Tennessee Habitats, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles

Tennessee is a diverse state with forests, grasslands and wetlands. Because the state is wide but narrow from top to bottom, it is often broken down into three sections called the Grand Divisions – East, Middle and West Tennessee.

East Tennessee borders North Carolina and is where the Blue Ridge Mountains lie, which is made up of several smaller ranges – the Great Smokies, the Bald Mountains, Unicoi Mountains, Unaka Mountains, Iron Mountains and Roan Highlands. This area has the state's most rugged habitat – much of it is protected in state forest. The highest point of Tennessee – Clingmans Dome – is in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is 6,643 feet (2025 m) tall and is also the third highest point east of the Mississippi River. From the Blue Ridge Mountains west, the terrain becomes less rugged forming a series of forested ridges and green, fertile valleys appropriately called the Ridge and Valley Region. The streams and rivers of these valleys join to form the Tennessee River. In the Great Valley (western Ridge and Valley region) is where many people settled in Tennessee forming urban centers like Knoxville. The western edge of East Tennessee is marked by the Cumberland Plateau.

Middle Tennessee is less rugged. On an elevated plain, called the Highland Rim, this area surrounds the Nashville Basin. It is rich, fertile farm country where many settlers stopped after crossing the Appalachians Mountains as early as the late 1700s (late 18th century) and began new lives. This region is known for its tobacco crop as well as having some of the last, large, surviving American Chestnut trees. It is the most highly populated region of the state with the capitol – Nashville and many other large cities.

West Tennessee is the Gulf Coastal Plain between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. From east to west, this region starts at the hilly land along the western banks of the Tennessee River. It turns into a bottom land of rolling hills and streams that stretches all the way to the Mississippi River – called the Tennessee Bottoms. It's western edge is the lowland floodplain and swampland of the Mississippi Delta region. The largest city in Tennessee – Memphis – sits on steep bluffs overlooking the Mississippi.

armadillo (nine-banded)
bat (big brown)
bat (Brazilian free-tailed)
bat (eastern pipistrelle) also called tri-colored bat
bat (eastern red)
bat (eastern small-footed myotis) - of special concern
bat (evening)
bat (gray myotis) - endangered
bat (hoary)
bat (Indiana myotis) - endangered
bat (little brown myotis)
bat (northern long-eared myotis)
bat (Rafinesque’s big-eared) - of special concern
bat (Seminole)
bat (silver-haired)
bat (southeastern) - of special concern
beaver (American)
bobcat
chipmunk (eastern)
coyote
deer (white-tailed)
fox (gray)
fox (red)
mink 
mole (eastern)
mole (hairy-tailed)
mole (star-nosed)
mouse (cotton)
mouse (deer)
mouse (eastern harvest)
mouse (golden)
mouse (house)
mouse (meadow jumping)
mouse (white-footed)
muskrat
nutria
opossum (Virginia)
otter (northern river)
rabbit (eastern cottontail)
rabbit (swamp)
raccoon
rat (hispid cotton)

rat (marsh rice)
rat (Norway)
shrew (cinereus)
shrew (least)
shrew (pygmy)
shrew (southeastern)
shrew (southern short-tailed)
shrew (water)
skunk (eastern spotted)
skunk (striped)
squirrel (eastern fox)
squirrel (eastern gray)
squirrel (northern flying)
squirrel (southern flying)
vole (prairie)
vole (rock)
vole (southern red-backed)
vole (woodland)
weasel (least)
weasel (long-tailed)
woodchuck
woodrat (Allegheny)
woodrat (eastern)

For more information about Tennessee Mammals (including Latin names) click on individual animal links or for another (off-site) resource: LINK

Amphibians
bullfrog
frog (Blanchard’s cricket)
frog (green)
frog (northern crawfish)
frog (northern cricket)
frog (northern spring peeper)
frog (pickerel)
frog (southern leopard)
frog (upland chorus)
salamander (cave)
salamander (eastern hellbender)
salamander (eastern newt) or red eft
salamander (eastern tiger)
salamander (long-tailed)
salamander (marbled)
salamander (Mississippi slimy)
salamander (mole)
salamander (mudpuppy)
salamander (red)
salamander (small-mouthed)
salamander (southern two-lined)
salamander (spotted dusky)
salamander (spotted)
salamander (three-lined)
salamander (western lesser siren)
salamander (zig-zag)
toad (American)
toad (eastern narrowmouth)
toad (eastern spadefoot)
toad (Fowler’s)
treefrog (Cope’s gray)
treefrog (gray)
treefrog (green)
treefrog (western bird-voiced)

Reptiles
anole (green)
lizard (eastern slender glass)
lizard (northern fence)
lizard (six-lined racerunner)
skink (broad-headed)
skink (common five-lined)
skink (ground)
skink (little brown)
skink (southeastern five-lined)
skink (southern coal)
snake (black kingsnake)
snake (broad-banded water)
snake (common kingsnake)
snake (copperhead)
snake (corn)
snake (cottonmouth)
snake (DeKay's brownsnake)
snake (diamondback water)
snake (coachwhip)
snake (eastern garter)
snake (eastern hognose)
snake (eastern ribbon)
snake (eastern wormsnake)
snake (gray rat)
snake (green water)
snake (Kirkland's)
snake (Midland brown)
snake (Midland water)
snake (midwest worm snake)
snake (milk)
snake (Mississippi green watersnake)
snake (Mississippi ringneck)
snake (mole)
snake (North American racer)
snake (northern pine)
snake (northern red-bellied)
snake (northern scarlet)
snake (northern water)
snake (plain-bellied water)
snake (pine)
snake (prairie kingsnake)
snake (pygmy rattlesnake)
snake (queen)
snake (red-bellied)
snake (red-bellied mud)
snake (red corn)
snake (red milk)
snake (ring-necked)
snake (rough earth)
snake (rough green)
snake (scarlet kingsnake)
snake (scarlet)
snake (smooth earth)
snake (southeastern crowned)
snake (southern black racer)
snake (speckled kingsnake)
snake (timber rattlesnake)
snake (western cottonmouth)
snake (western mud)
snake (western pygmy rattlesnake)
snake (western smooth earth)
snake (yellow-bellied kingsnake)
snake (yellow-bellied water)
turtle (alligator snapping)
turtle (bog)
turtle (eastern box)
turtle (eastern mud)
turtle (eastern musk)
turtle (eastern spiny softshell)
turtle (false map)
turtle (loggerhead musk)
turtle (map)
turtle (Midland painted)
turtle (Midland smooth softshell)
turtle (Mississippi map)
turtle (northern map)
turtle (Ouachita map)
turtle (painted)
turtle (red-eared pond slider)
turtle (river cooter)
turtle (snapping)
turtle (southern painted)
turtle (smooth softshell)
turtle (spiny softshell)
turtle (stinkpot)

For more information about Tennessee Amphibians and Reptiles (including Latin names) click on individual animal links or for another (off-site) resource: LINK

anhinga
avocet (American)
bittern (American)
bittern (least)
blackbird (Brewer’s)
blackbird (red-winged)
blackbird (rusty)
bluebird (eastern)
bobolink
bobwhite (northern)
bunting (indigo)
bunting (painted)
bunting (snow)
cardinal (northern)
catbird (gray)
chickadee (black-capped)
chickadee (Carolina)
chimney swift
chuck-will’s-widow
coot (American)
cormorant (double-crested)
cowbird (brown-headed)
crane (sandhill)
crane (whooping)
creeper (brown)
crossbill (red)
crow (American)
crow (fish)
cuckoo (black-billed)
cuckoo (yellow-billed)
dickcissel
dove (European collared)
dove (mourning)
dowitcher (long-billed)
dowitcher (short-billed)
duck (American black)
duck (American wigeon)
duck (black scoter)
duck (blue-winged)
duck (bufflehead
duck (canvasback)
duck (common goldeneye)
duck (common merganser)
duck (gadwall)
duck (green-winged teal)
duck (hooded merganser)
duck (lesser scaup)
duck (long-tailed duck)
duck (mallard)
duck (northern pintail)
duck (northern shoveler)
duck (redhead)
duck (ring-necked)
duck (ruddy)
duck (surf scoter)
duck (white-winged scoter )
duck (wood)
dunlin
eagle (bald)
eagle (golden)
eastern phoebe
egret (cattle)
egret (great)
falcon (peregrine)
finch (house)
finch (purple)
flicker (northern)
flycatcher (Acadian)
flycatcher (alder)
flycatcher (greater crested)
flycatcher (least)
flycatcher (olive-sided)
flycatcher (scissor-tailed)
flycatcher (willow)
flycatcher (yellow-bellied)
gnatcatcher (blue-gray)
goldfinch (American)
goose (cackling)
goose (Canada goose)
goose (greater white-fronted goose)
goose (Ross’s)
goose (snow)
grackle (common)
grebe (eared)
grebe (horned)
grebe (pied-billed)
grebe (red-necked)
grosbeak (blue)
grosbeak (evening)
grosbeak (rose-breasted)
grouse (ruffed)
gull (Bonaparte’s)
gull (Franklin’s)
gull (herring)
gull (laughing)
gull (lesser black-backed)
gull (ring-billed)
harrier (northern)
hawk (broad-winged)
hawk (Cooper’s)
hawk (red-shouldered)
hawk (red-tailed)
hawk (rough-legged)
hawk (sharp-shinned)
heron (black-crested night)
heron (great blue)
heron (green)
heron (little blue)
heron (tricolored)
heron (yellow-crested night)
horned lark
hummingbird (ruby-throated)
hummingbird (rufous)
ibis (white)
jay (blue)
junco (dark-eyed)
kestrel (American)
killdeer
kingbird (eastern)
kingbird (western)
kingfisher (belted)
kinglet (golden-crowned)
kinglet (ruby-crowned)
kite (Mississippi)
longspur (Lapland)
loon (common)
loon (Pacific)
loon (red-throated)
martin (purple)
meadowlark (eastern)
meadowlark(western)
merganser (red-breasted)
merlin
mockingbird (northern)
moorhen (common)
nighthawk (common)
nuthatch (brown-headed)
nuthatch (red-breasted)
nuthatch (white-breasted)
oriole (Baltimore)
oriole (orchard)
osprey
ovenbird
owl (barn)
owl (barred)
owl (eastern screech-)
owl (great )
owl (long-eared)
owl (northern saw-whet)
owl (short-eared)
parula (northern)
pelican (American white)
phalarope (Wilson’s)
pigeon (rock)
pine siskin
pipit (American)
plover (American golden-)
plover (black-bellied)
plover (piping)
plover (semipalmated)
rail (king)
rail (Virginia)
rail (yellow)
raven (common)
redstart (American)
robin (American)
sanderling
sandpiper (Baird’s)
sandpiper (buff-breasted)
sandpiper (least)
sandpiper (pectoral)
sandpiper (semipalmated)
sandpiper (solitary)
sandpiper (stilt)
sandpiper (upland)
sandpiper (western)
sandpiper (white-rumped)
shrike (loggerhead)
snipe (Wilson’s)
sora
sparrow (American tree)
sparrow (Bachman’s)
sparrow (chipping )
sparrow (field)
sparrow (fox)
sparrow (grasshopper)
sparrow (Henslow’s)
sparrow (house)
sparrow (lark)
sparrow (Le Conte’s)
sparrow (Lincoln’s)
sparrow (Nelson’s sharp-tailed)
sparrow (Savannah)
sparrow (song sparrow)
sparrow (vesper) 
sparrow (white-crowned)
sparrow (white-throated)
starling
starlings (European)
stilts (black-necked)
stork (wood)
swallow (bank)
swallow (barn)
swallow (cliff)
swallow (northern rough-winged)
swallow (tree)
swan (mute)
swan (tundra)
tanager (scarlet)
tanager (summer)
tern (black)
tern (Caspian)
tern (common)
tern (Forster’s)
tern (least)
thrasher (brown)
thrush (gray-cheeked)
thrush (hermit)
thrush (Swainson’s)
thrush (wood)
titmouse (tufted)
towhee (eastern)
turkey (wild)
turnstone (ruddy)
veery
vireo (blue-headed)
vireo (Philadelphia)
vireo (red-eyed)
vireo (warbling)
vireo (white-eyed)
vireo (yellow-throated)
vulture (black)
vulture (turkey)
warbler ( black-&-white)
warbler (bay-breasted)
warbler (black-throated blue)
warbler (black-throated green)
warbler (Blackburnian)
warbler (blackpoll)
warbler (blue-winged)
warbler (Canada)
warbler (Cape May)
warbler (cerulean)
warbler (chestnut-sided)
warbler (Connecticut)
warbler (golden-winged)
warbler (hooded)
warbler (Kentucky)
warbler (magnolia)
warbler (mourning)
warbler (Nashville)
warbler (orange-crested)
warbler (palm)
warbler (pine)
warbler (prairie)
warbler (prothonotary
warbler (Swainson’s)
warbler (Tennessee)
warbler (Wilson’s)
warbler (worm-eating)
warbler (yellow-rumped)
warbler (yellow-throated)
warbler (yellow)
waterthrush (Louisiana)
waterthrush (northern) 
waxwing (cedar)
whip-poor-will
willet
woodcock (American)
wood-pewee (eastern)
woodpeckers (downy)
woodpeckers (hairy)
woodpeckers (pileated)
woodpeckers (red-bellied)
woodpeckers (red-headed)
woodpeckers (yellow-bellied sapsucker)
wren (Bewick’s)
wren (Carolina)
wren (house)
wren (marsh)
wren (sedge)
wren (winter)
yellowlegs (greater)
yellowlegs (lesser)
yellowthroat (common)

For more information about Tennessee Birds (including Latin names) click on individual animal links or for another (off-site) resource: LINK