Snakes and spiders in Hamilton County, Ohio
Hamilton County, home of Cincinnati, has 9 snake and 65 spider species on record, from 132 licensed snake and 317 spider records. No venomous snake or spider reaches the county list, but the eastern copperhead, the eastern massasauga, the timber rattlesnake, the northern black widow and 2 more are on the Ohio list: treat any snake or spider like them as venomous until identified.
What snakes are in Hamilton County?
In all, 9 snake species are on the Hamilton County list. The most recorded are the northern water snake (32), the common garter snake (31) and the Kirtland's snake (21).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 32 | 3% |
| 2 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 31 | 2% |
| 3 | Kirtland's snake Clonophis kirtlandii | 21 | 28% |
| 4 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 19 | 7% |
| 5 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 8 | 2% |
| 6 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 6 | 3% |
| 7 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 6 | 3% |
| 8 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 3 | 2% |
| 9 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | — | — |
When are snakes out in Hamilton County?
Observation records of snakes in Hamilton County run mostly March through September, peaking in May with 24% of them, the same peak as Ohio as a whole.
What spiders are in Hamilton County?
In all, 65 spider species are on the Hamilton County list. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver (18), Paraphidippus aurantius (17) and the spotted orbweaver (14). Hamilton County holds more than half of all Ohio records of the blacktailed red sheetweaver.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 18 | 4% |
| 2 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 17 | 9% |
| 3 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 14 | 8% |
| 4 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 12 | 5% |
| 5 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 12 | 6% |
| 6 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 12 | 7% |
| 7 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 10 | 10% |
| 8 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 10 | 9% |
| 9 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 8 | 7% |
| 10 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 8 | 2% |
| 11 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 8 | 8% |
| 12 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | 8 | 20% |
| 13 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 8 | 5% |
| 14 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 8 | 13% |
| 15 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 8 | 9% |
| 16 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 7 | 8% |
| 17 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | 7 | 12% |
| 18 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 6 | 2% |
| 19 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 6 | 11% |
| 20 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 5 | 5% |
| 21 | Thin-spined jumping spider Tutelina elegans | 5 | 24% |
| 22 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 4 | 8% |
| 23 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 4 | 15% |
| 24 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 4 | 3% |
| 25 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 3 | 8% |
| 26 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | 3 | 6% |
| 27 | Dysdera crocata | 3 | 6% |
| 28 | Lance wolf spider Schizocosa avida | 3 | 13% |
| 29 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 3 | 6% |
| 30 | Slender ant mimicking jumping spider Synemosyna formica | 3 | 13% |
| 31 | Tuftlegged orbweaver Mangora placida | 3 | 5% |
| 32 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 3 | 1% |
| 33 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | 2 | 7% |
| 34 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 2 | 50% |
| 35 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 2 | 9% |
| 36 | Cyclosa turbinata | 2 | 9% |
| 37 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 2 | 2% |
| 38 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | 2 | 4% |
| 39 | Metallic crab spider Philodromus marxi | 2 | 8% |
| 40 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 2 | 3% |
| 41 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 2 | 17% |
| 42 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 2 | 3% |
| 43 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 1 | 5% |
| 44 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 1 | 1% |
| 45 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 1 | 1% |
| 46 | Brush-legged split wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata | 1 | 11% |
| 47 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | 1 | 25% |
| 48 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 1 | 4% |
| 49 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | 1 | 4% |
| 50 | Hammerjawed jumper Zygoballus rufipes | 1 | 14% |
| 51 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | 1 | 10% |
| 52 | Pisaurina dubia | 1 | 9% |
| 53 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 1 | 1% |
| 54 | Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica | 1 | 12% |
| 55 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 1 | 3% |
| 56 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 1 | 3% |
| 57 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 1 | 1% |
| 58 | Wulfila albens | 1 | 20% |
| 59 | Barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica | — | — |
| 60 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | — | — |
When are spiders out in Hamilton County?
Observation records of spiders in Hamilton County run mostly April through October, peaking in August with 19% of them; across Ohio the peak is June.
What stands out in Hamilton County
Species for which Hamilton County holds a large share of all Ohio records: the Kirtland's snake, 28% (21 of 74).
Common in Ohio, not on the Hamilton County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Ohio, these do not reach the county list: the eastern fox snake (127 statewide), the red-bellied snake (124 statewide), the eastern copperhead (94 statewide) and the smooth green snake (81 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Hamilton County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Ohio list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake, the eastern rat snake and the eastern milksnake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Ohio under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the northern water snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Ohio under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. No widow spiders reach the county list, but the northern black widow and the southern black widow are on the Ohio list: treat any spider like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the triangulate bud spider, the common house spider and the boreal combfoot. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Ohio list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the spitting spider.
Hamilton County among Ohio counties
By licensed snake records Hamilton County ranks 10th of 88 Ohio counties with any.
Other Ohio counties with their own page: Summit County, Ottawa County, Erie County, Cuyahoga County, Franklin County, Montgomery County and Richland County.
The whole state: venomous species in Ohio, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.