Snakes and spiders in Val Verde County, Texas
Val Verde County, home of Del Rio, has 34 snake and 16 spider species on record, from 853 licensed snake and 295 spider records. Venomous species here: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the rock rattlesnake, the eastern copperhead, the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake, the Texas coral snake, the broad-banded copperhead and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Val Verde County?
Yes. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 61 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The rock rattlesnake: 34 licensed records, 13% of all Texas records of it. The eastern copperhead: 21 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The eastern black-tailed rattlesnake: 12 licensed records, 3% of all Texas records of it. The Texas coral snake: 11 licensed records, 2% of all Texas records of it. The broad-banded copperhead: 2 licensed records, 1% of all Texas records of it. The western black widow: on record, no openly licensed records to count.
What snakes are in Val Verde County?
In all, 34 snake species are on the Val Verde County list. The most recorded are the western ribbon snake (65), the coachwhip (64) and the western diamondback rattlesnake (61). Val Verde County holds more than half of all Texas records of the Mexican kingsnake.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus | 65 | 3% |
| 2 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 64 | 3% |
| 3 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 61 | 2% |
| 4 | Grey-banded kingsnake Lampropeltis alterna | 50 | 27% |
| 5 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | 47 | 2% |
| 6 | Mexican kingsnake Lampropeltis mexicana | 43 | 81% |
| 7 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | 41 | 7% |
| 8 | Trans-Pecos rat snake Bogertophis subocularis | 40 | 11% |
| 9 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 36 | 5% |
| 10 | Rock rattlesnake venomous Crotalus lepidus | 34 | 13% |
| 11 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 33 | 9% |
| 12 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | 31 | 2% |
| 13 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 21 | 2% |
| 14 | Flathead snake Tantilla gracilis | 21 | 2% |
| 15 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 21 | 1% |
| 16 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 15 | 3% |
| 17 | Diamondback water snake Nerodia rhombifer | 15 | 1% |
| 18 | Eastern patch-nosed snake Salvadora grahamiae | 15 | 4% |
| 19 | Great Plains rat snake Pantherophis emoryi | 15 | 2% |
| 20 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 15 | 3% |
| 21 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | 14 | 7% |
| 22 | Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake Gyalopion canum | 13 | 9% |
| 23 | Mexican black-headed snake Tantilla atriceps | 13 | 28% |
| 24 | Baird's rat snake Pantherophis bairdi | 12 | 14% |
| 25 | Eastern black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ornatus | 12 | 3% |
| 26 | Texas blind snake Rena dulcis | 11 | 1% |
| 27 | Texas coral snake venomous Micrurus tener | 11 | 2% |
| 28 | Great Plains ground snake Sonora episcopa | 9 | 9% |
| 29 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 8 | 0% |
| 30 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 8 | 1% |
| 31 | Big Bend blackhead snake Tantilla cucullata | 6 | 26% |
| 32 | Texas indigo snake Drymarchon melanurus | 5 | 2% |
| 33 | Broad-banded copperhead venomous Agkistrodon laticinctus | 2 | 1% |
| 34 | Texas patch-nosed snake Salvadora lineata | 2 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Val Verde County?
Observation records of snakes in Val Verde County run mostly April through October, peaking in April with 34% of them, the same peak as Texas as a whole.
What spiders are in Val Verde County?
In all, 16 spider species are on the Val Verde County list. The most recorded are Tayshaneta fawcetti (41), the Carolina wolf spider (16) and the giant crab spider (10). Val Verde County holds more than half of all Texas records of Tayshaneta fawcetti, Selenops actophilus and the Rio Grande gold tarantula.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Texas records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tayshaneta fawcetti | 41 | 100% |
| 2 | Carolina wolf spider Hogna carolinensis | 16 | 13% |
| 3 | Giant crab spider Olios giganteus | 10 | 17% |
| 4 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 10 | 2% |
| 5 | Selenops actophilus | 9 | 64% |
| 6 | Hogna antelucana | 7 | 1% |
| 7 | Texas brown tarantula Aphonopelma hentzi | 7 | 2% |
| 8 | Rio Grande gold tarantula Aphonopelma moderatum | 5 | 100% |
| 9 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 4 | 0% |
| 10 | Arizona black hole spider Kukulcania arizonica | 2 | 11% |
| 11 | Hogna coloradensis | 2 | 22% |
| 12 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 1 | 0% |
| 13 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 1 | 0% |
| 14 | Pardosa vadosa | — | — |
| 15 | Texas black spot tarantula Aphonopelma armada | — | — |
| 16 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | — | — |
When are spiders out in Val Verde County?
Observation records of spiders in Val Verde County run mostly March through November, peaking in November with 27% of them; across Texas the peak is April.
What stands out in Val Verde County
Species for which Val Verde County holds a large share of all Texas records: Tayshaneta fawcetti, 100% (41 of 41); the Mexican kingsnake, 81% (43 of 53); the Mexican black-headed snake, 28% (13 of 47); the grey-banded kingsnake, 27% (50 of 187); the giant crab spider, 17% (10 of 59).
Common in Texas, not on the Val Verde County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Texas, these do not reach the county list: the western rat snake (1,769 statewide), the rough earthsnake (1,448 statewide) and the DeKay's brown snake (1,037 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 rabid wolf spider (1,048 statewide), the spiny-backed orbweaver (751 statewide), the twin-flagged jumping spider (669 statewide), the striped lynx spider (579 statewide) and the familiar jumping spider (518 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Val Verde County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the corn snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth is on the Texas list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the diamondback water snake and the plain-bellied watersnake. Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake and the Great Plains rat snake. Coral snakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the long-nosed snake.
Val Verde County among Texas counties
By licensed snake records Val Verde County ranks 7th 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, 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.