Snakes and spiders in Bourbon County, Kansas
Bourbon County, home of Fort Scott, has 13 snake and 0 spider species on record, from 305 licensed snake and 3 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead and the timber rattlesnake.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Bourbon County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 16 licensed records, 3% of all Kansas records of it. The timber rattlesnake: 6 licensed records, 3% of all Kansas records of it.
What snakes are in Bourbon County?
In all, 13 snake species are on the Bourbon County list. The most recorded are the ring-necked snake (92), the western worm snake (52) and the eastern racer (20).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Kansas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 92 | 3% |
| 2 | Western worm snake Carphophis vermis | 52 | 20% |
| 3 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 20 | 2% |
| 4 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 16 | 2% |
| 5 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 16 | 3% |
| 6 | Central plains milksnake Lampropeltis gentilis | 15 | 8% |
| 7 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 15 | 1% |
| 8 | Western rat snake Pantherophis obsoletus | 15 | 3% |
| 9 | Flathead snake Tantilla gracilis | 12 | 1% |
| 10 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 8 | 3% |
| 11 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 7 | 2% |
| 12 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 7 | 7% |
| 13 | Timber rattlesnake venomous Crotalus horridus | 6 | 3% |
What stands out in Bourbon County
Species for which Bourbon County holds a large share of all Kansas records: the western worm snake, 20% (52 of 260).
Common in Kansas, not on the Bourbon County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Kansas, these do not reach the county list: the gopher snake (632 statewide), the plains garter snake (562 statewide), the western massasauga (490 statewide), the lined snake (480 statewide) and the prairie rattlesnake (347 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Bourbon County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the central plains milksnake, the northern water snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. 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 northern water snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. 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 central plains milksnake.
Bourbon County among Kansas counties
By licensed snake records Bourbon County ranks 12th 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 Barber 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.