Snakes and spiders in Culberson County, Texas
Culberson County, home of Van Horn, has 17 snake and 3 spider species on record, from 392 licensed snake and 51 spider records. Venomous species here: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake, the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, the prairie rattlesnake, the rock rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Culberson County?
Yes. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 50 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The Mohave rattlesnake: 30 licensed records, 10% of all Texas records of it. The eastern black-tailed rattlesnake: 24 licensed records, 6% of all Texas records of it. The prairie rattlesnake: 21 licensed records, 4% of all Texas records of it. The rock rattlesnake: 9 licensed records, 4% of all Texas records of it. The western black widow: 4 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it.
What snakes are in Culberson County?
In all, 17 snake species are on the Culberson County list. The most recorded are the western diamondback rattlesnake (50), the gopher snake (42) and the Mohave rattlesnake (30).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 50 | 2% |
| 2 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 42 | 3% |
| 3 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 30 | 10% |
| 4 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 26 | 1% |
| 5 | Eastern black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ornatus | 24 | 6% |
| 6 | Prairie rattlesnake venomous Crotalus viridis | 21 | 4% |
| 7 | Trans-Pecos rat snake Bogertophis subocularis | 21 | 6% |
| 8 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 20 | 3% |
| 9 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 19 | 4% |
| 10 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 17 | 4% |
| 11 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 17 | 4% |
| 12 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 13 | 2% |
| 13 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | 12 | 2% |
| 14 | Eastern patch-nosed snake Salvadora grahamiae | 12 | 3% |
| 15 | Rock rattlesnake venomous Crotalus lepidus | 9 | 4% |
| 16 | Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake Gyalopion canum | 8 | 6% |
| 17 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 8 | 1% |
When are snakes out in Culberson County?
Observation records of snakes in Culberson County run mostly May through October, peaking in July with 34% of them; across Texas the peak is April.
What spiders are in Culberson County?
In all, 3 spider species are on the Culberson County list. The most recorded are the western black widow (4) and the Texas brown tarantula (3).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 4 | 2% |
| 2 | Texas brown tarantula Aphonopelma hentzi | 3 | 1% |
| 3 | Giant crab spider Olios giganteus | — | — |
Common in Texas, not on the Culberson County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the western ribbon snake (2,587 statewide), the plain-bellied watersnake (2,226 statewide), the western ground snake (1,963 statewide), the checkered garter snake (1,851 statewide), the western rat snake (1,769 statewide) and the diamondback water snake (1,612 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Culberson County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake and the Great Plains rat snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, but the Texas coral snake is on the Texas list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the long-nosed snake.
Culberson County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Culberson County ranks 25th 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.