Snakes and spiders in Cameron County, Texas
Cameron County, home of Brownsville, has 21 snake and 51 spider species on record, from 413 licensed snake and 469 spider records. Venomous species here: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the Texas coral snake, the Texas recluse, the brown widow and the brown recluse.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Cameron County?
Yes. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 25 licensed records, 1% of all Texas records of it. The Texas coral snake: 15 licensed records, 3% of all Texas records of it. The Texas recluse: 4 licensed records, 7% of all Texas records of it. The brown widow: 1 licensed record, 1% of all Texas records of it. The brown recluse: on record, no openly licensed records to count.
What snakes are in Cameron County?
In all, 21 snake species are on the Cameron County list. The most recorded are the western ribbon snake (75), the Texas indigo snake (35) and the diamondback water snake (30). Cameron County holds more than half of all Texas records of the black-striped snake and the central American speckled racer.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus | 75 | 3% |
| 2 | Texas indigo snake Drymarchon melanurus | 35 | 17% |
| 3 | Diamondback water snake Nerodia rhombifer | 30 | 2% |
| 4 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 25 | 1% |
| 5 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 22 | 1% |
| 6 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 22 | 2% |
| 7 | Schott's whipsnake Masticophis schotti | 21 | 14% |
| 8 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 21 | 6% |
| 9 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 17 | 2% |
| 10 | Black-striped snake Coniophanes imperialis | 16 | 84% |
| 11 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 15 | 1% |
| 12 | Texas coral snake venomous Micrurus tener | 15 | 3% |
| 13 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | 11 | 1% |
| 14 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 11 | 2% |
| 15 | Eastern patch-nosed snake Salvadora grahamiae | 9 | 3% |
| 16 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 9 | 1% |
| 17 | Texas blind snake Rena dulcis | 9 | 1% |
| 18 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | 7 | 21% |
| 19 | Central American speckled racer Drymobius margaritiferus | 6 | 100% |
| 20 | Texas patch-nosed snake Salvadora lineata | 5 | 4% |
| 21 | Mexican milksnake Lampropeltis annulata | 4 | 11% |
When are snakes out in Cameron County?
Observation records of snakes in Cameron County run through most of the year, peaking in May with 21% of them; across Texas the peak is April.
What spiders are in Cameron County?
In all, 51 spider species are on the Cameron County list. The most recorded are the spiny-backed orbweaver (41), the silver argiope (28) and the tropical orb weaver (23). Cameron County holds more than half of all Texas records of Paraphidippus fartilis.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 41 | 5% |
| 2 | Silver argiope Argiope argentata | 28 | 12% |
| 3 | Tropical orb weaver Eriophora ravilla | 23 | 5% |
| 4 | Bifurcate trashline orbweaver Allocyclosa bifurca | 20 | 19% |
| 5 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 20 | 1% |
| 6 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 19 | 7% |
| 7 | Hogna antelucana | 18 | 2% |
| 8 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 17 | 49% |
| 9 | Texas tan tarantula Aphonopelma anax | 15 | 11% |
| 10 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 13 | 6% |
| 11 | Messua limbata | 11 | 11% |
| 12 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 9 | 1% |
| 13 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 9 | 4% |
| 14 | Pantropical jumper Plexippus paykulli | 9 | 3% |
| 15 | Metazygia wittfeldae | 8 | 7% |
| 16 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 8 | 5% |
| 17 | Mecaphesa dubia | 7 | 5% |
| 18 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 7 | 2% |
| 19 | Green lynx Peucetia longipalpis | 6 | 19% |
| 20 | Larinia directa | 6 | 7% |
| 21 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 6 | 1% |
| 22 | Zilloides orb-weaver Metazygia zilloides | 6 | 9% |
| 23 | Box spider Crossopriza lyoni | 5 | 8% |
| 24 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 5 | 3% |
| 25 | Phidippus arizonensis | 5 | 5% |
| 26 | Eriophora edax | 4 | 3% |
| 27 | Sosippus texanus | 4 | 27% |
| 28 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 4 | 8% |
| 29 | Texas recluse venomous Loxosceles devia | 4 | 7% |
| 30 | Mexican two-tailed spider Neotama mexicana | 3 | 13% |
| 31 | Southern house spider Kukulcania hibernalis | 3 | 4% |
| 32 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 3 | 1% |
| 33 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 2 | 0% |
| 34 | Huntsman spider Heteropoda venatoria | 2 | 10% |
| 35 | Leptoctenus byrrhus | 2 | 7% |
| 36 | Argiope blanda | 1 | 6% |
| 37 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 1 | 1% |
| 38 | Paraphidippus fartilis | 1 | 100% |
| 39 | Agyneta flax | — | — |
| 40 | Attinella concolor | — | — |
| 41 | Brown recluse venomous Loxosceles reclusa | — | — |
| 42 | Cryptachaea insulsa | — | — |
| 43 | Drassyllus dromeus | — | — |
| 44 | Drassyllus prosaphes | — | — |
| 45 | Drassyllus texamans | — | — |
| 46 | Elaver texana | — | — |
| 47 | Emertonella taczanowskii | — | — |
| 48 | Herpyllus emertoni | — | — |
| 49 | Marinarozelotes lyonneti | — | — |
| 50 | Mazax pax | — | — |
| 51 | Zelotes pseustes | — | — |
When are spiders out in Cameron County?
Observation records of spiders in Cameron County run through most of the year, peaking in November with 18% of them; across Texas the peak is April.
What stands out in Cameron County
Species for which Cameron County holds a large share of all Texas records: the arrowshaped micrathena, 49% (17 of 35); the bifurcate trashline orbweaver, 19% (20 of 103); the Texas indigo snake, 17% (35 of 211).
Common in Texas, not on the Cameron County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the plain-bellied watersnake (2,226 statewide), the western ground snake (1,963 statewide), the western rat snake (1,769 statewide), the rough earthsnake (1,448 statewide) and the eastern copperhead (1,188 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Among the spiders most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the black-and-yellow argiope (1,979 statewide), the twin-flagged jumping spider (669 statewide), the striped lynx spider (579 statewide), Cicurina varians (514 statewide) and the spotted orbweaver (441 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Cameron County
No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth is on the Texas list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the diamondback water snake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the Great Plains rat snake and the gopher snake. Coral snakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the Mexican milksnake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the triangulate bud spider. Recluse spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the southern house spider.
Cameron County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Cameron County ranks 22nd of 254 Texas counties with any.
Other Texas counties with their own page: Travis County, Brewster County, Harris County, Brazos County, El Paso County, Jeff Davis County, Val Verde County and Bexar County.
The whole state: venomous species in Texas, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.