Snakes and spiders in Collin County, Texas
Collin County, home of McKinney, has 17 snake and 62 spider species on record, from 138 licensed snake and 534 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead, the northern cottonmouth, the broad-banded copperhead, the southern black widow, the brown recluse, the northern black widow and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Collin County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 20 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The northern cottonmouth: 5 licensed records, 0% of all Texas records of it. The broad-banded copperhead: 4 licensed records, 1% of all Texas records of it. The southern black widow: 6 licensed records, 3% of all Texas records of it. The brown recluse: 3 licensed records, 3% of all Texas records of it. The northern black widow: 2 licensed records, 15% of all Texas records of it. The western black widow: on record, no openly licensed records to count.
What snakes are in Collin County?
In all, 17 snake species are on the Collin County list. The most recorded are the plain-bellied watersnake (26), the eastern copperhead (20) and the western rat snake (17).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 26 | 1% |
| 2 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 20 | 2% |
| 3 | Western rat snake Pantherophis obsoletus | 17 | 1% |
| 4 | Rough earthsnake Haldea striatula | 13 | 1% |
| 5 | Diamondback water snake Nerodia rhombifer | 11 | 1% |
| 6 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 11 | 1% |
| 7 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 9 | 1% |
| 8 | Lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum | 6 | 2% |
| 9 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 5 | 0% |
| 10 | Broad-banded copperhead venomous Agkistrodon laticinctus | 4 | 1% |
| 11 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 3 | 0% |
| 12 | Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus | 3 | 0% |
| 13 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 2 | 1% |
| 14 | Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster | 1 | 0% |
| 15 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 1 | 0% |
| 16 | Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis holbrooki | 1 | 1% |
| 17 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | — | — |
When are snakes out in Collin County?
Observation records of snakes in Collin County run mostly February through September, peaking in April with 31% of them, the same peak as Texas as a whole.
What spiders are in Collin County?
In all, 62 spider species are on the Collin County list. The most recorded are the black-and-yellow argiope (64), the bold jumper (47) and the striped lynx spider (36).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 64 | 3% |
| 2 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 47 | 3% |
| 3 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 36 | 6% |
| 4 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 28 | 3% |
| 5 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 21 | 5% |
| 6 | Lance wolf spider Schizocosa avida | 18 | 12% |
| 7 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 16 | 2% |
| 8 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 15 | 7% |
| 9 | Celer crab spider Mecaphesa celer | 14 | 11% |
| 10 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 14 | 3% |
| 11 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 13 | 3% |
| 12 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 13 | 3% |
| 13 | Pantropical jumper Plexippus paykulli | 10 | 3% |
| 14 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 10 | 1% |
| 15 | Twin-flagged jumping spider Anasaitis canosa | 10 | 1% |
| 16 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 9 | 14% |
| 17 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | 8 | 5% |
| 18 | Cribellate spider Metaltella simoni | 7 | 3% |
| 19 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 7 | 6% |
| 20 | Phidippus texanus | 7 | 5% |
| 21 | Tigrosa annexa | 7 | 2% |
| 22 | Tigrosa grandis | 7 | 12% |
| 23 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 6 | 3% |
| 24 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | 6 | 3% |
| 25 | Texas brown tarantula Aphonopelma hentzi | 6 | 2% |
| 26 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 5 | 5% |
| 27 | Dotted wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata | 5 | 5% |
| 28 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 4 | 3% |
| 29 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | 4 | 4% |
| 30 | Hogna antelucana | 4 | 0% |
| 31 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 4 | 3% |
| 32 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 4 | 3% |
| 33 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 4 | 5% |
| 34 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 3 | 1% |
| 35 | Brown recluse venomous Loxosceles reclusa | 3 | 3% |
| 36 | Carolina jumping spider Phidippus carolinensis | 3 | 2% |
| 37 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 3 | 2% |
| 38 | Trochosa sepulchralis | 3 | 3% |
| 39 | Two-lined stealthy ground spider Cesonia bilineata | 3 | 7% |
| 40 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 2 | 6% |
| 41 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 2 | 3% |
| 42 | Cyclosa turbinata | 2 | 3% |
| 43 | Dysdera crocata | 2 | 6% |
| 44 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 2 | 3% |
| 45 | Lined orbweaver Mangora gibberosa | 2 | 2% |
| 46 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | 2 | 15% |
| 47 | Orange ant-mimic sac spider Castianeira amoena | 2 | 6% |
| 48 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | 1 | 2% |
| 49 | Pardosa mercurialis | 1 | 1% |
| 50 | Scytodes univittata | 1 | 3% |
| 51 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 1 | 1% |
| 52 | Teminius affinis | 1 | 3% |
| 53 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 1 | 0% |
| 54 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 1 | 1% |
| 55 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 1 | 2% |
| 56 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 1 | 1% |
| 57 | Audouin's trapdoor spider Ummidia audouini | — | — |
| 58 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | — | — |
| 59 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | — | — |
| 60 | Phidippus pius | — | — |
When are spiders out in Collin County?
Observation records of spiders in Collin County run mostly March through October, peaking in April with 17% of them, the same peak as Texas as a whole.
Common in Texas, not on the Collin County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the western diamondback rattlesnake (2,667 statewide), the coachwhip (2,062 statewide), the western ground snake (1,963 statewide), the checkered garter snake (1,851 statewide) and the gopher snake (1,440 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 Texas, these do not reach the county list: Cicurina varians (514 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Collin County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the plain-bellied watersnake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the plain-bellied watersnake and the diamondback water snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the western diamondback rattlesnake, the prairie rattlesnake, the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake, the rock rattlesnake, the western massasauga, the timber rattlesnake and the pygmy rattlesnake are on the Texas list: treat any snake like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the Great Plains rat snake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the triangulate bud spider.
Collin County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Collin County ranks 85th of 254 Texas counties with any.
Other Texas counties with their own page: Travis County, Brewster County, Harris County, Brazos County, El Paso County, Jeff Davis County, Val Verde County and Bexar County.
The whole state: venomous species in Texas, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.