Snakes and spiders in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Cuyahoga County, home of Cleveland, has 7 snake and 59 spider species on record, from 290 licensed snake and 479 spider records. No venomous snake or spider reaches the county list, but the eastern copperhead, the eastern massasauga, the timber rattlesnake, the northern black widow and 2 more are on the Ohio list: treat any snake or spider like them as venomous until identified.
What snakes are in Cuyahoga County?
In all, 7 snake species are on the Cuyahoga County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (127), the DeKay's brown snake (90) and the red-bellied snake (27).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 127 | 8% |
| 2 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 90 | 9% |
| 3 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 27 | 22% |
| 4 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 16 | 1% |
| 5 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 8 | 4% |
| 6 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 6 | 2% |
| 7 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 3 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Cuyahoga County?
Observation records of snakes in Cuyahoga County run mostly April through September, peaking in June with 23% of them; across Ohio the peak is May.
What spiders are in Cuyahoga County?
In all, 59 spider species are on the Cuyahoga County list. The most recorded are the zebra spider (40), the orchard orbweaver (35) and the bold jumper (27). Cuyahoga County holds more than half of all Ohio records of Pseudeuophrys erratica and Trochosa ruricola.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 40 | 19% |
| 2 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 35 | 7% |
| 3 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 27 | 8% |
| 4 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 20 | 7% |
| 5 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 19 | 18% |
| 6 | Garden spider Araneus diadematus | 17 | 28% |
| 7 | Myrmarachne formicaria | 15 | 28% |
| 8 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 13 | 6% |
| 9 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 12 | 16% |
| 10 | Dysdera crocata | 11 | 20% |
| 11 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 11 | 6% |
| 12 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 10 | 5% |
| 13 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 10 | 6% |
| 14 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 9 | 16% |
| 15 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 9 | 5% |
| 16 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 8 | 15% |
| 17 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 8 | 12% |
| 18 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 7 | 7% |
| 19 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 7 | 11% |
| 20 | Pseudeuophrys erratica | 7 | 88% |
| 21 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | 6 | 19% |
| 22 | Butterfly orbweaver Araneus pegnia | 6 | 25% |
| 23 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 6 | 5% |
| 24 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | 5 | 11% |
| 25 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | 4 | 14% |
| 26 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 4 | 4% |
| 27 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | 4 | 17% |
| 28 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 4 | 8% |
| 29 | Tuberculated crab spider Tmarus angulatus | 4 | 16% |
| 30 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 3 | 3% |
| 31 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 3 | 2% |
| 32 | Bridge orbweaver Larinioides sclopetarius | 3 | 43% |
| 33 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | 3 | 7% |
| 34 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 3 | 2% |
| 35 | Pholcus manueli | 3 | 43% |
| 36 | Trochosa ruricola | 3 | 50% |
| 37 | Allocosa funerea | 2 | 25% |
| 38 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 2 | 2% |
| 39 | Barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica | 2 | 11% |
| 40 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | 2 | 5% |
| 41 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 2 | 9% |
| 42 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 2 | 2% |
| 43 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | 2 | 4% |
| 44 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 2 | 3% |
| 45 | Northern yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium mildei | 2 | 25% |
| 46 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 2 | 4% |
| 47 | Shore spider Pardosa milvina | 2 | 5% |
| 48 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 2 | 3% |
| 49 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 1 | 9% |
| 50 | Humpbacked orbweaver Eustala anastera | 1 | 8% |
| 51 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 1 | 5% |
| 52 | Nearctic white-striped running crab spider Philodromus rufus | 1 | 3% |
| 53 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | 1 | 11% |
| 54 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 1 | 3% |
| 55 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 1 | 1% |
| 56 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | — | — |
| 57 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | — | — |
| 58 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | — | — |
| 59 | Dock spider Dolomedes scriptus | — | — |
When are spiders out in Cuyahoga County?
Observation records of spiders in Cuyahoga County run mostly April through October, peaking in September with 20% of them; across Ohio the peak is June.
What stands out in Cuyahoga County
Species for which Cuyahoga County holds a large share of all Ohio records: the garden spider, 28% (17 of 60); Myrmarachne formicaria, 28% (15 of 53); the red-bellied snake, 22% (27 of 124); Dysdera crocata, 20% (11 of 54); the zebra spider, 19% (40 of 213); the Asian wall jumper, 18% (19 of 103); the triangulate bud spider, 16% (12 of 76).
Common in Ohio, not on the Cuyahoga County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Ohio, these do not reach the county list: the queen snake (323 statewide), the eastern racer (154 statewide), the eastern fox snake (127 statewide), the eastern copperhead (94 statewide) and the smooth green snake (81 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Cuyahoga County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Ohio list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake, the eastern milksnake and the eastern rat snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Ohio under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the northern water snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Ohio under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. No widow spiders reach the county list, but the northern black widow and the southern black widow are on the Ohio list: treat any spider like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the triangulate bud spider and the boreal combfoot. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Ohio list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider.
Cuyahoga County among Ohio counties
By licensed snake records Cuyahoga County ranks 4th of 88 Ohio counties with any.
Other Ohio counties with their own page: Summit County, Ottawa County, Erie County, Franklin County, Montgomery County, Hamilton County and Richland County.
The whole state: venomous species in Ohio, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.