Snakes and spiders in Beaufort County, North Carolina
Beaufort County, home of Washington, has 16 snake and 3 spider species on record, from 342 licensed snake and 30 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead and the northern cottonmouth.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Beaufort County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 20 licensed records, 1% of all North Carolina records of it. The northern cottonmouth: 17 licensed records, 3% of all North Carolina records of it.
What snakes are in Beaufort County?
In all, 16 snake species are on the Beaufort County list. The most recorded are the northern water snake (39), the eastern rat snake (38) and the eastern hog-nosed snake (24).
| # | Species | Records | Share of North Carolina records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 39 | 3% |
| 2 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 38 | 2% |
| 3 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 24 | 4% |
| 4 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 21 | 2% |
| 5 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 20 | 1% |
| 6 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 18 | 8% |
| 7 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 17 | 3% |
| 8 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 16 | 1% |
| 9 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 16 | 1% |
| 10 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 16 | 3% |
| 11 | Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula | 15 | 3% |
| 12 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 14 | 2% |
| 13 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 14 | 2% |
| 14 | Rainbow snake Farancia erytrogramma | 11 | 9% |
| 15 | Brown water snake Nerodia taxispilota | 10 | 3% |
| 16 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 10 | 2% |
What spiders are in Beaufort County?
In all, 3 spider species are on the Beaufort County list. The most recorded are the black-and-yellow argiope (3), Leucauge argyrobapta (2) and the American golden orb weaver (1).
| # | Species | Records | Share of North Carolina records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 3 | 1% |
| 2 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 2 | 3% |
| 3 | American golden orb weaver Trichonephila clavipes | 1 | 1% |
When are spiders out in Beaufort County?
Observation records of spiders in Beaufort County run mostly April through October, peaking in August with 23% of them; across North Carolina the peak is September.
Common in North Carolina, not on the Beaufort County list
Among the snakes most recorded across North Carolina, these do not reach the county list: the ring-necked snake (1,305 statewide), the eastern wormsnake (975 statewide), the DeKay's brown snake (922 statewide) and the rough earthsnake (712 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Beaufort County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake, the eastern rat snake, the eastern hog-nosed snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake, the southern watersnake, the plain-bellied watersnake and the brown water snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the timber rattlesnake and the pygmy rattlesnake are on the North Carolina list: treat any snake like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern hog-nosed snake.
Beaufort County among North Carolina counties
By licensed snake records Beaufort County ranks 18th of 100 North Carolina counties with any.
Other North Carolina counties with their own page: Wake County, Sampson County, Columbus County, Durham County, Moore County, Orange County, Dare County and Brunswick County.
The whole state: venomous species in North Carolina, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.