Snakes and spiders in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, home of Rockville, has 15 snake and 93 spider species on record, from 635 licensed snake and 1,232 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead, the southern black widow and the northern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Montgomery County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 53 licensed records, 37% of all Maryland records of it. The southern black widow: 8 licensed records, 32% of all Maryland records of it. The northern black widow: 3 licensed records, 8% of all Maryland records of it.
What snakes are in Montgomery County?
In all, 15 snake species are on the Montgomery County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (108), the eastern rat snake (106) and the northern water snake (97).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Maryland records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 108 | 22% |
| 2 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 106 | 19% |
| 3 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 97 | 16% |
| 4 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 53 | 37% |
| 5 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 47 | 15% |
| 6 | Eastern wormsnake Carphophis amoenus | 46 | 19% |
| 7 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 46 | 18% |
| 8 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 19 | 19% |
| 9 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 19 | 9% |
| 10 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 19 | 12% |
| 11 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 17 | 15% |
| 12 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 13 | 25% |
| 13 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 12 | 21% |
| 14 | Smooth earth snake Virginia valeriae | 11 | 13% |
| 15 | Mole kingsnake Lampropeltis rhombomaculata | 8 | 22% |
When are snakes out in Montgomery County?
Observation records of snakes in Montgomery County run mostly April through October, peaking in May with 26% of them, the same peak as Maryland as a whole.
What spiders are in Montgomery County?
In all, 93 spider species are on the Montgomery County list. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver (94), the common house spider (74) and the nursery web spider (51). Montgomery County holds more than half of all Maryland records of the common house spider, the thin-spined jumping spider, the drumming sword wolf spider and the variegated ground spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Maryland records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 94 | 24% |
| 2 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 74 | 80% |
| 3 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 51 | 23% |
| 4 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 46 | 18% |
| 5 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 46 | 25% |
| 6 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 45 | 20% |
| 7 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 44 | 16% |
| 8 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 29 | 44% |
| 9 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 28 | 18% |
| 10 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 27 | 18% |
| 11 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 26 | 25% |
| 12 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 26 | 16% |
| 13 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 23 | 24% |
| 14 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 22 | 25% |
| 15 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 20 | 27% |
| 16 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | 20 | 38% |
| 17 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 19 | 39% |
| 18 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 18 | 10% |
| 19 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 18 | 36% |
| 20 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 18 | 27% |
| 21 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 18 | 14% |
| 22 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 17 | 24% |
| 23 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | 15 | 25% |
| 24 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 15 | 25% |
| 25 | Dysdera crocata | 14 | 37% |
| 26 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 14 | 14% |
| 27 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 14 | 26% |
| 28 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | 11 | 33% |
| 29 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 11 | 21% |
| 30 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 11 | 23% |
| 31 | Thin-spined jumping spider Tutelina elegans | 11 | 58% |
| 32 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 10 | 12% |
| 33 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 9 | 26% |
| 34 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 9 | 26% |
| 35 | Drumming sword wolf spider Gladicosa gulosa | 8 | 53% |
| 36 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | 8 | 22% |
| 37 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 8 | 12% |
| 38 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | 8 | 32% |
| 39 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 8 | 19% |
| 40 | Variegated ground spider Sergiolus capulatus | 8 | 53% |
| 41 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 8 | 13% |
| 42 | Allocosa funerea | 7 | 35% |
| 43 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 7 | 44% |
| 44 | Butterfly orbweaver Araneus pegnia | 7 | 15% |
| 45 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | 7 | 41% |
| 46 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 6 | 11% |
| 47 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 6 | 25% |
| 48 | Ariadna bicolor | 5 | 42% |
| 49 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 5 | 11% |
| 50 | Barronopsis jeffersi | 5 | 24% |
| 51 | Cone-shaped orbweaver Cyclosa conica | 5 | 15% |
| 52 | Mangora spiculata | 5 | 62% |
| 53 | Pholcus manueli | 5 | 38% |
| 54 | Red-legged purseweb spider Sphodros rufipes | 5 | 45% |
| 55 | Tigrosa annexa | 5 | 24% |
| 56 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 5 | 9% |
| 57 | Wulfila albens | 5 | 38% |
| 58 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | 4 | 15% |
| 59 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 4 | 8% |
| 60 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 4 | 21% |
When are spiders out in Montgomery County?
Observation records of spiders in Montgomery County run mostly March through October, peaking in June with 18% of them; across Maryland the peak is August.
What stands out in Montgomery County
Species for which Montgomery County holds a large share of all Maryland records: the common house spider, 80% (74 of 92); the basilica orbweaver, 44% (29 of 66); the ribbon jumping spider, 39% (19 of 49); the grayish jumping spider, 38% (20 of 52); Dysdera crocata, 37% (14 of 38); the eastern copperhead, 37% (53 of 144); the bowl and doily spider, 36% (18 of 50); the boreal combfoot, 33% (11 of 33).
Harmless lookalikes in Montgomery County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern rat snake, the northern water snake, the eastern hog-nosed snake and the eastern milksnake. Cottonmouths are not on the Maryland list, but GBIF holds 1 cottonmouth record of any license in Maryland (northern cottonmouth 1), 1 of them in Montgomery County: treat any snake like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the timber rattlesnake is on the Maryland list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern hog-nosed snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Maryland under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the common house spider, the boreal combfoot, the triangulate bud spider and the twospotted cobweb spider. Recluse spiders are not on the Maryland list, but GBIF holds 8 recluse spider records of any license in Maryland (brown recluse 8): treat any spider like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider.
Montgomery County among Maryland counties
By licensed snake records Montgomery County ranks 2nd of 23 Maryland counties with any.
Other Maryland counties with their own page: Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Frederick County, Howard County and Harford County.
The whole state: venomous species in Maryland, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.