Snakes and spiders in Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County, home of Bellefonte, has 13 snake and 30 spider species on record, from 239 licensed snake and 543 spider records. Venomous species here: the timber rattlesnake and the eastern copperhead.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Centre County?
Yes. The timber rattlesnake: 36 licensed records, 8% of all Pennsylvania records of it. The eastern copperhead: 9 licensed records, 3% of all Pennsylvania records of it.
What snakes are in Centre County?
In all, 13 snake species are on the Centre County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (54), the timber rattlesnake (36) and the eastern rat snake (35).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Pennsylvania records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 54 | 3% |
| 2 | Timber rattlesnake venomous Crotalus horridus | 36 | 8% |
| 3 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 35 | 10% |
| 4 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 27 | 5% |
| 5 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 26 | 3% |
| 6 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 11 | 2% |
| 7 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 11 | 1% |
| 8 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 9 | 3% |
| 9 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 8 | 4% |
| 10 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 7 | 7% |
| 11 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 5 | 1% |
| 12 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 4 | 4% |
| 13 | Smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis | 4 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Centre County?
Observation records of snakes in Centre County run mostly April through September, peaking in June with 27% of them; across Pennsylvania the peak is May.
What spiders are in Centre County?
In all, 30 spider species are on the Centre County list. The most recorded are the arrowshaped micrathena (19), the nursery web spider (15) and the bold jumper (14).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Pennsylvania records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 19 | 27% |
| 2 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 15 | 8% |
| 3 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 14 | 4% |
| 4 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 12 | 11% |
| 5 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 12 | 3% |
| 6 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 12 | 16% |
| 7 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 10 | 5% |
| 8 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 9 | 7% |
| 9 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 9 | 5% |
| 10 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 9 | 5% |
| 11 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 9 | 7% |
| 12 | Dysdera crocata | 7 | 8% |
| 13 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 7 | 5% |
| 14 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 6 | 10% |
| 15 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 6 | 9% |
| 16 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 5 | 5% |
| 17 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | 4 | 11% |
| 18 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 4 | 5% |
| 19 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 4 | 5% |
| 20 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 3 | 13% |
| 21 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 3 | 1% |
| 22 | Garden spider Araneus diadematus | 3 | 12% |
| 23 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | 3 | 12% |
| 24 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 2 | 3% |
| 25 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 2 | 4% |
| 26 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 2 | 3% |
| 27 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 2 | 6% |
| 28 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 2 | 6% |
| 29 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 1 | 1% |
| 30 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 1 | 1% |
When are spiders out in Centre County?
Observation records of spiders in Centre County run mostly March through September, peaking in August with 24% of them; across Pennsylvania the peak is June.
What stands out in Centre County
Species for which Centre County holds a large share of all Pennsylvania records: the arrowshaped micrathena, 27% (19 of 71); the sixspotted orbweaver, 16% (12 of 74).
Common in Pennsylvania, not on the Centre County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Pennsylvania, these do not reach the county list: the queen snake (566 statewide), the shorthead garter snake (523 statewide) and the smooth earth snake (368 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Centre County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern rat snake, the eastern milksnake, the northern water snake and the eastern hog-nosed snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Pennsylvania 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 eastern hog-nosed snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania list: treat any spider like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the triangulate bud spider.
Centre County among Pennsylvania counties
By licensed snake records Centre County ranks 7th of 67 Pennsylvania counties with any.
Other Pennsylvania counties with their own page: Allegheny County, Warren County, Westmoreland County, Erie County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Philadelphia County and Dauphin County.
The whole state: venomous species in Pennsylvania, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.