Snakes and spiders in Barber County, Kansas
Barber County, home of Medicine Lodge, has 22 snake and 1 spider species on record, from 331 licensed snake and 1 spider records. Venomous species here: the western massasauga and the prairie rattlesnake.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Barber County?
Yes. The western massasauga: 33 licensed records, 7% of all Kansas records of it. The prairie rattlesnake: 21 licensed records, 6% of all Kansas records of it.
What snakes are in Barber County?
In all, 22 snake species are on the Barber County list. The most recorded are the western ground snake (43), the western massasauga (33) and the prairie rattlesnake (21).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Kansas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | 43 | 16% |
| 2 | Western massasauga venomous Sistrurus tergeminus | 33 | 7% |
| 3 | Prairie rattlesnake venomous Crotalus viridis | 21 | 6% |
| 4 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 18 | 3% |
| 5 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 16 | 1% |
| 6 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 14 | 2% |
| 7 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 13 | 5% |
| 8 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 13 | 4% |
| 9 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 13 | 4% |
| 10 | Western rat snake Pantherophis obsoletus | 13 | 3% |
| 11 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 11 | 16% |
| 12 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | 10 | 37% |
| 13 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 10 | 8% |
| 14 | Lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum | 10 | 2% |
| 15 | Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis holbrooki | 10 | 4% |
| 16 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 9 | 1% |
| 17 | Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster | 9 | 3% |
| 18 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 8 | 3% |
| 19 | Texas blind snake Rena dulcis | 8 | 18% |
| 20 | Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus | 8 | 3% |
| 21 | Diamondback water snake Nerodia rhombifer | 6 | 3% |
| 22 | Plains black-headed snake Tantilla nigriceps | 5 | 3% |
When are snakes out in Barber County?
Observation records of snakes in Barber County run mostly May through October, peaking in June with 28% of them; across Kansas the peak is May.
What stands out in Barber County
Species for which Barber County holds a large share of all Kansas records: the Chihuahuan night snake, 37% (10 of 27); the long-nosed snake, 16% (11 of 67); the western ground snake, 16% (43 of 266).
Common in Kansas, not on the Barber County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Kansas, these do not reach the county list: the northern water snake (1,214 statewide), the flathead snake (809 statewide), the eastern copperhead (615 statewide) and the plains garter snake (562 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Barber County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead and the broad-banded copperhead are on the Kansas list: treat any snake like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the plain-bellied watersnake and the eastern hog-nosed snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth is on the Kansas list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the plain-bellied watersnake and the diamondback water snake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake, the eastern hog-nosed snake and the Great Plains rat snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Kansas under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the long-nosed snake.
Barber County among Kansas counties
By licensed snake records Barber County ranks 8th of 105 Kansas counties with any.
Other Kansas counties with their own page: Cowley County, Douglas County, Chase County, Ellis County, Russell County, Cherokee County, Riley County and Johnson County.
The whole state: venomous species in Kansas, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.