Snakes and spiders in Presidio County, Texas
Presidio County, home of Marfa, has 25 snake and 4 spider species on record, from 528 licensed snake and 74 spider records. Venomous species here: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake, the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, the eastern copperhead, the rock rattlesnake, the prairie rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Presidio County?
Yes. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 66 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The Mohave rattlesnake: 46 licensed records, 16% of all Texas records of it. The eastern black-tailed rattlesnake: 30 licensed records, 8% of all Texas records of it. The eastern copperhead: 13 licensed records, 1% of all Texas records of it. The rock rattlesnake: 12 licensed records, 5% of all Texas records of it. The prairie rattlesnake: 11 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The western black widow: 2 licensed records, 1% of all Texas records of it.
What snakes are in Presidio County?
In all, 25 snake species are on the Presidio County list. The most recorded are the western diamondback rattlesnake (66), the Mohave rattlesnake (46) and the blackneck garter snake (43).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 66 | 2% |
| 2 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 46 | 16% |
| 3 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 43 | 10% |
| 4 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | 37 | 6% |
| 5 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 33 | 2% |
| 6 | Eastern black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ornatus | 30 | 8% |
| 7 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | 29 | 2% |
| 8 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 27 | 1% |
| 9 | Trans-Pecos rat snake Bogertophis subocularis | 24 | 6% |
| 10 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 21 | 3% |
| 11 | Grey-banded kingsnake Lampropeltis alterna | 19 | 10% |
| 12 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 18 | 2% |
| 13 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 18 | 5% |
| 14 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | 14 | 1% |
| 15 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 13 | 1% |
| 16 | Rock rattlesnake venomous Crotalus lepidus | 12 | 5% |
| 17 | Prairie rattlesnake venomous Crotalus viridis | 11 | 2% |
| 18 | Eastern patch-nosed snake Salvadora grahamiae | 10 | 3% |
| 19 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | 9 | 8% |
| 20 | Texas lyre snake Trimorphodon vilkinsonii | 9 | 16% |
| 21 | Great Plains ground snake Sonora episcopa | 5 | 5% |
| 22 | Big Bend patch-nosed snake Salvadora deserticola | 3 | 5% |
| 23 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 3 | 0% |
| 24 | Desert kingsnake Lampropeltis splendida | 2 | 2% |
| 25 | Mexican hog-nose snake Heterodon kennerlyi | 1 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Presidio County?
Observation records of snakes in Presidio County run mostly April through September, peaking in June with 57% of them; across Texas the peak is April.
What spiders are in Presidio County?
In all, 4 spider species are on the Presidio County list. The most recorded are the Texas brown tarantula (4) and the western black widow (2).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas brown tarantula Aphonopelma hentzi | 4 | 1% |
| 2 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 2 | 1% |
| 3 | Hirsute paradise spider Habronattus hirsutus | — | — |
| 4 | Metaphidippus chera | — | — |
What stands out in Presidio County
Species for which Presidio County holds a large share of all Texas records: the Mohave rattlesnake, 16% (46 of 290).
Common in Texas, not on the Presidio 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 rat snake (1,769 statewide), the diamondback water snake (1,612 statewide), the rough earthsnake (1,448 statewide) and the DeKay's brown snake (1,037 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Presidio 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.
Presidio County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Presidio County ranks 15th 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.