalino (1999),
Gibbons and Dorcas (2004).
Haywood—Stanley (2005), Waller et al. (2006).
Henderson—Gibbons and Dorcas
(2004).
Henry—Gibbons and Dorcas
(2004), Waller et al. (2006).
Lake—Parker (1948), Bufalino (1999), Gibbons and Dorcas (2004), Waller
et al. (2006).
Lauderdale—Gibbons and Dorcas (2004).
Lawrence—Miller
and Warren (2019).
Madison—Gibbons and Dorcas
(2004).
Montgomery—Scott (1967),
Scott and Snyder (1968), Bufalino (1999), Bufalino and Scott (2003),
Gibbons and Dorcas (2004).
Obion—Parker (1937a, 1948), Bufalino (1999), Gibbons and Dorcas (2004),
Goodman and Monks (2006).
Shelby—Parker (1941, 1948), Hassell (1961), Eubanks and Pecor (2003),
Gibbons and Dorcas (2004).
Stewart—Scott (1990), Rozelle (1999),
Bufalino (1999), Bufalino and Scott (2003), Gibbons and Dorcas (2004).
Tipton—Gibbons and Dorcas (2004).
Questionable
and/or Erroneous Records:
Two specimens in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ
115693 and 115694) have “Tennessee, Anderson Co., near Norris” as the collection
locality. Both are correctly identified as
N. erythrogaster, but were probably collected in Alabama and not
Tennessee as noted in the catalog.
They were cataloged among several other collections of assorted snake species
collected by C. M. Tarzwell, some from Anderson County, Tennessee and others
from “Alabama, Morgan Co., near Decatur.”
Considering that Anderson County, Tennessee is well outside the species’
range and Morgan County, Alabama is within it, and that no other specimens have
ever been found in the vicinity of Norris, Tennessee, a mistake might have been
made entering the locality data when these specimens were originally cataloged.
This could be the reason Gibbons and Dorcas (2004) ignored these records
when describing the range of N. erythrogaster in their book on North American watersnakes.
Conservation Status: Tennessee populations of N. erythrogaster in the lower Tennessee and Cumberland river watersheds are considered of the subspecies N. e. neglecta and have been assigned state rankings of S2 (very rare and imperiled within the state, six to twenty occurrences, or few remaining individuals, or because of some factor(s) making it vulnerable to extinction) and S3 (rare and uncommon in the state, from 21-100 occurrences) by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Natural Heritage (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation 2016). Although these populations of N. e. neglecta in Tennessee are not included, those north of the 40th parallel in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio are listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) that is threatened (Pruitt and Szymanski 1997).
Posted: 15 May 2012
Latest Revision: 18 November 2019
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