Snakes and spiders in Liberty County, Florida
Liberty County, home of Bristol, has 27 snake and 9 spider species on record, from 413 licensed snake and 97 spider records. Venomous species here: the pygmy rattlesnake, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the northern cottonmouth, the eastern copperhead, the Florida cottonmouth and the eastern coral snake.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Liberty County?
Yes. The pygmy rattlesnake: 47 licensed records, 11% of all Florida records of it. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake: 37 licensed records, 9% of all Florida records of it. The northern cottonmouth: 27 licensed records, 10% of all Florida records of it. The eastern copperhead: 10 licensed records, 53% of all Florida records of it. The Florida cottonmouth: 5 licensed records, 1% of all Florida records of it. The eastern coral snake: 4 licensed records, 2% of all Florida records of it.
What snakes are in Liberty County?
In all, 27 snake species are on the Liberty County list. The most recorded are the southern watersnake (71), the pygmy rattlesnake (47) and the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (37). Liberty County holds more than half of all Florida records of the plain-bellied watersnake, the eastern copperhead and the queen snake.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Florida records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 71 | 5% |
| 2 | Pygmy rattlesnake venomous Sistrurus miliarius | 47 | 11% |
| 3 | Eastern diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus adamanteus | 37 | 9% |
| 4 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 28 | 2% |
| 5 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 27 | 10% |
| 6 | Scarlet snake Cemophora coccinea | 25 | 12% |
| 7 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 19 | 56% |
| 8 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 16 | 2% |
| 9 | Crayfish snake Liodytes rigida | 16 | 34% |
| 10 | Brown water snake Nerodia taxispilota | 12 | 3% |
| 11 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 11 | 2% |
| 12 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 10 | 2% |
| 13 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 10 | 53% |
| 14 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 7 | 1% |
| 15 | Pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus | 6 | 10% |
| 16 | Florida cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon conanti | 5 | 1% |
| 17 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 5 | 3% |
| 18 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 4 | 2% |
| 19 | Eastern coral snake venomous Micrurus fulvius | 4 | 2% |
| 20 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 4 | 11% |
| 21 | Smooth earth snake Virginia valeriae | 4 | 29% |
| 22 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 2 | 2% |
| 23 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 2 | 50% |
| 24 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 2 | 1% |
| 25 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 1 | 2% |
| 26 | Scarlet kingsnake Lampropeltis elapsoides | 1 | 1% |
| 27 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | — | — |
When are snakes out in Liberty County?
Observation records of snakes in Liberty County run mostly March through November, peaking in May with 31% of them; across Florida the peak is March.
What spiders are in Liberty County?
In all, 9 spider species are on the Liberty County list. The most recorded are the American golden orb weaver (10), the green lynx spider (10) and the Florida garden spider (9).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Florida records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American golden orb weaver Trichonephila clavipes | 10 | 1% |
| 2 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 10 | 2% |
| 3 | Florida garden spider Argiope florida | 9 | 19% |
| 4 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 8 | 2% |
| 5 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | 3 | 19% |
| 6 | Regal jumper Phidippus regius | 3 | 1% |
| 7 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 2 | 2% |
| 8 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 1 | 0% |
| 9 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | 1 | 1% |
When are spiders out in Liberty County?
Observation records of spiders in Liberty County run mostly March through November, peaking in August with 15% of them; across Florida the peak is April.
What stands out in Liberty County
Species for which Liberty County holds a large share of all Florida records: the plain-bellied watersnake, 56% (19 of 34); the crayfish snake, 34% (16 of 47).
Common in Florida, not on the Liberty County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Florida, these do not reach the county list: the Burmese python (8,141 statewide), the black swamp snake (431 statewide) and the Florida green water snake (431 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Among the spiders most recorded across Florida, these do not reach the county list: the spiny-backed orbweaver (864 statewide), the greater leucauge (514 statewide), the gray wall jumper (392 statewide), the magnolia green jumper (341 statewide), the tropical orb weaver (309 statewide) and the twin-flagged jumping spider (247 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Liberty County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the plain-bellied watersnake, the corn snake, the eastern rat snake and the eastern hog-nosed snake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the southern watersnake, the plain-bellied watersnake, the brown water snake and the mud snake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the pine snake and the eastern hog-nosed snake. Coral snakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the scarlet snake and the scarlet kingsnake.
Liberty County among Florida counties
By licensed snake records Liberty County ranks 11th of 67 Florida counties with any.
Other Florida counties with their own page: Miami-Dade County, Collier County, Alachua County, Monroe County, Broward County, Lee County, Orange County and Marion 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.