Snakes and spiders in Knox County, Tennessee
Knox County, home of Knoxville, has 12 snake and 47 spider species on record, from 123 licensed snake and 416 spider records. Venomous species here: the southern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Knox County?
Yes. The southern black widow: on record, no openly licensed records to count.
What snakes are in Knox County?
In all, 12 snake species are on the Knox County list. The most recorded are the DeKay's brown snake (30), the eastern rat snake (30) and the northern water snake (12).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Tennessee records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 30 | 26% |
| 2 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 30 | 14% |
| 3 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 12 | 4% |
| 4 | Eastern black kingsnake Lampropeltis nigra | 9 | 8% |
| 5 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 9 | 3% |
| 6 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 8 | 10% |
| 7 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 7 | 3% |
| 8 | Eastern wormsnake Carphophis amoenus | 4 | 3% |
| 9 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 4 | 6% |
| 10 | Smooth earth snake Virginia valeriae | 3 | 5% |
| 11 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 2 | 5% |
| 12 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 2 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Knox County?
Observation records of snakes in Knox County run mostly March through October, peaking in April with 28% of them, the same peak as Tennessee as a whole.
What spiders are in Knox County?
In all, 47 spider species are on the Knox County list. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver (25), the peppered jumper (20) and the magnolia green jumper (19).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Tennessee records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 25 | 14% |
| 2 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 20 | 45% |
| 3 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 19 | 48% |
| 4 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 18 | 16% |
| 5 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 17 | 26% |
| 6 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 16 | 15% |
| 7 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 16 | 16% |
| 8 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 13 | 16% |
| 9 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 12 | 15% |
| 10 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 10 | 11% |
| 11 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 9 | 26% |
| 12 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 9 | 20% |
| 13 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 9 | 13% |
| 14 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 9 | 20% |
| 15 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 8 | 26% |
| 16 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 8 | 24% |
| 17 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 8 | 27% |
| 18 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 8 | 10% |
| 19 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 8 | 25% |
| 20 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 6 | 5% |
| 21 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 5 | 18% |
| 22 | False black widow Steatoda grossa | 5 | 45% |
| 23 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 5 | 14% |
| 24 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | 4 | 22% |
| 25 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 4 | 15% |
| 26 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 4 | 7% |
| 27 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 4 | 29% |
| 28 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 4 | 13% |
| 29 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | 4 | 9% |
| 30 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 3 | 8% |
| 31 | Barronopsis texana | 3 | 14% |
| 32 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | 3 | 7% |
| 33 | Tigrosa annexa | 3 | 9% |
| 34 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 3 | 7% |
| 35 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 3 | 10% |
| 36 | Cyclosa turbinata | 2 | 7% |
| 37 | Dysdera crocata | 2 | 22% |
| 38 | Joro spider Trichonephila clavata | 2 | 7% |
| 39 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 2 | 12% |
| 40 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 2 | 14% |
| 41 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 1 | 1% |
| 42 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 1 | 5% |
| 43 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 1 | 2% |
| 44 | Audouin's trapdoor spider Ummidia audouini | — | — |
| 45 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | — | — |
| 46 | Red-legged purseweb spider Sphodros rufipes | — | — |
| 47 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | — | — |
When are spiders out in Knox County?
Observation records of spiders in Knox County run mostly March through October, peaking in May with 17% of them; across Tennessee the peak is July.
What stands out in Knox County
Species for which Knox County holds a large share of all Tennessee records: the magnolia green jumper, 48% (19 of 40); the peppered jumper, 45% (20 of 44); the green lynx spider, 26% (17 of 65); the DeKay's brown snake, 26% (30 of 116); Paraphidippus aurantius, 16% (16 of 97); the spotted orbweaver, 16% (13 of 80); the black-and-yellow argiope, 16% (18 of 111).
Common in Tennessee, not on the Knox County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Tennessee, these do not reach the county list: the eastern copperhead (139 statewide), the northern cottonmouth (138 statewide) and the diamondback water snake (67 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Among the spiders most recorded across Tennessee, these do not reach the county list: the Pocock's lampshade-web spider (137 statewide) and the Thorell's lampshade-web spider (92 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Knox County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Tennessee list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern rat snake, the northern water snake and the corn snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth is on the Tennessee list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the false black widow and the triangulate bud spider. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Tennessee list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider.
Knox County among Tennessee counties
By licensed snake records Knox County ranks 4th of 87 Tennessee counties with any.
Other Tennessee counties with their own page: Cheatham County and Sevier County.
The whole state: venomous species in Tennessee, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.