Snakes and spiders in Alachua County, Florida
Alachua County, home of Gainesville, has 36 snake and 74 spider species on record, from 1,290 licensed snake and 1,590 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern coral snake, the Florida cottonmouth, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the northern cottonmouth, the pygmy rattlesnake, the timber rattlesnake, the brown widow and the southern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Alachua County?
Yes. The eastern coral snake: 42 licensed records, 18% of all Florida records of it. The Florida cottonmouth: 41 licensed records, 9% of all Florida records of it. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake: 15 licensed records, 4% of all Florida records of it. The northern cottonmouth: 15 licensed records, 5% of all Florida records of it. The pygmy rattlesnake: 12 licensed records, 3% of all Florida records of it. The timber rattlesnake: 5 licensed records, 21% of all Florida records of it. The brown widow: 19 licensed records, 13% of all Florida records of it. The southern black widow: 10 licensed records, 19% of all Florida records of it.
What snakes are in Alachua County?
In all, 36 snake species are on the Alachua County list. The most recorded are the black swamp snake (197), the southern watersnake (153) and the eastern racer (135).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Florida records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black swamp snake Liodytes pygaea | 197 | 46% |
| 2 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 153 | 10% |
| 3 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 135 | 8% |
| 4 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 81 | 11% |
| 5 | Striped crayfish snake Liodytes alleni | 56 | 15% |
| 6 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 48 | 10% |
| 7 | Florida green water snake Nerodia floridana | 45 | 10% |
| 8 | Eastern coral snake venomous Micrurus fulvius | 42 | 18% |
| 9 | Florida cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon conanti | 41 | 9% |
| 10 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 30 | 5% |
| 11 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 30 | 16% |
| 12 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 26 | 12% |
| 13 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 22 | 3% |
| 14 | Florida brown snake Storeria victa | 20 | 16% |
| 15 | Pine woods snake Rhadinaea flavilata | 20 | 19% |
| 16 | Brown water snake Nerodia taxispilota | 18 | 5% |
| 17 | Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula | 18 | 10% |
| 18 | Eastern diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus adamanteus | 15 | 4% |
| 19 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 15 | 14% |
| 20 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 15 | 5% |
| 21 | Pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus | 14 | 23% |
| 22 | Florida crowned snake Tantilla relicta | 13 | 7% |
| 23 | Pygmy rattlesnake venomous Sistrurus miliarius | 12 | 3% |
| 24 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 11 | 8% |
| 25 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 10 | 21% |
| 26 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 9 | 5% |
| 27 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 9 | 26% |
| 28 | Scarlet snake Cemophora coccinea | 9 | 4% |
| 29 | Scarlet kingsnake Lampropeltis elapsoides | 7 | 10% |
| 30 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | 6 | 3% |
| 31 | Green water snake Nerodia cyclopion | 5 | 5% |
| 32 | Rough earthsnake Haldea striatula | 5 | 36% |
| 33 | Southern hognose snake Heterodon simus | 5 | 16% |
| 34 | Timber rattlesnake venomous Crotalus horridus | 5 | 21% |
| 35 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 3 | 3% |
| 36 | Crayfish snake Liodytes rigida | 2 | 4% |
When are snakes out in Alachua County?
Observation records of snakes in Alachua County run through most of the year, peaking in April with 15% of them; across Florida the peak is March.
What spiders are in Alachua County?
In all, 74 spider species are on the Alachua County list. The most recorded are the American golden orb weaver (173), Leucauge argyrobapta (99) and the black-and-yellow argiope (83). Alachua County holds more than half of all Florida records of Trochosa abdita, the bold jumper, the cribellate spider and the Chilean tiger spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Florida records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American golden orb weaver Trichonephila clavipes | 173 | 18% |
| 2 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 99 | 16% |
| 3 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 83 | 23% |
| 4 | Twin-flagged jumping spider Anasaitis canosa | 83 | 34% |
| 5 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 81 | 16% |
| 6 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 65 | 8% |
| 7 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 55 | 16% |
| 8 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 43 | 37% |
| 9 | Trochosa abdita | 29 | 83% |
| 10 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 27 | 41% |
| 11 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 23 | 6% |
| 12 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 22 | 35% |
| 13 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 20 | 11% |
| 14 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 19 | 13% |
| 15 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | 19 | 16% |
| 16 | Regal jumper Phidippus regius | 19 | 9% |
| 17 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 18 | 23% |
| 18 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 18 | 50% |
| 19 | Cribellate spider Metaltella simoni | 17 | 59% |
| 20 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 15 | 33% |
| 21 | Tropical orb weaver Eriophora ravilla | 15 | 5% |
| 22 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 14 | 26% |
| 23 | Box spider Crossopriza lyoni | 14 | 23% |
| 24 | Chilean tiger spider Scytodes globula | 14 | 74% |
| 25 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 14 | 32% |
| 26 | Ogre-faced spider Deinopis spinosa | 14 | 35% |
| 27 | Florida false wolf spider Ctenus captiosus | 13 | 42% |
| 28 | Huntsman spider Heteropoda venatoria | 13 | 13% |
| 29 | Tuftlegged orbweaver Mangora placida | 13 | 17% |
| 30 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 12 | 6% |
| 31 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 12 | 26% |
| 32 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | 11 | 27% |
| 33 | Featherlegged orbweaver Uloborus glomosus | 10 | 45% |
| 34 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 10 | 20% |
| 35 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | 10 | 19% |
| 36 | Workman's jumper Phidippus workmani | 10 | 28% |
| 37 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | 9 | 33% |
| 38 | Difoliate orbweaver Acacesia hamata | 9 | 20% |
| 39 | Southern house spider Kukulcania hibernalis | 9 | 14% |
| 40 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 8 | 7% |
| 41 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 8 | 31% |
| 42 | Giant lichen orbweaver Araneus bicentenarius | 7 | 44% |
| 43 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 7 | 19% |
| 44 | Slender nursery web spider Pisaurina undulata | 6 | 8% |
| 45 | Spintharus flavidus | 6 | 35% |
| 46 | Abbot purseweb spider Sphodros abboti | 5 | 42% |
| 47 | Giant swamp fishing spider Dolomedes okefinokensis | 5 | 29% |
| 48 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 5 | 31% |
| 49 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 5 | 14% |
| 50 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 4 | 10% |
| 51 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 4 | 4% |
| 52 | Eris flava | 4 | 22% |
| 53 | Lined orbweaver Mangora gibberosa | 4 | 13% |
| 54 | Pantropical jumper Plexippus paykulli | 4 | 11% |
| 55 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 4 | 57% |
| 56 | Bark lynx spider Hamataliwa grisea | 3 | 12% |
| 57 | Greater leucauge Leucauge argyra | 3 | 1% |
| 58 | Humped spider Zosis geniculata | 3 | 27% |
| 59 | Larinia directa | 3 | 9% |
| 60 | Metacyrba floridana | 3 | 38% |
When are spiders out in Alachua County?
Observation records of spiders in Alachua County run through most of the year, peaking in April with 14% of them, the same peak as Florida as a whole.
What stands out in Alachua County
Species for which Alachua County holds a large share of all Florida records: Trochosa abdita, 83% (29 of 35); the cribellate spider, 59% (17 of 29); the bold jumper, 50% (18 of 36); the black swamp snake, 46% (197 of 431); the featherlegged orbweaver, 45% (10 of 22); the Florida false wolf spider, 42% (13 of 31); the sylvan jumping spider, 41% (27 of 66); the white-banded fishing spider, 37% (43 of 116).
Common in Florida, not on the Alachua County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Florida, these do not reach the county list: the Burmese python (8,141 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Alachua County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Florida list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the corn snake, the eastern hog-nosed snake, the eastern rat snake and the northern water snake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the southern watersnake, the Florida green water snake, the mud snake and the brown water snake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern hog-nosed snake and the pine snake. Coral snakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the scarlet snake and the scarlet kingsnake. Recluse spiders are not on the Florida list, but GBIF holds 1 recluse spider record of any license in Florida (brown recluse 1): treat any spider like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the southern house spider.
Alachua County among Florida counties
By licensed snake records Alachua County ranks 3rd of 67 Florida counties with any.
Other Florida counties with their own page: Miami-Dade County, Collier County, Monroe County, Broward County, Lee County, Orange County, Marion County and Palm Beach County.
The whole state: venomous species in Florida, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.