Snakes and spiders in Scotland County, North Carolina
Scotland County, home of Laurinburg, has 22 snake and 4 spider species on record, from 591 licensed snake and 15 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead, the northern cottonmouth, the pygmy rattlesnake and the southern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Scotland County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 26 licensed records, 2% of all North Carolina records of it. The northern cottonmouth: 15 licensed records, 3% of all North Carolina records of it. The pygmy rattlesnake: 5 licensed records, 15% of all North Carolina records of it. The southern black widow: 2 licensed records, 5% of all North Carolina records of it.
What snakes are in Scotland County?
In all, 22 snake species are on the Scotland County list. The most recorded are the eastern hog-nosed snake (117), the southern watersnake (76) and the rough greensnake (53).
| # | Species | Records | Share of North Carolina records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 117 | 18% |
| 2 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 76 | 7% |
| 3 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 53 | 6% |
| 4 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 43 | 4% |
| 5 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 36 | 22% |
| 6 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 33 | 4% |
| 7 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 30 | 2% |
| 8 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 26 | 2% |
| 9 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 19 | 4% |
| 10 | Scarlet snake Cemophora coccinea | 16 | 5% |
| 11 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 15 | 1% |
| 12 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 15 | 3% |
| 13 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 15 | 3% |
| 14 | Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster | 14 | 5% |
| 15 | Mole kingsnake Lampropeltis rhombomaculata | 12 | 5% |
| 16 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 12 | 2% |
| 17 | Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula | 10 | 2% |
| 18 | Southeastern crown snake Tantilla coronata | 8 | 3% |
| 19 | Pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus | 5 | 45% |
| 20 | Pygmy rattlesnake venomous Sistrurus miliarius | 5 | 15% |
| 21 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 5 | 0% |
| 22 | Southern hognose snake Heterodon simus | 3 | 27% |
What spiders are in Scotland County?
In all, 4 spider species are on the Scotland County list. The most recorded are the southern black widow (2), the black-and-yellow argiope (1) and the green lynx spider (1).
| # | Species | Records | Share of North Carolina records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | 2 | 5% |
| 2 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 1 | 0% |
| 3 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 1 | 0% |
| 4 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 1 | 1% |
What stands out in Scotland County
Species for which Scotland County holds a large share of all North Carolina records: the coachwhip, 22% (36 of 164); the eastern hog-nosed snake, 18% (117 of 652).
Common in North Carolina, not on the Scotland County list
Among the snakes most recorded across North Carolina, these do not reach the county list: the northern water snake (1,281 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 Scotland County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern hog-nosed snake, the corn snake, the eastern rat snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the southern watersnake, the mud snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern hog-nosed snake and the pine 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.
Scotland County among North Carolina counties
By licensed snake records Scotland County ranks 10th 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.