Snakes and spiders in Hudspeth County, Texas
Hudspeth County, home of Sierra Blanca, has 22 snake and 1 spider species on record, from 679 licensed snake and 38 spider records. Venomous species here: the Mohave rattlesnake, the western diamondback rattlesnake, the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, the prairie rattlesnake and the rock rattlesnake.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Hudspeth County?
Yes. The Mohave rattlesnake: 48 licensed records, 17% of all Texas records of it. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 45 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The eastern black-tailed rattlesnake: 33 licensed records, 8% of all Texas records of it. The prairie rattlesnake: 20 licensed records, 4% of all Texas records of it. The rock rattlesnake: 9 licensed records, 4% of all Texas records of it.
What snakes are in Hudspeth County?
In all, 22 snake species are on the Hudspeth County list. The most recorded are the gopher snake (74), the Mohave rattlesnake (48) and the western diamondback rattlesnake (45).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 74 | 5% |
| 2 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 48 | 17% |
| 3 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 45 | 2% |
| 4 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 41 | 5% |
| 5 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 39 | 5% |
| 6 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | 33 | 6% |
| 7 | Eastern black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ornatus | 33 | 8% |
| 8 | Trans-Pecos rat snake Bogertophis subocularis | 32 | 9% |
| 9 | Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake Gyalopion canum | 20 | 15% |
| 10 | Prairie rattlesnake venomous Crotalus viridis | 20 | 4% |
| 11 | Plains black-headed snake Tantilla nigriceps | 18 | 4% |
| 12 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 17 | 1% |
| 13 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | 15 | 1% |
| 14 | Eastern patch-nosed snake Salvadora grahamiae | 12 | 3% |
| 15 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 12 | 2% |
| 16 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | 12 | 10% |
| 17 | Big Bend patch-nosed snake Salvadora deserticola | 11 | 19% |
| 18 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 10 | 2% |
| 19 | Plains hog-nosed snake Heterodon nasicus | 10 | 3% |
| 20 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 10 | 3% |
| 21 | Rock rattlesnake venomous Crotalus lepidus | 9 | 4% |
| 22 | Western threadsnake Rena humilis | 9 | 19% |
What stands out in Hudspeth County
Species for which Hudspeth County holds a large share of all Texas records: the Big Bend patch-nosed snake, 19% (11 of 59); the Mohave rattlesnake, 17% (48 of 290).
Common in Texas, not on the Hudspeth County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the western ribbon snake (2,587 statewide), the plain-bellied watersnake (2,226 statewide), the western ground snake (1,963 statewide), the western rat snake (1,769 statewide), the diamondback water snake (1,612 statewide) and the rough earthsnake (1,448 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Hudspeth County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake, the Great Plains rat snake and the plains hog-nosed snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, but the Texas coral snake is on the Texas list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the long-nosed snake.
Hudspeth County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Hudspeth County ranks 9th 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.