Snakes and spiders in Broward County, Florida
Broward County, home of Fort Lauderdale, has 18 snake and 37 spider species on record, from 1,057 licensed snake and 1,275 spider records. Venomous species here: the Florida cottonmouth and the brown widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Broward County?
Yes. The Florida cottonmouth: 4 licensed records, 1% of all Florida records of it. The brown widow: 44 licensed records, 30% of all Florida records of it.
What snakes are in Broward County?
In all, 18 snake species are on the Broward County list. The most recorded are the Burmese python (752), the eastern racer (65) and the eastern ribbonsnake (54).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Florida records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burmese python introduced Python bivittatus | 752 | 9% |
| 2 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 65 | 4% |
| 3 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 54 | 7% |
| 4 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 37 | 2% |
| 5 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 29 | 6% |
| 6 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | 25 | 12% |
| 7 | Brown water snake Nerodia taxispilota | 12 | 3% |
| 8 | Florida brown snake Storeria victa | 10 | 8% |
| 9 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 9 | 1% |
| 10 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 6 | 1% |
| 11 | Florida green water snake Nerodia floridana | 6 | 1% |
| 12 | Striped crayfish snake Liodytes alleni | 6 | 2% |
| 13 | Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula | 5 | 3% |
| 14 | Florida cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon conanti | 4 | 1% |
| 15 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 3 | 2% |
| 16 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 3 | 1% |
| 17 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 1 | 1% |
| 18 | Scarlet kingsnake Lampropeltis elapsoides | — | — |
When are snakes out in Broward County?
Observation records of snakes in Broward County run through most of the year, peaking in March with 14% of them, the same peak as Florida as a whole.
What spiders are in Broward County?
In all, 37 spider species are on the Broward County list. The most recorded are the spiny-backed orbweaver (160), the greater leucauge (120) and the tropical orb weaver (110). Broward County holds more than half of all Florida records of the Walckenaer's trashline orbweaver, Beata wickhami, Misumessus tamiami and Physocyclus globosus.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Florida records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 160 | 19% |
| 2 | Greater leucauge Leucauge argyra | 120 | 23% |
| 3 | Tropical orb weaver Eriophora ravilla | 110 | 36% |
| 4 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 97 | 25% |
| 5 | American golden orb weaver Trichonephila clavipes | 95 | 10% |
| 6 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 89 | 26% |
| 7 | Silver argiope Argiope argentata | 54 | 36% |
| 8 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 44 | 30% |
| 9 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 40 | 8% |
| 10 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 37 | 6% |
| 11 | Walckenaer's trashline orbweaver Cyclosa walckenaeri | 34 | 63% |
| 12 | Tigrosa annexa | 30 | 26% |
| 13 | Bifurcate trashline orbweaver Allocyclosa bifurca | 27 | 44% |
| 14 | Global tentweb weaver Cyrtophora citricola | 26 | 48% |
| 15 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 24 | 25% |
| 16 | Beata wickhami | 21 | 55% |
| 17 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 17 | 9% |
| 18 | Misumessus tamiami | 17 | 71% |
| 19 | Misumenops bellulus | 16 | 23% |
| 20 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 15 | 19% |
| 21 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 12 | 11% |
| 22 | Habronattus brunneus | 12 | 48% |
| 23 | Regal jumper Phidippus regius | 9 | 4% |
| 24 | Box spider Crossopriza lyoni | 7 | 11% |
| 25 | Huntsman spider Heteropoda venatoria | 7 | 7% |
| 26 | Physocyclus globosus | 7 | 58% |
| 27 | Difoliate orbweaver Acacesia hamata | 6 | 14% |
| 28 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 6 | 12% |
| 29 | Selenops submaculosus | 6 | 30% |
| 30 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 6 | 9% |
| 31 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 5 | 3% |
| 32 | Smeringopus pallidus | 5 | 56% |
| 33 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 5 | 14% |
| 34 | Brown spitting spider Scytodes fusca | 4 | 17% |
| 35 | Emblyna florens | 3 | 18% |
| 36 | Metacyrba punctata | 2 | 12% |
| 37 | Yellow ghost spider Hibana velox | 2 | 7% |
When are spiders out in Broward County?
Observation records of spiders in Broward County run through most of the year, peaking in June with 11% of them; across Florida the peak is April.
What stands out in Broward County
Species for which Broward County holds a large share of all Florida records: Misumessus tamiami, 71% (17 of 24); the Walckenaer's trashline orbweaver, 63% (34 of 54); Beata wickhami, 55% (21 of 38); the global tentweb weaver, 48% (26 of 54); Habronattus brunneus, 48% (12 of 25); the bifurcate trashline orbweaver, 44% (27 of 61); the tropical orb weaver, 36% (110 of 309); the silver argiope, 36% (54 of 152).
Common in Florida, not on the Broward County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Florida, these do not reach the county list: the pygmy rattlesnake (439 statewide), the black swamp snake (431 statewide) and the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (396 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 Florida, these do not reach the county list: the black-and-yellow argiope (357 statewide) and the twin-flagged jumping spider (247 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Broward County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Florida list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the corn snake and the eastern rat snake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the southern watersnake, the brown water snake, the Florida green water snake and the mud snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, but the eastern coral snake is on the Florida list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the scarlet kingsnake.
Broward County among Florida counties
By licensed snake records Broward County ranks 5th of 67 Florida counties with any.
Other Florida counties with their own page: Miami-Dade County, Collier County, Alachua County, Monroe County, Lee County, Orange County, Marion County and Palm Beach County.
The whole state: venomous species in Florida, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.