Snakes and spiders in Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Saint Tammany Parish has 21 snake and 35 spider species on record, from 379 licensed snake and 1,002 spider records. Venomous species here: the northern cottonmouth, the pygmy rattlesnake, the eastern copperhead, the brown widow and the southern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Saint Tammany Parish?
Yes. The northern cottonmouth: 33 licensed records, 8% of all Louisiana records of it. The pygmy rattlesnake: 9 licensed records, 10% of all Louisiana records of it. The eastern copperhead: 2 licensed records, 1% of all Louisiana records of it. The brown widow: 8 licensed records, 30% of all Louisiana records of it. The southern black widow: 1 licensed record, 8% of all Louisiana records of it.
What snakes are in Saint Tammany Parish?
In all, 21 snake species are on the Saint Tammany Parish list. The most recorded are the southern watersnake (42), the western ribbon snake (34) and the green water snake (33). Saint Tammany Parish holds more than half of all Louisiana records of the eastern ribbonsnake.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Louisiana records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | 42 | 6% |
| 2 | Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus | 34 | 6% |
| 3 | Green water snake Nerodia cyclopion | 33 | 7% |
| 4 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 33 | 8% |
| 5 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 25 | 31% |
| 6 | Diamondback water snake Nerodia rhombifer | 23 | 8% |
| 7 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 23 | 8% |
| 8 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 14 | 78% |
| 9 | Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis holbrooki | 14 | 12% |
| 10 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 13 | 6% |
| 11 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 12 | 41% |
| 12 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 12 | 7% |
| 13 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 10 | 10% |
| 14 | Pygmy rattlesnake venomous Sistrurus miliarius | 9 | 10% |
| 15 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 6 | 6% |
| 16 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 5 | 26% |
| 17 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 5 | 2% |
| 18 | Smooth earth snake Virginia valeriae | 5 | 29% |
| 19 | Crayfish snake Liodytes rigida | 4 | 6% |
| 20 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 2 | 1% |
| 21 | Salt marsh snake Nerodia clarkii | 1 | 6% |
When are snakes out in Saint Tammany Parish?
Observation records of snakes in Saint Tammany Parish run through most of the year, peaking in April with 20% of them, the same peak as Louisiana as a whole.
What spiders are in Saint Tammany Parish?
In all, 35 spider species are on the Saint Tammany Parish list. The most recorded are the twin-flagged jumping spider (232), the gray wall jumper (72) and the magnolia green jumper (55). Saint Tammany Parish holds more than half of all Louisiana records of the twin-flagged jumping spider, the common Hentz jumping spider, the dimorphic jumper and the flea jumping spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Louisiana records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twin-flagged jumping spider Anasaitis canosa | 232 | 63% |
| 2 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 72 | 34% |
| 3 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 55 | 44% |
| 4 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 43 | 28% |
| 5 | American golden orb weaver Trichonephila clavipes | 41 | 15% |
| 6 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 33 | 24% |
| 7 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 21 | 9% |
| 8 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 21 | 22% |
| 9 | Tigrosa annexa | 21 | 22% |
| 10 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 19 | 54% |
| 11 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 19 | 21% |
| 12 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 15 | 83% |
| 13 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 15 | 50% |
| 14 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 14 | 11% |
| 15 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | 13 | 24% |
| 16 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 12 | 11% |
| 17 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 12 | 19% |
| 18 | Flatmesh weaver Oecobius navus | 11 | 42% |
| 19 | Pantropical jumper Plexippus paykulli | 10 | 12% |
| 20 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 10 | 42% |
| 21 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | 9 | 50% |
| 22 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 8 | 26% |
| 23 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 8 | 30% |
| 24 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 8 | 40% |
| 25 | Two-lined stealthy ground spider Cesonia bilineata | 7 | 23% |
| 26 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 7 | 15% |
| 27 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 6 | 23% |
| 28 | Tropical orb weaver Eriophora ravilla | 5 | 8% |
| 29 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 4 | 29% |
| 30 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 4 | 6% |
| 31 | Southern house spider Kukulcania hibernalis | 4 | 24% |
| 32 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 3 | 8% |
| 33 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 3 | 9% |
| 34 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 3 | 7% |
| 35 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | 1 | 8% |
When are spiders out in Saint Tammany Parish?
Observation records of spiders in Saint Tammany Parish run mostly February through October, peaking in May with 16% of them; across Louisiana the peak is April.
What stands out in Saint Tammany Parish
Species for which Saint Tammany Parish holds a large share of all Louisiana records: the twin-flagged jumping spider, 63% (232 of 367); the common Hentz jumping spider, 54% (19 of 35); the flea jumping spider, 50% (15 of 30); the magnolia green jumper, 44% (55 of 124); the flatmesh weaver, 42% (11 of 26); the triangulate bud spider, 42% (10 of 24); the eastern rat snake, 41% (12 of 29); the gray wall jumper, 34% (72 of 209).
Common in Louisiana, not on the Saint Tammany Parish list
Among the snakes most recorded across Louisiana, these do not reach the county list: the western rat snake (169 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Saint Tammany Parish
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the plain-bellied watersnake, the eastern rat snake and the corn snake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the southern watersnake, the green water snake, the diamondback water snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the triangulate bud spider. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Louisiana list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the southern house spider.
Saint Tammany Parish among Louisiana counties
By licensed snake records Saint Tammany Parish ranks 2nd of 64 Louisiana counties with any.
Other Louisiana counties with their own page: East Baton Rouge Parish and Jefferson Parish.
The whole state: venomous species in Louisiana, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.