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Taxonomy: Based on the results of studies by Guiher and Burbrink (2008) and Burbrink and Guiher (2015), Crother et al. (2017) listed A. piscivorus as a monotypic species.
Distribution: The Northern Cottonmouth occurs throughout the western third of Tennessee from the Mississippi River to and including those counties just east of the lower Tennessee River. Populations are also know from floodplain habitats along the lower Cumberland River and its major tributaries in Montgomery, Cheatham, Dickson and possibly Davidson counties. An introduced colony once existed in Coffee County.
Museum Records by Counties: Benton—APSU 3272; MSU 1414. Cheatham—APSU 4313, 5468, 5530, 17654; TTU uncataloged (3 specimens). Chester—UMMZ 125231; UTKVZC 3804. Crockett—APSU 19035, 19036, 19137. Decatur—APSU 3349. Dickson—APSU 3458, 3845. Fayette—APSU 18918. Hardeman—APSU 15604; LSUMZ 43953, 43954, 43960; UTKVZC 04184. Hardin—UTKVZC 699. Haywood—APSU 6130, 18237-18240. Henderson—APSU 3348. Henry—CMNH 66998; UMMZ 53520-53524. Humphreys—APSU 4311, 4315, 4358, 16144, 16344, 16877. Lake—APSU 1677, 12706, 18030; CMNH 58725; MoSU R4426; NCSM 8137; SIUC uncataloged (1 specimen); UIMNH 23436-23439, 39719, 62359; UTKVZC 6610. Lewis—APSU 18925, 18925. Madison—LSUMZ 34792. McNairy—APSU 3346, 3347. Montgomery—APSU 1398, 2133, 2134, 2140, 2142, 2143, 2155, 2156, 2159, 2208, 2236, 3288, 5321, 5544; AUM 21234. Obion—APSU 4344, 13023-13028, 13039-13041; MoSU R3352; MSU 1324; UIMNH 22608; UL 4276; UMMZ 84413. Shelby—APSU 12369, 12373, 12375, 12949, 12981, 13029, 13032, 13055, 15408, 15410, 16161; MSU 888; USNM 44364. Tipton—APSU 19067. Wayne—APSU 19367. Weakley—APSU 3340, 15600, 19160.
Literature Records by Counties: Anderson—Gentry (1956). Carroll—Gloyd and Conant (1990). Cheatham—Gloyd and Conant (1990), Smith and Scott (1999), Smith (2009), Fulbright and Gienger (2013). Chester—Endsley (1954). Coffee—Bingham (1985), Gloyd and Conant (1990), Hamilton and Colvin (2009). Crockett—Colvin and Dennison (2012a). Davidson—Muir (1980), Reynolds and Niemiller (2013j). Dickson—Gloyd and Conant (1990). Dyer—Guiher and Burbrink (2008). Fayette—Tiersc and Figiel (1991), Ream (2008). Gibson—Miller (1995a). Hardeman—Gloyd and Conant (1943), Parker (1948), Norton (1971), Norton and Harvey (1975), Jacob (1981), Gloyd and Conant (1990). Haywood—Stanley (2005). Henry—Blanchard (1922). Lake—Parker (1937a, 1937b, 1948). Lauderdale—Hamel (1996). Lewis—Crabtree et al. (2010). Montgomery—Scott (1967), Scott and Snyder (1968), Gloyd and Conant (1990). Obion—Cagle (1937), Parker (1937a, 1937b, 1948), Muir (1980). Shelby—Rhoads (1895), Parker (1948), Hassell (1961), Sanders and Jacob (1981), Gloyd and Conant (1990). Tipton—Colvin (2011b). Wayne—Gloyd and Conant (1990), Dodge and Miller (2013). Weakley—Colvin and Dennison (2012a), Pitts (2015a).
Questionable and/or Erroneous Records: The published records by Gentry (1956) from Oak Ridge and Norris Lake in Anderson County must be questioned since neither is supported by known voucher specimens and no other records exist within at least 200 km of the area. Likewise Muir's (1980) suggestion that cottonmouths are commonly found in most lakes from the Cumberland Plateau westward and in several lakes around the Nashville area is not substantiated by any credible evidence. However, there are valid records from the Harpeth River drainage in Cheatham County only a few km from the area west of Nashville in Davidson County. Other records that have been debated are those from selected sites in Wayne and Coffee counties (Gloyd and Conant 1990). A recent, well-documented record from Wayne County (Dodge and Miller 2013) lends credibility to the questionable reports of the species from that area.
Conservation Status: None.
Posted: 1 May 2008
Latest Revision: 18 November 2019
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