Snakes and spiders in Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County, home of Towson, has 14 snake and 74 spider species on record, from 259 licensed snake and 600 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead, the northern black widow and the southern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Baltimore County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 13 licensed records, 9% of all Maryland records of it. The northern black widow: 3 licensed records, 8% of all Maryland records of it. The southern black widow: 1 licensed record, 4% of all Maryland records of it.
What snakes are in Baltimore County?
In all, 14 snake species are on the Baltimore County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (57), the DeKay's brown snake (49) and the eastern rat snake (48).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Maryland records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 57 | 12% |
| 2 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 49 | 16% |
| 3 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 48 | 9% |
| 4 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 38 | 6% |
| 5 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 17 | 7% |
| 6 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 13 | 9% |
| 7 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 12 | 11% |
| 8 | Eastern wormsnake Carphophis amoenus | 7 | 3% |
| 9 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 6 | 10% |
| 10 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 5 | 2% |
| 11 | Smooth earth snake Virginia valeriae | 3 | 3% |
| 12 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 2 | 1% |
| 13 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 1 | 2% |
| 14 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | — | — |
When are snakes out in Baltimore County?
Observation records of snakes in Baltimore County run mostly March through October, peaking in May with 21% of them, the same peak as Maryland as a whole.
What spiders are in Baltimore County?
In all, 74 spider species are on the Baltimore County list. The most recorded are the familiar jumping spider (38), the bold jumper (37) and the dark fishing spider (37).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Maryland records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 38 | 15% |
| 2 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 37 | 14% |
| 3 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 37 | 16% |
| 4 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 35 | 9% |
| 5 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 27 | 15% |
| 6 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 26 | 20% |
| 7 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 23 | 10% |
| 8 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 22 | 14% |
| 9 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 18 | 12% |
| 10 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 16 | 27% |
| 11 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 12 | 12% |
| 12 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 12 | 7% |
| 13 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 11 | 7% |
| 14 | Butterfly orbweaver Araneus pegnia | 11 | 23% |
| 15 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 11 | 26% |
| 16 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 9 | 9% |
| 17 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 9 | 14% |
| 18 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 9 | 11% |
| 19 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 9 | 18% |
| 20 | Dysdera crocata | 8 | 21% |
| 21 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 8 | 11% |
| 22 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 8 | 9% |
| 23 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 7 | 11% |
| 24 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 7 | 13% |
| 25 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | 6 | 29% |
| 26 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | 6 | 18% |
| 27 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | 6 | 17% |
| 28 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 6 | 11% |
| 29 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 6 | 10% |
| 30 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | 5 | 8% |
| 31 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 5 | 23% |
| 32 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 5 | 9% |
| 33 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 4 | 12% |
| 34 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 4 | 8% |
| 35 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 4 | 4% |
| 36 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 4 | 6% |
| 37 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 3 | 4% |
| 38 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 3 | 9% |
| 39 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | 3 | 8% |
| 40 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | 3 | 13% |
| 41 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 3 | 13% |
| 42 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 3 | 12% |
| 43 | Ariadna bicolor | 2 | 17% |
| 44 | Cyclosa turbinata | 2 | 8% |
| 45 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 2 | 4% |
| 46 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 2 | 4% |
| 47 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | 2 | 4% |
| 48 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 2 | 11% |
| 49 | Lattice orbweaver Araneus thaddeus | 2 | 8% |
| 50 | Pholcus manueli | 2 | 15% |
| 51 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 2 | 4% |
| 52 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 2 | 4% |
| 53 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 1 | 5% |
| 54 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | 1 | 4% |
| 55 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 1 | 4% |
| 56 | Barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica | 1 | 17% |
| 57 | Barronopsis jeffersi | 1 | 5% |
| 58 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 1 | 6% |
| 59 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | 1 | 4% |
| 60 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | 1 | 6% |
When are spiders out in Baltimore County?
Observation records of spiders in Baltimore County run mostly April through October, peaking in August with 24% of them, the same peak as Maryland as a whole.
What stands out in Baltimore County
Species for which Baltimore County holds a large share of all Maryland records: the wetland giant wolf spider, 27% (16 of 59); the triangulate bud spider, 26% (11 of 42); the butterfly orbweaver, 23% (11 of 48); the spotted orbweaver, 20% (26 of 133); the dark fishing spider, 16% (37 of 225); the DeKay's brown snake, 16% (49 of 309).
Harmless lookalikes in Baltimore County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern rat snake, the northern water snake, the eastern milksnake and the eastern hog-nosed snake. Cottonmouths are not on the Maryland list, but GBIF holds 1 cottonmouth record of any license in Maryland (northern cottonmouth 1): treat any snake like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the timber rattlesnake is on the Maryland list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern hog-nosed snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Maryland under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the triangulate bud spider, the boreal combfoot and the common house spider. Recluse spiders are not on the Maryland list, but GBIF holds 8 recluse spider records of any license in Maryland (brown recluse 8): treat any spider like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider and the spitting spider.
Baltimore County among Maryland counties
By licensed snake records Baltimore County ranks 5th of 23 Maryland counties with any.
Other Maryland counties with their own page: Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, Frederick County, Howard County and Harford County.
The whole state: venomous species in Maryland, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.