New County Records and Other Data Since 1996

Rana catesbeiana Shaw - Bullfrog

Since publication of Atlas of Amphibians in Tennessee (Redmond, W. H. and A. F. Scott. 1996. The Center for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. 94 pp.), several applicable taxonomic and nomenclatural changes and numerous reports of new county records have appeared in the literature. Following are comments, accompanied by cited references, on the taxonomic and nomenclatural changes, plus an updated distribution map and bibliographical information on new county records as they pertain to Rana catesbeiana:

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Changes

The genus Rana was split by Frost et al. (2006), and all eastern North American ranid species placed in the genus Lithobates. In the latest list of scientific and standard English names of the frogs of North America north of Mexico (Frost et al. 2012), the binomial for the Southern Leopard Frog is given as Lithobates catesbeianus.

Literature Cited:

Frost, D. R., T. Grant, J.Faivovich, R. H. Bain, A. Haas, C. F. B. Haddad, R. O. De Sá, A. Channing, M. Wilkinson, S. C. Donnellan, C. J. Raxworthy, J. A. Campbell, B. L. Blotto, P. Moler, R. C. Drewes, R. A. Nussbaum, J. D. Lynch, D. M.. Green, W. C. Wheeler. 2006. The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of natural History 297: 1–370.

Frost, D. R., R. W. McDiarmid, J. R. Mendelson III, and D. M. Green. 2012. Anura: Frogs.  IN B. I. Crother (ed.), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North American North of Mexico, With Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.

Updated Distribution Map
(Click on the Map for an Enlarged View)

Literature Containing New County Records 

Cannon, Claiborne, Hickman, Loudon, McNairy, Smith and Unicoi counties 

Glorioso, B.  2011. American Bullfrog. Pp. 304-306 In M. L. Niemiller and R. G. Reynolds (eds.), The amphibians of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 369 pp.

Campbell County

Daniels, S. D., S. A. Dykes and R. L. P. Wyatt. 2012. New amphibian and reptile county records for eight counties in East Tennessee, USA.  Herpetol. Rev. 43:313-315.

Gibson County

Hall, J. M.  2008.  Geographic distribution:  Lithobates catesbeianus.  Herpetol. Rev. 39:479.

Hardin County

Butterfield, B. P., L. J. Barton, E. Todd, and K. Robertson. 2015. Geographic distribution: Lithobates catesbeianus. Herpetol. Rev. 46:379.

Haywood County 

Stanley, J.  2005.  A herpetofaunal inventory of the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge in Haywood County, Tennessee.  Honors thesis, Freed-Hardeman University, Henderson, Tennessee.  41 pp.

Jefferson County 

Faust, T. M.  2009.  Geographic distribution:  Lithobates catesbeianus.  Herpetol. Rev. 40:109.

Lawrence County

Messer, H.A. and B.P. Butterfield.  2007.  New records for anurans from Lawrence County, Tennessee.  Herpetol. Rev. 38:245.

Marion County 

Davenport, J. M., J. R. Ennen, and A. F. Scott. 2005. New records for amphibians from counties in south-central Tennessee.  Herpetol. Rev. 36:209-210.

Marshall County 

Haislip, N.  2007.  Geographic distribution:  Rana catesbeiana.  Herpetol. Rev. 38:477.

Maury County

Stewart, Brian.  2010.  Geographic distribution:  Lithobates catesbeianus.  Herpetol. Rev. 41:104.

Moore County

Niemiller, M.L., B.M. Glorioso, G.R. Wyckoff, III, and J.K. Spiess.  2007.  New county records for amphibians in Middle Tennessee.  Herpetol. Rev. 38:234.

Sullivan County

Hamed M. K. 2014. Geographic distribution: Lithobates catesbeianus. Herpetol. Rev. 45:654.

Trousdale County

Glorioso, B.M. and J. Pruett.  2007.  New records for amphibians and reptiles from Trousdale County, Tennessee.  Herpetol. Rev. 38: 247-248.