Snakes and spiders in Gage County, Nebraska
Gage County, home of Beatrice, has 9 snake and 2 spider species on record, from 310 licensed snake and 79 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead and the timber rattlesnake.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Gage County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 44 licensed records, 83% of all Nebraska records of it. The timber rattlesnake: 11 licensed records, 79% of all Nebraska records of it.
What snakes are in Gage County?
In all, 9 snake species are on the Gage County list. The most recorded are the ring-necked snake (110), the eastern copperhead (44) and the common garter snake (36). Gage County holds more than half of all Nebraska records of the eastern copperhead, the Great Plains rat snake and the timber rattlesnake.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Nebraska records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 110 | 45% |
| 2 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 44 | 83% |
| 3 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 36 | 11% |
| 4 | Western rat snake Pantherophis obsoletus | 25 | 42% |
| 5 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 24 | 29% |
| 6 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 19 | 76% |
| 7 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 14 | 8% |
| 8 | Timber rattlesnake venomous Crotalus horridus | 11 | 79% |
| 9 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 6 | 22% |
When are snakes out in Gage County?
Observation records of snakes in Gage County run mostly April through October, peaking in October with 38% of them; across Nebraska the peak is September.
What stands out in Gage County
Species for which Gage County holds a large share of all Nebraska records: the eastern copperhead, 83% (44 of 53); the Great Plains rat snake, 76% (19 of 25); the filmy dome spider, 57% (12 of 21); the ring-necked snake, 45% (110 of 242); the western rat snake, 42% (25 of 60); the northern water snake, 29% (24 of 82).
Common in Nebraska, not on the Gage County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Nebraska, these do not reach the county list: the plains garter snake (431 statewide), the gopher snake (204 statewide), the prairie rattlesnake (176 statewide), the plains hog-nosed snake (109 statewide), the lined snake (57 statewide) and the western massasauga (57 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Gage County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Nebraska under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the northern water snake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the Great Plains rat snake.
Gage County among Nebraska counties
By licensed snake records Gage County ranks 1st of 88 Nebraska counties with any.
The whole state: venomous species in Nebraska, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.