Snakes and spiders in St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Louis County, home of Clayton, has 14 snake and 52 spider species on record, from 167 licensed snake and 499 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead, the timber rattlesnake, the brown recluse and the northern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in St. Louis County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 2 licensed records, 3% of all Missouri records of it. The timber rattlesnake: 1 licensed record, 3% of all Missouri records of it. The brown recluse: 51 licensed records, 29% of all Missouri records of it. The northern black widow: 1 licensed record, 3% of all Missouri records of it.
What snakes are in St. Louis County?
In all, 14 snake species are on the St. Louis County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (28), the DeKay's brown snake (25) and the northern water snake (19).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Missouri records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 28 | 15% |
| 2 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 25 | 20% |
| 3 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 19 | 9% |
| 4 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 16 | 18% |
| 5 | Western rat snake Pantherophis obsoletus | 13 | 8% |
| 6 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 10 | 4% |
| 7 | Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster | 9 | 20% |
| 8 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 7 | 28% |
| 9 | Lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum | 5 | 18% |
| 10 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 4 | 11% |
| 11 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 2 | 3% |
| 12 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 2 | 12% |
| 13 | Timber rattlesnake venomous Crotalus horridus | 1 | 3% |
| 14 | Smooth earth snake Virginia valeriae | — | — |
When are snakes out in St. Louis County?
Observation records of snakes in St. Louis County run mostly March through October, peaking in April with 25% of them; across Missouri the peak is May.
What spiders are in St. Louis County?
In all, 52 spider species are on the St. Louis County list. The most recorded are the brown recluse (51), the bold jumper (29) and the familiar jumping spider (21). St. Louis County holds more than half of all Missouri records of the parson spider, Dysdera crocata, the barn funnel weaver and the garden ghost spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Missouri records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brown recluse venomous Loxosceles reclusa | 51 | 29% |
| 2 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 29 | 17% |
| 3 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 21 | 14% |
| 4 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 20 | 40% |
| 5 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 12 | 17% |
| 6 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 11 | 13% |
| 7 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 8 | 40% |
| 8 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 7 | 10% |
| 9 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 7 | 15% |
| 10 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 7 | 50% |
| 11 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 7 | 33% |
| 12 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 6 | 21% |
| 13 | Dysdera crocata | 5 | 62% |
| 14 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 5 | 16% |
| 15 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 5 | 15% |
| 16 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 5 | 9% |
| 17 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 4 | 7% |
| 18 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 4 | 31% |
| 19 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 4 | 36% |
| 20 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 4 | 27% |
| 21 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 4 | 7% |
| 22 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 4 | 31% |
| 23 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 3 | 20% |
| 24 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 3 | 14% |
| 25 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 3 | 25% |
| 26 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 2 | 10% |
| 27 | Barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica | 2 | 100% |
| 28 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 2 | 5% |
| 29 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 2 | 4% |
| 30 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | 2 | 50% |
| 31 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | 2 | 18% |
| 32 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 2 | 8% |
| 33 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 2 | 5% |
| 34 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 2 | 12% |
| 35 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 1 | 100% |
| 36 | Box spider Crossopriza lyoni | 1 | 50% |
| 37 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | 1 | 50% |
| 38 | Cyclosa turbinata | 1 | 25% |
| 39 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | 1 | 8% |
| 40 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 1 | 14% |
| 41 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 1 | 5% |
| 42 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | 1 | 3% |
| 43 | Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica | 1 | 100% |
| 44 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 1 | 11% |
| 45 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 1 | 8% |
| 46 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | — | — |
| 47 | Dotted wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata | — | — |
| 48 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | — | — |
| 49 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | — | — |
| 50 | Pisaurina dubia | — | — |
| 51 | Red-legged purseweb spider Sphodros rufipes | — | — |
| 52 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | — | — |
When are spiders out in St. Louis County?
Observation records of spiders in St. Louis County run mostly April through October, peaking in September with 20% of them; across Missouri the peak is August.
What stands out in St. Louis County
Species for which St. Louis County holds a large share of all Missouri records: the spotted orbweaver, 40% (20 of 50); the brown recluse, 29% (51 of 174); the DeKay's brown snake, 20% (25 of 122); the eastern racer, 18% (16 of 87); the bold jumper, 17% (29 of 167); the orchard orbweaver, 17% (12 of 71).
Common in Missouri, not on the St. Louis County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Missouri, these do not reach the county list: the northern cottonmouth (70 statewide), the western worm snake (61 statewide), the western ribbon snake (60 statewide) and the diamondback water snake (57 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in St. Louis County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake and the eastern milksnake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth is on the Missouri list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Missouri 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 and the triangulate bud spider. Recluse spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the spitting spider.
St. Louis County among Missouri counties
By licensed snake records St. Louis County ranks 2nd of 96 Missouri counties with any.
The whole state: venomous species in Missouri, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.