Snakes and spiders in Moore County, North Carolina
Moore County, home of Carthage, has 23 snake and 12 spider species on record, from 769 licensed snake and 33 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead, the northern cottonmouth and the southern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Moore County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 94 licensed records, 6% of all North Carolina records of it. The northern cottonmouth: 36 licensed records, 7% of all North Carolina records of it. The southern black widow: 1 licensed record, 2% of all North Carolina records of it.
What snakes are in Moore County?
In all, 23 snake species are on the Moore County list. The most recorded are the eastern copperhead (94), the eastern rat snake (71) and the corn snake (65).
| # | Species | Records | Share of North Carolina records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 94 | 6% |
| 2 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 71 | 4% |
| 3 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 65 | 9% |
| 4 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 48 | 7% |
| 5 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 46 | 4% |
| 6 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 39 | 4% |
| 7 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 37 | 8% |
| 8 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 36 | 7% |
| 9 | Scarlet snake Cemophora coccinea | 36 | 11% |
| 10 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 34 | 4% |
| 11 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 32 | 2% |
| 12 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 31 | 6% |
| 13 | Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster | 26 | 9% |
| 14 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 26 | 2% |
| 15 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 22 | 2% |
| 16 | Mole kingsnake Lampropeltis rhombomaculata | 20 | 9% |
| 17 | Eastern wormsnake Carphophis amoenus | 13 | 1% |
| 18 | Rough earthsnake Haldea striatula | 13 | 2% |
| 19 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 12 | 7% |
| 20 | Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula | 12 | 2% |
| 21 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 11 | 2% |
| 22 | Southeastern crown snake Tantilla coronata | 11 | 5% |
| 23 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 8 | 1% |
What spiders are in Moore County?
In all, 12 spider species are on the Moore County list. The most recorded are the black-and-yellow argiope (4), the spiny-backed orbweaver (4) and the magnolia green jumper (2).
| # | Species | Records | Share of North Carolina records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 4 | 1% |
| 2 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 4 | 3% |
| 3 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 2 | 1% |
| 4 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 2 | 1% |
| 5 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 2 | 2% |
| 6 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | 1 | 1% |
| 7 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 1 | 0% |
| 8 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | 1 | 2% |
| 9 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | — | — |
| 10 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | — | — |
| 11 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | — | — |
| 12 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | — | — |
When are spiders out in Moore County?
Observation records of spiders in Moore County run mostly May through November, peaking in June with 23% of them; across North Carolina the peak is September.
Common in North Carolina, not on the Moore County list
Among the spiders most recorded across North Carolina, these do not reach the county list: the Pocock's lampshade-web spider (302 statewide), the spotted orbweaver (198 statewide), the nursery web spider (188 statewide), the arrowhead orbweaver (161 statewide), the spined micrathena (133 statewide) and the American golden orb weaver (130 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Moore County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern rat snake, the corn 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 mud snake, the southern watersnake, the plain-bellied watersnake and the northern 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. No coral snakes reach the county list, but the eastern coral snake is on the North Carolina list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the scarlet snake.
Moore County among North Carolina counties
By licensed snake records Moore County ranks 5th of 100 North Carolina counties with any.
Other North Carolina counties with their own page: Wake County, Sampson County, Columbus County, Durham County, Orange County, Dare County, Brunswick County and Bladen 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.