Snakes and spiders in Russell County, Kansas
Russell County, home of Russell, has 18 snake and 2 spider species on record, from 516 licensed snake and 4 spider records. Venomous species here: the western massasauga and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Russell County?
Yes. The western massasauga: 33 licensed records, 7% of all Kansas records of it. The western black widow: on record, no openly licensed records to count.
What snakes are in Russell County?
In all, 18 snake species are on the Russell County list. The most recorded are the ring-necked snake (76), the Great Plains rat snake (63) and the lined snake (48).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Kansas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 76 | 3% |
| 2 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 63 | 26% |
| 3 | Lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum | 48 | 10% |
| 4 | Central plains milksnake Lampropeltis gentilis | 42 | 22% |
| 5 | Plains garter snake Thamnophis radix | 40 | 7% |
| 6 | Plains black-headed snake Tantilla nigriceps | 37 | 22% |
| 7 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 36 | 4% |
| 8 | Western massasauga venomous Sistrurus tergeminus | 33 | 7% |
| 9 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 23 | 4% |
| 10 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 23 | 4% |
| 11 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 19 | 8% |
| 12 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | 17 | 6% |
| 13 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 14 | 4% |
| 14 | Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis holbrooki | 8 | 3% |
| 15 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 6 | 0% |
| 16 | Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster | 6 | 2% |
| 17 | Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus | 5 | 2% |
| 18 | Graham's crayfish snake Regina grahamii | — | — |
What stands out in Russell County
Species for which Russell County holds a large share of all Kansas records: the Great Plains rat snake, 26% (63 of 238); the plains black-headed snake, 22% (37 of 166); the central plains milksnake, 22% (42 of 195).
Common in Kansas, not on the Russell County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Kansas, these do not reach the county list: the flathead snake (809 statewide), the eastern copperhead (615 statewide), the western rat snake (443 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 Russell 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 central plains milksnake and the northern water 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 northern water snake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the Great Plains rat snake and the gopher 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 central plains milksnake.
Russell County among Kansas counties
By licensed snake records Russell County ranks 5th of 105 Kansas counties with any.
Other Kansas counties with their own page: Cowley County, Douglas County, Chase County, Ellis County, Cherokee County, Riley County, Barber 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.