The Amphibians and Reptiles of Chilhowee Mountain

Introduction: In the past some reptiles and amphibians have been reported from the general area of Chilhowee Mountain (i.e., within the counties through which the mountain extends). However, no one has ever made an exhaustive study of these two groups of vertebrates on the mountain itself. The neighboring Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers one of the most interesting and extensively studied areas of the Southeast. The purpose of the present study has been to gather enough evidence for a comparison of the reptiles and amphibians of Chilhowee Mountain (more specifically, a representative part of the mountain most easily reached from the University of Tennessee) with those of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The most useful reference for this comparison has been Willis King's survey of the herpetology of the Park (1939). In addition to the occurrence of particular species, the possibility of altitudinal limits in distribution was kept in mind during the study. Finally, it was desirable to compare the abundance of the two classes of vertebrates of the two areas in relation to the habitats available.