Carphophis amoenus (Say) – Common Wormsnake
Carphophis amoenus (Say) – Eastern Wormsnake

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Legend
     Exact locality, based on specimen(s) or photographs examined
     Exact locality, based on literature record believed valid
     Approximate locality based on specimen(s) or photographs examined
     Approximate locality based on literature record believed valid
     County record only, based on specimens or photographs examined
     County record only, based on literature report believed valid
     Type locality
?      Questionable and/or problematic record

Taxonomy: Both recognized subspecies of Carphophis amoenus (Crother et al. 2012) occur in Tennessee (Conant and Collins 1998). These include C. a. amoenus (Eastern Wormsnake) and C. a. helenae (Midwestern Wormsnake). 

Distribution: Although records are lacking for several counties in West, Middle and upper East Tennessee, Wormsnakes are thought to occur statewide, with C. a. amoenus in the Great Valley and Unaka Mountains of East Tennessee and C. a. helenae  across the rest of the state (Conant and Collins 1998). 

Museum Records by Counties:  AndersonCMNH 119846-119848; TU 17744; UTKVZC 4146.  Bledsoe—FLMNH 113696-113699; UTKVZC 142.  Blount—FLMNH 113684-113687; GSMNP 3903, 3906-3910, 10891-10897; UMMZ 64837; USNM 169810, 169811, 173476, 226557, 226558, 466039, USNM RH 76-112.  Bradley—FLMNH 113754, 113755. Campbell—FLMNH 113718-113722.  Carter—AMNH R-101354.  Cheatham—APSU 3544, 19276; LSUMZ 34757.  Cocke—FLMNH 113739, 113786; LSUMZ 43988; SIU R-1886; USNM 171724, 176696, 176697, 179696, USNM RH 60-049. CoffeeAPSU 17678; MTSU 56S.  Cumberland—CMNH 37024; UMMZ 63119; UTKVZC 97.  DecaturKU 2470, 209783-209789.  DeKalbINHS 10177; SIU R-3364, uncataloged (5 specimens); TTU 413, 820, 892.  Dickson—APSU 2656, 2669, 3150.  Fentress—APSU 6145; UMMZ 123936.  Gibson—MTSU 84S, 100S, 111S.  Grainger—USNM 140410.  GreeneAPSU 19868.  Grundy—UMMZ 96734; UTKVZC 87.  Hamilton—CMNH 17874; MTSU 107S, 117S, 125S, 130S, 131S; UMMZ 77440.  Hardeman—APSU 16697; CMNH 16780; LSUMZ 35413; UMMZ 96740, 134144.  Hardin—APSU 12323, 12327; NLU 9824.  Henderson—USNM 473799.  HickmanAPSU 19488.  Houston—USNM 44365.  Johnson—UMMZ 116318, 116319, 116359.  Knox—UTKVZC 2086-2089, 3466-3468, 2090-2092.  LawrenceAPSU 19895.  Lincoln—LSUMZ 35412.  Marion—AUM 13683.  MarshallAPSU 19218.  Maury—APSU 5409.  McMinn—FLMNH 6909, 11369, 113688; USNM 188832; USNM RH 79-071.  McNairy—APSU 12332.  Meigs—USNM 348522-348524, USNM RH 84-076A.  Monroe—CMNH 26939, 55709;  FLMNH 113692, 113693, 113700-113713, 113732-113738, 113740-113751, 113756-113766, 113768-113778, 113780-113785, 113787-113790; LSUMZ 20398, 22962-22964; TTU 183, 205; TU 16055; UMMZ 178195; USNM 185735, 186152, 188833, 226559, 467123; USNM RH-79047;  UTKVZC 2216-2221.  Montgomery—APSU 2035-2037, 2374, 2875, 3190, 3589, 3919, 3920, 5150, 5426, 5573, 6096, 6104, 14403; NLU 31514, 31828.  Morgan—UMMZ 66823; USNM  226560, 226561; UTKVZC 6241.  Obion—MSU 1327; UMMZ 84404.  Overton—TTU uncataloged (1 specimen).  Perry—APSU 12321, 12322, 12324-12326, 12328, 12329, 12333, 12334, 18912; UTKVZC 6733.  Pickett—APSU 6170; MCZ 45318.  Polk—FLMNH 113683, 113715, 113716, 113767, 113791; LSUMZ 7258; USNM 85517, 85518, 186154, USNM RH 83-067; UTKVZC 6307, 6308, 6378-6382, 6406.  Putnam—NCSM 8528-8532; TTU 127, 818.  Rhea—UTKVZC 6845.  Roane—USNM 226562-226564.  Scott—APSU 6150, 6179; FLMNH 113717, 113723-113731.  Sevier—AMNH R-129443, R-36690; GSMNP 3898-3901, 3904, 3905,3911, 3912, 3914,3915, 10890; NLU 11774, 12662; UMMZ 142270, 142271, 142409; USNM 123339, 168333, 174039, 465659; UTKVZC 3459-3465.  Shelby—APSU 12320, 12330, 12625, 15566; CMNH 125781.  Smith—APSU 19387.  Stewart—APSU 396, 5032, 5033, 5053, 5056, 5392, 5525, 5665, 5821-5825, 5986, 15605, 15606, 18087; KU 154142; LSUMZ 43975.  Sullivan—APSU 19777.  Unicoi—APSU 19468.  Union—USNM 226565, 226566, 406258, 406259; UTKVZC 4145.  Van Buren—FLMNH 113694, 113695.  Warren—INHS 10175, 10181; SIU R-3363.  Wayne—LSUMZ 43958.  Wilson—TTU 539, 550, 573, 579; TU 19193; UMMZ 117521; USNM 467074; UTKVZC 2873. 

Literature Sources by Counties:  Anderson—Johnson (1964), Clark (1968), Byrd and Jenkins (1996), Jenkins et al. (2001), Byrd and Fox (2017). Benton—Parker (1948).  Blount—Huheey and Stupka (1967).  CannonNiemiller and Reynolds 2013b. Cheatham—Hopkins (2013).  ChesterNiemiller and Reynolds 2013b.   CoffeeHimebaugh (2005), Miller et al. (2005), Niemiller (2005).  Decatur—Clark (1968).  DeKalb—Harris (1967).  Fayette—Parker (1948).  Fentress—Gentry (1941).  Franklin—McCrady and Rodarmor (1967), Clark (1968), Cameron and McCrady (1978).  Grainger—Clark (1968).  Greene—Fleming and Pierson (1918).  Grundy—Cantrell et al. (2013).  Hamilton—Rhoads (1895), Miller (1996).  Hamblen—Grisnik et al. (2018).  Hardeman—Parker (1948), Norton (1971), Norton and Harvey (1975).  Hickman—Foster and Christensen (2014).  Houston—Blanchard (1922).  KnoxMalagon and Pierson (2018).  LawrenceGodwin and Moore (2018).  Madison—Endsley (1954). Marshall—Foster and Brown (2012).  McNairy—Norton (1971).  Montgomery—Scott (1967, 1991), Scott and Snyder (1968), Zirkle (1993), Fitch (1998).  MooreNiemiller and Reynolds 2013b.   Morgan—Shoup and Peyton (1940), Clark (1968).  Obion—Parker (1937a, 1939, 1948).  Overton—DeLotelle (1976).  Polk—Ash (1945).  Rhea—Dunn (1920).  Roane—Johnson (1964).  Rutherford—Niemiller et al. (2011).  Sevier—Necker (1934), Huheey and Stupka (1967).  Shelby—Rhoads (1895), Parker (1948), Davis et al. (2012), Hassell (1961).  Smith—Foster et al. (2013).  Stewart—Rozelle (1999), Davenport (2005), Davenport and Scott (2009).  Sullivan—Hamed (2017).  UnicoiNelson and Altobelli (2015).  Union—Yarrow (1882), Cope (1891, 1900).  White—Grisnik et al. (2018).  Wilson—Jordan et al. (1968), Jordan (1986), Niemiller et al. (2011). 

Questionable and/or Erroneous Records: None. 

Conservation Status: None.

Posted: 21 December 2009

Latest Revision: 27 May 2019


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