Snakes and spiders in Jeff Davis County, Texas
Jeff Davis County, home of Fort Davis, has 31 snake and 10 spider species on record, from 937 licensed snake and 107 spider records. Venomous species here: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, the rock rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake, the eastern copperhead, the prairie rattlesnake, the broad-banded copperhead and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Jeff Davis County?
Yes. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 76 licensed records, 3% of all Texas records of it. The eastern black-tailed rattlesnake: 73 licensed records, 19% of all Texas records of it. The rock rattlesnake: 58 licensed records, 23% of all Texas records of it. The Mohave rattlesnake: 48 licensed records, 17% of all Texas records of it. The eastern copperhead: 17 licensed records, 1% of all Texas records of it. The prairie rattlesnake: 13 licensed records, 3% of all Texas records of it. The broad-banded copperhead: 5 licensed records, 1% of all Texas records of it. The western black widow: 7 licensed records, 4% of all Texas records of it.
What snakes are in Jeff Davis County?
In all, 31 snake species are on the Jeff Davis County list. The most recorded are the checkered garter snake (108), the gopher snake (100) and the western diamondback rattlesnake (76).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | 108 | 6% |
| 2 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 100 | 7% |
| 3 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 76 | 3% |
| 4 | Eastern black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ornatus | 73 | 19% |
| 5 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 70 | 3% |
| 6 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 60 | 14% |
| 7 | Rock rattlesnake venomous Crotalus lepidus | 58 | 23% |
| 8 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 48 | 17% |
| 9 | Eastern patch-nosed snake Salvadora grahamiae | 28 | 8% |
| 10 | Grey-banded kingsnake Lampropeltis alterna | 26 | 14% |
| 11 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 26 | 7% |
| 12 | Baird's rat snake Pantherophis bairdi | 22 | 26% |
| 13 | Trans-Pecos rat snake Bogertophis subocularis | 20 | 5% |
| 14 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | 19 | 3% |
| 15 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 17 | 1% |
| 16 | Mexican hog-nose snake Heterodon kennerlyi | 16 | 37% |
| 17 | Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake Gyalopion canum | 15 | 11% |
| 18 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 14 | 2% |
| 19 | Prairie rattlesnake venomous Crotalus viridis | 13 | 3% |
| 20 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 11 | 2% |
| 21 | Plains black-headed snake Tantilla nigriceps | 9 | 2% |
| 22 | Big Bend blackhead snake Tantilla cucullata | 8 | 35% |
| 23 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 8 | 1% |
| 24 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | 8 | 7% |
| 25 | Central plains milksnake Lampropeltis gentilis | 7 | 11% |
| 26 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 6 | 1% |
| 27 | Broad-banded copperhead venomous Agkistrodon laticinctus | 5 | 1% |
| 28 | Texas blind snake Rena dulcis | 5 | 1% |
| 29 | Desert kingsnake Lampropeltis splendida | 3 | 3% |
| 30 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 2 | 0% |
| 31 | Great Plains ground snake Sonora episcopa | 1 | 1% |
When are snakes out in Jeff Davis County?
Observation records of snakes in Jeff Davis County run mostly May through October, peaking in July with 25% of them; across Texas the peak is April.
What spiders are in Jeff Davis County?
In all, 10 spider species are on the Jeff Davis County list. The most recorded are the Texas brown tarantula (19), the western spotted orbweaver (18) and the Carolina wolf spider (7). Jeff Davis County holds more than half of all Texas records of Phidippus carneus.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas brown tarantula Aphonopelma hentzi | 19 | 6% |
| 2 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 18 | 4% |
| 3 | Carolina wolf spider Hogna carolinensis | 7 | 6% |
| 4 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 7 | 4% |
| 5 | Phidippus carneus | 6 | 55% |
| 6 | Hogna antelucana | 5 | 1% |
| 7 | Giant crab spider Olios giganteus | 2 | 3% |
| 8 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 2 | 2% |
| 9 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 1 | 0% |
| 10 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 1 | 0% |
When are spiders out in Jeff Davis County?
Observation records of spiders in Jeff Davis County run mostly June through October, peaking in August with 35% of them; across Texas the peak is April.
What stands out in Jeff Davis County
Species for which Jeff Davis County holds a large share of all Texas records: the Mexican hog-nose snake, 37% (16 of 43); the Baird's rat snake, 26% (22 of 84); the rock rattlesnake, 23% (58 of 255); the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, 19% (73 of 394); the Mohave rattlesnake, 17% (48 of 290).
Common in Texas, not on the Jeff Davis 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.
Among the spiders most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the black-and-yellow argiope (1,979 statewide), the bold jumper (1,454 statewide), the rabid wolf spider (1,048 statewide), the green lynx spider (864 statewide), the spiny-backed orbweaver (751 statewide) and the twin-flagged jumping spider (669 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Jeff Davis County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the central plains milksnake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake and the Great Plains rat 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 and the central plains milksnake.
Jeff Davis County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Jeff Davis County ranks 6th of 254 Texas counties with any.
Other Texas counties with their own page: Travis County, Brewster County, Harris County, Brazos County, El Paso County, Val Verde County, Bexar County and Hudspeth 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.