One of Tennessee's most common reptiles is the snapping turtle.
Tennessee's warm climate makes the "Volunteer State" a suitable environment for cold-blooded reptiles. Since they are cold-blooded, reptiles require an outside source, such as hot rocks and the sun, to warm their body temperature. However, reptiles do not have the ability to sweat like mammals, so they must retreat under rocks or structures if they need to cool down. Most reptiles are egg-laying animals, but some species give live birth.
Lizards
Tennessee is home to nine native reptiles. The majority of reptiles in Tennessee are skinks. Skinks are similar to other lizards, except they lack a pronounced neck, and a skink's legs are usually shorter than other lizard species. Tennessee's native skinks include the Northern coal, common five-lined, broad-headed, little brown and Southeastern five-lined skinks. Other Tennessee lizards are the Eastern six-lined racerunner, Eastern fence lizard, Eastern green slender lizard and Northern green anole. The Eastern fence lizard is the longest Tennessee lizard at 7 inches.
Turtles
Tennessee has 19 turtle species and subspecies. The most frequently seen turtles in the state are the Eastern box turtle, common snapping turtle and Eastern painted turtle. An alligator snapping turtle is the other snapper species in Tennessee. Snapping turtles receive their name from the snapping of their mouths, an action these turtles make when they feel threatened. Tennessee also is home to two species of softshell turtles: the midland smooth and Eastern spiny; these turtles have leathery shells, rather than bony shells. Two musk turtles live in Tennessee: the stripe-necked musk turtles and stinkpots. Musk turtles emit a foul odor if they are attacked.
Nonvenomous Snakes
Nonvenomous snakes are snakes that do not use venom to kill their prey. These snakes either swallow their prey alive or use constriction, a method where snakes wrap themselves around their prey's body to squeeze and suffocate them. Tennessee is home to 28 nonvenomous snakes. The most widely distributed nonvenomous snake in Tennessee is the common garter snake; this snake is frequently seen in urban back yards, gardens and under buildings. The family Nerodia, nonvenomous water snakes, has the most species in Tennessee. Nerodia species are the broad-banded, midland, common, Mississippi green, copper-bellied, yellow-bellied and Northern diamond-backed water snake.
Venomous Snakes
Four venomous snakes live in Tennessee: copperheads, Western pygmy rattlesnakes, timber rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. All four species are pit vipers, or snakes with facial grooves. These grooves possess heat sensors, which these snakes use to find warm-blooded animals during the evening. The Western pygmy and timber rattlesnakes have rattles at the end of their tails. Tennessee's venomous snakes have enough venom to cause serious damage to humans. Pit vipers also have slit-shaped eye pupils; none of Tennessee's nonvenomous snakes have this attribute.
Tags: snapping turtle, species Tennessee, their prey, cold-blooded reptiles, Eastern fence, Eastern fence lizard, fence lizard