Snakes and spiders in Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County, home of Richmond, has 21 snake and 60 spider species on record, from 174 licensed snake and 1,073 spider records. Venomous species here: the northern cottonmouth, the eastern copperhead, the Texas coral snake, the broad-banded copperhead and the brown widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Fort Bend County?
Yes. The northern cottonmouth: 24 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The eastern copperhead: 19 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The Texas coral snake: 1 licensed record, 0% of all Texas records of it. The broad-banded copperhead: on record, no openly licensed records to count. The brown widow: 3 licensed records, 3% of all Texas records of it.
What snakes are in Fort Bend County?
In all, 21 snake species are on the Fort Bend County list. The most recorded are the northern cottonmouth (24), the western ribbon snake (20) and the eastern copperhead (19).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 24 | 2% |
| 2 | Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus | 20 | 1% |
| 3 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 19 | 2% |
| 4 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 19 | 2% |
| 5 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 17 | 2% |
| 6 | Western rat snake Pantherophis obsoletus | 17 | 1% |
| 7 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 10 | 0% |
| 8 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 8 | 1% |
| 9 | Green water snake Nerodia cyclopion | 7 | 5% |
| 10 | Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster | 5 | 2% |
| 11 | Diamondback water snake Nerodia rhombifer | 4 | 0% |
| 12 | Rough earthsnake Haldea striatula | 4 | 0% |
| 13 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 3 | 0% |
| 14 | Graham's crayfish snake Regina grahamii | 3 | 2% |
| 15 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | 2 | 6% |
| 16 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 2 | 2% |
| 18 | Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis holbrooki | 2 | 1% |
| 19 | Crayfish snake Liodytes rigida | 1 | 2% |
| 20 | Texas coral snake venomous Micrurus tener | 1 | 0% |
| 21 | Broad-banded copperhead venomous Agkistrodon laticinctus | — | — |
When are snakes out in Fort Bend County?
Observation records of snakes in Fort Bend County run mostly March through October, peaking in April with 33% of them, the same peak as Texas as a whole.
What spiders are in Fort Bend County?
In all, 60 spider species are on the Fort Bend County list. The most recorded are the American dewdrop spider (87), the hammerjawed jumper (53) and the cribellate spider (48). Fort Bend County holds more than half of all Texas records of the American dewdrop spider, the hammerjawed jumper and Wagneriana tauricornis.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American dewdrop spider Argyrodes elevatus | 87 | 69% |
| 2 | Hammerjawed jumper Zygoballus rufipes | 53 | 60% |
| 3 | Cribellate spider Metaltella simoni | 48 | 21% |
| 4 | American golden orb weaver Trichonephila clavipes | 44 | 21% |
| 5 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 34 | 2% |
| 6 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 33 | 2% |
| 7 | Larinia directa | 32 | 36% |
| 8 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 28 | 10% |
| 9 | Pantropical jumper Plexippus paykulli | 26 | 9% |
| 10 | Metazygia wittfeldae | 20 | 17% |
| 11 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 20 | 3% |
| 12 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 20 | 5% |
| 13 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 19 | 12% |
| 14 | Zilloides orb-weaver Metazygia zilloides | 18 | 27% |
| 15 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 17 | 3% |
| 16 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 17 | 7% |
| 17 | Tigrosa grandis | 16 | 27% |
| 18 | Deadly ground crab spider Xysticus funestus | 14 | 22% |
| 19 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 14 | 2% |
| 20 | Falconina gracilis | 12 | 6% |
| 21 | Pardosa delicatula | 12 | 39% |
| 22 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 12 | 1% |
| 23 | Shore spider Pardosa milvina | 11 | 30% |
| 24 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 9 | 4% |
| 25 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 9 | 2% |
| 26 | Twin-flagged jumping spider Anasaitis canosa | 9 | 1% |
| 27 | Wagneriana tauricornis | 9 | 69% |
| 28 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 9 | 10% |
| 29 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 8 | 20% |
| 30 | Tuftlegged orbweaver Mangora placida | 8 | 10% |
| 31 | Mecaphesa dubia | 6 | 5% |
| 32 | Messua limbata | 6 | 6% |
| 33 | Tigrosa annexa | 6 | 2% |
| 34 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 6 | 2% |
| 35 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 5 | 2% |
| 36 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 5 | 1% |
| 37 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 4 | 10% |
| 38 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 4 | 9% |
| 39 | Bifurcate trashline orbweaver Allocyclosa bifurca | 4 | 4% |
| 40 | Giant lichen orbweaver Araneus bicentenarius | 4 | 3% |
| 41 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 4 | 6% |
| 42 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 4 | 5% |
| 43 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 3 | 3% |
| 44 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | 3 | 2% |
| 45 | Lined orbweaver Mangora gibberosa | 3 | 3% |
| 46 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 3 | 2% |
| 47 | Pisaurina dubia | 3 | 7% |
| 48 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 3 | 2% |
| 49 | Starbellied orbweaver Acanthepeira stellata | 3 | 5% |
| 50 | Tropical orb weaver Eriophora ravilla | 3 | 1% |
| 51 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 2 | 1% |
| 52 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 2 | 5% |
| 53 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 2 | 4% |
| 54 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 2 | 4% |
| 55 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 1 | 11% |
| 56 | Box spider Crossopriza lyoni | 1 | 2% |
| 57 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 1 | 1% |
| 58 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 1 | 2% |
| 59 | Natal cellar spider Smeringopus natalensis | 1 | 4% |
| 60 | Shoreline wolf spider Arctosa littoralis | — | — |
When are spiders out in Fort Bend County?
Observation records of spiders in Fort Bend County run mostly March through November, peaking in April with 24% of them, the same peak as Texas as a whole.
What stands out in Fort Bend County
Species for which Fort Bend County holds a large share of all Texas records: the American dewdrop spider, 69% (87 of 126); the hammerjawed jumper, 60% (53 of 89); Pardosa delicatula, 39% (12 of 31); Larinia directa, 36% (32 of 89); the shore spider, 30% (11 of 37); the zilloides orb-weaver, 27% (18 of 66); Tigrosa grandis, 27% (16 of 60); the deadly ground crab spider, 22% (14 of 63).
Common in Texas, not on the Fort Bend County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the western diamondback rattlesnake (2,667 statewide), the western ground snake (1,963 statewide), the checkered garter snake (1,851 statewide) and the gopher snake (1,440 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: Hogna antelucana (805 statewide), Cicurina varians (514 statewide) and the western spotted orbweaver (465 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Fort Bend County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the plain-bellied watersnake and the eastern hog-nosed snake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the southern watersnake, the plain-bellied watersnake, the green water snake and the diamondback water snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the western diamondback rattlesnake, the prairie rattlesnake, the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake, the rock rattlesnake, the western massasauga, the timber rattlesnake and the pygmy rattlesnake are on the Texas list: treat any snake like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern hog-nosed snake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the triangulate bud spider.
Fort Bend County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Fort Bend County ranks 68th 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.