Wikipedia
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Texas Parks & Wildlife
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
United States Fish & Wildlife Service
NatureWorks - New Hampshire Public Television
Nature & Wildlife Photography - Matthew Niemiller
Yes, there are gators in Tennessee! Over the last few decades, they have gradually been expanding their range, and now they're becoming reasonably common in the southwesterly parts of the state. They don't do well with freezing temperatures though, so they probably won't be able to come much farther north or east. (In other words, don't expect to see one in Murfreesboro anytime soon.)
Needless to say, I have not seen one in Tennessee (only in Florida & North Carolina). I've never had an opportunity to do any herping in West TN, so that whole area is still very foreign to me. Also, I'm not sure why Austin Peay's atlas of reptiles in Tennessee doesn't have an entry for them. My guess is that the atlas just isn't complete yet.
Photos by Matthew Niemiller (top) & John White (bottom)
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