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Benton County, Missouri

Maps

Landmark Map

Landmark locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Landmark locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Interstate HighwayRailroadUS Army Corps of Engineers
US HighwayDepartment of ConservationUS Fish and Wildlife Service
State HighwayDepartment of Natural ResourcesNational Park Service
County HighwayUS Forest ServiceUS Department of Defense

Locator Map

Locator map for Benton County, Missouri
Locator map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Natural Divisions Locality Map

Natural divisions and sections locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Natural Divisions locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Ecological Drainage Unit Locality Map

Ecological drainage unit locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Ecological Drainage Units locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Major Watersheds Locality Map

Major watersheds locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Major Watersheds locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Major Rivers Locality Map

Major rivers locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Major Rivers locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Level I Ecoregion Locality Map

Level I Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Level I Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Level II Ecoregion Locality Map

Level II Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Level II Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Level III Ecoregion Locality Map

Level III Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Level III Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Level IV Ecoregion Locality Map

Level IV Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Level IV Ecoregion locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Presettlement Prairie Locality Map

Presettlement prairie locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Presettlement Prairie locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

Historical Vegetation Map

Historical vegetation map for Benton County, Missouri
Historical Vegetation map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

WaterPrairieBarrens / Scrub
ForestWoodlandOpen Woodland

Geology Locality Map

Geology locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Geology locality map for Benton County, Missouri
Map created 15 April 2026.

AlluviumSandstoneDolomiteLimestone
ClaySandstone / LimestoneDolomite / LimestoneLimestone / Sandstone
IgneousSandstone / DolomiteDolomite / ShaleLimestone / Shale
Limestone / Sandstone / Shale

Species List

Salamanders (Caudata)

Frogs (Anura)

Lizards (Squamata, "Lizards")

Snakes (Squamata, "Snakes")

Turtles (Testudines)

Collection Summary

Benton County has a total of 296 valid, non-duplicated collections representing 55 species and 91 localities. There are a total of 54 collectors and 80 collection dates for the county. This results in a total of 89 expeditions for the county, a measure of unique date / collector(s) combinations. The county's earliest collection year is 1915 and its most recent collection year is 2022. The earliest and latest collection dates (independent of earliest and most recent collection years) are March 11 and December 23, respectively. If you have a new record to report for Benton County, read the New Records section of the FAQ.

Collection Summary by Species

Collection summary for Benton County by species. Some values are unavailable since some records are represented solely by historical literature reports, which sometimes lack complete collecting data. Click on a species or common name to view more information about that species. Click on column headings to sort by that column.
Species Common Name Localities Collections Collectors Dates Expeditions Earliest Year Latest Year
Acris blanchardi Blanchard's Cricket Frog 2 3 5 2 2 1957 2017
Agkistrodon contortrix Eastern Copperhead 3 7 3 3 3 1951 2002
Ambystoma maculatum Spotted Salamander 1 1 1 1 1 2012 2012
Ambystoma texanum Small-mouthed Salamander 1 1 2 1 1
Anaxyrus americanus American Toad 4 10 4 4 4 1959 1997
Anaxyrus fowleri Fowler's Toad 1 1 1 1 1 1957 1957
Apalone mutica Midland Smooth Softshell 1 4 1 2 2 1990 1990
Aspidoscelis sexlineatus Prairie Racerunner 3 9 2 3 3 1959 1968
Carphophis vermis Western Wormsnake 8 21 8 7 8 1961 2007
Chelydra serpentina North American Snapping Turtle 4 4 2 3 3 1982 2019
Coluber constrictor North American Racer 5 6 4 5 5 1943 2012
Crotalus horridus Timber Rattlesnake 1 1 1 1 1 2015 2015
Diadophis punctatus Ring-necked Snake 4 6 4 4 4 1940 1980
Eurycea longicauda Long-tailed Salamander 2 7 1 2 2 1946 1962
Eurycea lucifuga Cave Salamander 3 4 2 3 3 1941 1966
Gastrophryne carolinensis Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad 3 3 3 3 3 1968 1982
Graptemys geographica Northern Map Turtle 2 3 2 2 2 1963 1966
Graptemys ouachitensis Ouachita Map Turtle 1 1 4 1 1 2022 2022
Hemidactylium scutatum Four-toed Salamander 2 3 4 2 2 1991 2022
Heterodon platirhinos Eastern Hog-nosed Snake 2 2 1 2 2 2008 2013
Lampropeltis calligaster Prairie Kingsnake 4 4 4 4 4 1940 1967
Lampropeltis holbrooki Speckled Kingsnake 4 4 5 4 4 1934 2012
Lampropeltis triangulum Eastern Milksnake 1 1 1 1 1 1994 1994
Lithobates areolatus Northern Crawfish Frog 1 1 2 1 1 2007 2007
Lithobates catesbeianus North American Bullfrog 1 1 1 1 1 1991 1991
Lithobates clamitans North American Green Frog 2 3 2 2 2 1963 2019
Lithobates palustris Pickerel Frog 3 3 6 3 3 1946 2007
Lithobates sphenocephalus Coastal Plains Leopard Frog 2 3 2 2 2 1963 2015
Masticophis flagellum Eastern Coachwhip 4 5 5 4 4 1930 2007
Necturus maculosus Mudpuppy 2 2 2 2 2 1941 1970
Nerodia rhombifer Northern Diamond-backed Watersnake 1 1 1 1 1 1967 1967
Nerodia sipedon Common Watersnake 3 3 2 3 3 1963 1982
Notophthalmus viridescens Central Newt 1 1 3 1 1 2012 2012
Opheodrys aestivus Northern Rough Greensnake 3 4 2 2 2 2004 2004
Ophisaurus attenuatus Western Slender Glass Lizard 2 2 2 2 2 1962 2003
Pantherophis obsoletus Western Ratsnake 3 3 3 3 3 1958 2004
Plestiodon anthracinus Southern Coal Skink 1 1 4 1 1 2014 2014
Plestiodon fasciatus Common Five-lined Skink 11 41 7 9 10 1959 1993
Plestiodon laticeps Broad-headed Skink 1 1 1 1 1 1932 1932
Plethodon albagula Western Slimy Salamander 1 1 1 1 1 1963 1963
Pseudacris crucifer Spring Peeper 1 1 1 1 1 1941 1941
Pseudacris maculata Boreal Chorus Frog 1 1 2 1 1 2007 2007
Sceloporus consobrinus Prairie Lizard 11 12 11 10 10 1950 2017
Scincella lateralis Little Brown Skink 9 14 7 9 9 1961 2002
Sternotherus odoratus Eastern Musk Turtle 1 1 1 1 1 1968 1968
Storeria dekayi DeKay's Brownsnake 1 1 1 1 1 2004 2004
Storeria occipitomaculata Red-bellied Snake 3 3 2 2 2 1962 2002
Tantilla gracilis Flat-headed Snake 7 46 5 7 7 1958 2012
Terrapene ornata Ornate Box Turtle 2 2 2 2 2 1960 1986
Terrapene triunguis Three-toed Box Turtle 5 5 6 5 5 1940 2017
Thamnophis proximus Orange-striped Ribbonsnake 2 6 2 2 2 1966 1982
Thamnophis sirtalis Common Gartersnake 4 5 3 4 4 1915 1968
Trachemys scripta Red-eared Slider 1 1 1 1 1 1957 1957
Virginia striatula Rough Earthsnake 3 12 6 2 2 1967 2007
Virginia valeriae Western Smooth Earthsnake 3 4 3 3 3 1940 2002

Potential Species Records

Potential species for Benton County. Species are listed in descending order of their likelihood of occurrence within the county. Click on a species or common name to view more information about that species. Click on column headings to sort by that column.
Likelihood Species Common Name Rationale Ecoregion / Watershed
2 Agkistrodon piscivorus Northern Cottonmouth Same watershed, within 5 miles Harry S. Truman Reservoir
2 Apalone spinifera Northern Spiny Softshell Same watershed, within 5 miles Lamine
2 Apalone spinifera Northern Spiny Softshell Same watershed, within 5 miles Niangua
2 Chrysemys picta Western Painted Turtle Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Prairie Ozark Border
2 Dryophytes versicolor Gray Treefrog Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Prairie Ozark Border
2 Lithobates blairi Plains Leopard Frog Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Cherokee Plains
2 Lithobates blairi Plains Leopard Frog Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
2 Lithobates blairi Plains Leopard Frog Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Wooded Osage Plains
2 Pantherophis emoryi Great Plains Ratsnake Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Central Plateau
2 Sonora episcopa Great Plains Groundsnake Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
2 Tropidoclonion lineatum Lined Snake Same Level IV ecoregion, within 5 miles Wooded Osage Plains
4 Ambystoma opacum Marbled Salamander Same Level IV ecoregion, within 10 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
4 Ambystoma opacum Marbled Salamander Same Level IV ecoregion, within 10 miles Cherokee Plains
4 Crotaphytus collaris Eastern Collared Lizard Same Level IV ecoregion, within 10 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
4 Eurycea nerea Northern Grotto Salamander Same Level IV ecoregion, within 10 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
4 Gastrophryne olivacea Western Narrow-mouthed Toad Same Level IV ecoregion, within 10 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
4 Nerodia erythrogaster Yellow-bellied Watersnake Same Level IV ecoregion, within 10 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
4 Plethodon serratus Southern Red-backed Salamander Same Level IV ecoregion, within 10 miles Cherokee Plains
4 Regina grahamii Graham's Crawfish Snake Same watershed, within 10 miles Lamine
6 Ambystoma annulatum Ringed Salamander Same Level IV ecoregion, within 20 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
6 Ambystoma tigrinum Eastern Tiger Salamander Same Level IV ecoregion, within 20 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
6 Cryptobranchus alleganiensis Hellbender Same watershed, within 20 miles Niangua
6 Dryophytes chrysoscelis Cope's Gray Treefrog Same Level IV ecoregion, within 20 miles Springfield Plateau
6 Dryophytes cinereus Green Treefrog Same Level IV ecoregion, within 20 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
6 Graptemys pseudogeographica False Map Turtle Same watershed, within 20 miles Lake of the Ozarks
6 Graptemys pseudogeographica False Map Turtle Same watershed, within 20 miles Lamine
6 Pituophis catenifer Bullsnake Same Level IV ecoregion, within 20 miles Cherokee Plains
8 Cemophora coccinea Northern Scarletsnake Same Level IV ecoregion, within 30 miles Osage/Gasconade Hills
8 Pseudemys concinna Eastern River Cooter Same watershed, within 30 miles Niangua
8 Pseudemys concinna Eastern River Cooter Same watershed, within 30 miles Lake of the Ozarks

Checklist

All MOHAP publications are released in portable document format (PDF), an ISO standard. You must download and install a reader (click icon below) to view these documents. A state checklist, including all counties, is available on the publications page.