Snakes and spiders in Montgomery County, Ohio
Montgomery County, home of Dayton, has 6 snake and 44 spider species on record, from 184 licensed snake and 353 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 Montgomery County?
In all, 6 snake species are on the Montgomery County list. The most recorded are the queen snake (66), the common garter snake (55) and the northern water snake (39).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 66 | 20% |
| 2 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 55 | 3% |
| 3 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 39 | 3% |
| 4 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 7 | 3% |
| 5 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 3 | 0% |
| 6 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 2 | 1% |
When are snakes out in Montgomery County?
Observation records of snakes in Montgomery County run mostly March through September, peaking in May with 31% of them, the same peak as Ohio as a whole.
What spiders are in Montgomery County?
In all, 44 spider species are on the Montgomery County list. The most recorded are the bold jumper (24), the dimorphic jumper (21) and the familiar jumping spider (21).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 24 | 7% |
| 2 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 21 | 23% |
| 3 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 21 | 8% |
| 4 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 19 | 10% |
| 5 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 15 | 10% |
| 6 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 13 | 11% |
| 7 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 13 | 3% |
| 8 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 13 | 7% |
| 9 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 12 | 5% |
| 10 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 12 | 7% |
| 11 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 6 | 6% |
| 12 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 6 | 5% |
| 13 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 6 | 4% |
| 14 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 5 | 5% |
| 15 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | 5 | 10% |
| 16 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 5 | 14% |
| 17 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 5 | 5% |
| 18 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 4 | 10% |
| 19 | Metallic crab spider Philodromus marxi | 4 | 15% |
| 20 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 4 | 7% |
| 21 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 4 | 16% |
| 22 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 4 | 3% |
| 23 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | 4 | 7% |
| 24 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 3 | 14% |
| 25 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | 3 | 11% |
| 26 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 3 | 14% |
| 27 | Cyclosa turbinata | 3 | 13% |
| 28 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 3 | 3% |
| 29 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 3 | 9% |
| 30 | Trochosa sepulchralis | 3 | 10% |
| 31 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 3 | 1% |
| 32 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | 2 | 6% |
| 33 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 2 | 3% |
| 34 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 2 | 4% |
| 35 | Shore spider Pardosa milvina | 2 | 5% |
| 36 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | 1 | 2% |
| 37 | Dysdera crocata | 1 | 2% |
| 38 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 1 | 1% |
| 39 | Lance wolf spider Schizocosa avida | 1 | 4% |
| 40 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 1 | 1% |
| 41 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 1 | 1% |
| 42 | Butterfly orbweaver Araneus pegnia | — | — |
| 43 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | — | — |
| 44 | Tuftlegged orbweaver Mangora placida | — | — |
When are spiders out in Montgomery County?
Observation records of spiders in Montgomery County run mostly April through October, peaking in May with 21% of them; across Ohio the peak is June.
What stands out in Montgomery County
Species for which Montgomery County holds a large share of all Ohio records: the dimorphic jumper, 23% (21 of 92); the queen snake, 20% (66 of 323).
Common in Ohio, not on the Montgomery County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Ohio, these do not reach the county list: the ring-necked snake (194 statewide), the eastern racer (154 statewide), 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 Montgomery 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 boreal combfoot and the triangulate bud spider.
Montgomery County among Ohio counties
By licensed snake records Montgomery County ranks 8th of 88 Ohio counties with any.
Other Ohio counties with their own page: Summit County, Ottawa County, Erie County, Cuyahoga County, Franklin County, Hamilton 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.