Snakes and spiders in DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County, home of Decatur, has 10 snake and 47 spider species on record, from 124 licensed snake and 700 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead and the brown widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in DeKalb County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 9 licensed records, 7% of all Georgia records of it. The brown widow: on record, no openly licensed records to count.
What snakes are in DeKalb County?
In all, 10 snake species are on the DeKalb County list. The most recorded are the DeKay's brown snake (52), the northern water snake (29) and the eastern copperhead (9).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Georgia records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 52 | 24% |
| 2 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 29 | 14% |
| 3 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 9 | 7% |
| 4 | Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula | 8 | 6% |
| 5 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 8 | 4% |
| 6 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 4 | 2% |
| 7 | Eastern wormsnake Carphophis amoenus | 2 | 2% |
| 8 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 2 | 1% |
| 9 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 1 | 1% |
| 10 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | — | — |
When are snakes out in DeKalb County?
Observation records of snakes in DeKalb County run mostly March through November, peaking in April with 24% of them; across Georgia the peak is May.
What spiders are in DeKalb County?
In all, 47 spider species are on the DeKalb County list. The most recorded are the Joro spider (136), the orchard orbweaver (49) and the black-and-yellow argiope (47). DeKalb County holds more than half of all Georgia records of Misumenops iners and the false black widow.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Georgia records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joro spider Trichonephila clavata | 136 | 24% |
| 2 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 49 | 32% |
| 3 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 47 | 15% |
| 4 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 34 | 11% |
| 5 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 33 | 9% |
| 6 | Twin-flagged jumping spider Anasaitis canosa | 25 | 10% |
| 7 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 20 | 19% |
| 8 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 20 | 16% |
| 9 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 16 | 16% |
| 10 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 14 | 22% |
| 11 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 12 | 10% |
| 12 | Misumenops iners | 11 | 61% |
| 13 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | 11 | 11% |
| 14 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 11 | 8% |
| 15 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 9 | 14% |
| 16 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 8 | 20% |
| 17 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 8 | 40% |
| 18 | American golden orb weaver Trichonephila clavipes | 7 | 4% |
| 19 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 7 | 6% |
| 20 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 7 | 23% |
| 21 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 7 | 8% |
| 22 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 6 | 22% |
| 23 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 6 | 15% |
| 24 | False black widow Steatoda grossa | 6 | 50% |
| 25 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | 6 | 22% |
| 26 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 6 | 4% |
| 27 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 6 | 4% |
| 28 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 6 | 5% |
| 29 | Tigrosa annexa | 5 | 16% |
| 30 | Southern house spider Kukulcania hibernalis | 4 | 8% |
| 31 | Featherlegged orbweaver Uloborus glomosus | 3 | 16% |
| 32 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 3 | 23% |
| 33 | Barronopsis texana | 2 | 15% |
| 34 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 2 | 11% |
| 35 | Habronattus sabulosus | 2 | 8% |
| 36 | Southeastern wandering spider Anahita punctulata | 2 | 10% |
| 37 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 2 | 12% |
| 38 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 1 | 2% |
| 39 | Cribellate spider Metaltella simoni | 1 | 7% |
| 40 | Eris floridana | 1 | 5% |
| 41 | Long-palped ant-mimic sac spider Castianeira longipalpa | 1 | 8% |
| 42 | Maevia expansa | 1 | 3% |
| 43 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 1 | 1% |
| 44 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | — | — |
| 45 | Nearctic white-striped running crab spider Philodromus rufus | — | — |
| 46 | Pelegrina exigua | — | — |
| 47 | Scytodes atlacoya | — | — |
When are spiders out in DeKalb County?
Observation records of spiders in DeKalb County run mostly February through October, peaking in August with 20% of them, the same peak as Georgia as a whole.
What stands out in DeKalb County
Species for which DeKalb County holds a large share of all Georgia records: the orchard orbweaver, 32% (49 of 152); the Joro spider, 24% (136 of 565); the DeKay's brown snake, 24% (52 of 218); the spined micrathena, 22% (14 of 64); the arrowhead orbweaver, 19% (20 of 108); the American green crab spider, 16% (16 of 100); the spotted orbweaver, 16% (20 of 126); the black-and-yellow argiope, 15% (47 of 308).
Common in Georgia, not on the DeKalb County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Georgia, these do not reach the county list: the brown water snake (2,808 statewide), the timber rattlesnake (166 statewide), the southern watersnake (155 statewide) and the rough greensnake (129 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in DeKalb County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake and the eastern rat snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth and the Florida cottonmouth are on the Georgia list: treat any snake like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the false black widow, the common house spider and the triangulate bud spider. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Georgia list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider and the southern house spider.
DeKalb County among Georgia counties
By licensed snake records DeKalb County ranks 7th of 153 Georgia counties with any.
Other Georgia counties with their own page: Charlton County, Clarke County, Cobb County and Gwinnett County.
The whole state: venomous species in Georgia, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.