Snakes and spiders in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County has 8 snake and 42 spider species on record, from 139 licensed snake and 896 spider records. Venomous species here: the eastern copperhead.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Arlington County?
Yes. The eastern copperhead: 9 licensed records, 1% of all Virginia records of it.
What snakes are in Arlington County?
In all, 8 snake species are on the Arlington County list. The most recorded are the DeKay's brown snake (47), the eastern rat snake (26) and the northern water snake (18).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Virginia records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 47 | 9% |
| 2 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 26 | 2% |
| 3 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 18 | 1% |
| 4 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 13 | 1% |
| 5 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 9 | 1% |
| 6 | Eastern wormsnake Carphophis amoenus | 7 | 1% |
| 7 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 4 | 1% |
| 8 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 3 | 0% |
When are snakes out in Arlington County?
Observation records of snakes in Arlington County run mostly March through November, peaking in May with 18% of them, the same peak as Virginia as a whole.
What spiders are in Arlington County?
In all, 42 spider species are on the Arlington County list. The most recorded are the bronze jumper (88), the orchard orbweaver (65) and the Putnam's jumper (53). Arlington County holds more than half of all Virginia records of the white sac spider, the marbled cellar spider, Barronopsis jeffersi and the spitting spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Virginia records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 88 | 32% |
| 2 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 65 | 9% |
| 3 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 53 | 31% |
| 4 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 47 | 11% |
| 5 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 41 | 10% |
| 6 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 38 | 13% |
| 7 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 29 | 15% |
| 8 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 28 | 27% |
| 9 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 23 | 11% |
| 10 | Lyric cobweaver Yunohamella lyrica | 20 | 49% |
| 11 | White sac spider Elaver excepta | 20 | 56% |
| 12 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 18 | 4% |
| 13 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 16 | 9% |
| 14 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 15 | 4% |
| 15 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 15 | 4% |
| 16 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 15 | 3% |
| 17 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 14 | 17% |
| 18 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 14 | 29% |
| 19 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 13 | 25% |
| 20 | Marbled cellar spider Holocnemus pluchei | 12 | 100% |
| 21 | Barronopsis jeffersi | 11 | 52% |
| 22 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 11 | 6% |
| 23 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 11 | 44% |
| 24 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 10 | 9% |
| 25 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 9 | 5% |
| 26 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 9 | 14% |
| 27 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | 8 | 10% |
| 28 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 6 | 16% |
| 29 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | 5 | 24% |
| 30 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | 5 | 8% |
| 31 | Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica | 5 | 100% |
| 32 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 4 | 1% |
| 33 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 4 | 6% |
| 34 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 3 | 3% |
| 35 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | 3 | 4% |
| 36 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 3 | 3% |
| 37 | Pholcus manueli | 3 | 75% |
| 38 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 2 | 1% |
| 39 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 2 | 1% |
| 40 | Thin-spined jumping spider Tutelina elegans | 2 | 8% |
| 41 | Dysdera crocata | 1 | 2% |
| 42 | Slender ant mimicking jumping spider Synemosyna formica | 1 | 2% |
When are spiders out in Arlington County?
Observation records of spiders in Arlington County run mostly April through November, peaking in May with 20% of them; across Virginia the peak is September.
What stands out in Arlington County
Species for which Arlington County holds a large share of all Virginia records: the white sac spider, 56% (20 of 36); Barronopsis jeffersi, 52% (11 of 21); the lyric cobweaver, 49% (20 of 41); the zebra spider, 44% (11 of 25); the bronze jumper, 32% (88 of 276); the Putnam's jumper, 31% (53 of 171); the triangulate bud spider, 29% (14 of 49); the white-jawed jumping spider, 27% (28 of 104).
Common in Virginia, not on the Arlington County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Virginia, these do not reach the county list: the eastern racer (565 statewide), the brown water snake (479 statewide), the northern cottonmouth (349 statewide) and the timber rattlesnake (242 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 Virginia, these do not reach the county list: the white-banded fishing spider (243 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Arlington County
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the eastern rat snake and the northern water snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth is on the Virginia list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. No widow spiders reach the county list, but the northern black widow and the southern black widow are on the Virginia list: treat any spider like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the triangulate bud spider and the common house spider. Recluse spiders are not on the Virginia list, but GBIF holds 29 recluse spider records of any license in Virginia (brown recluse 29): treat any spider like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the spitting spider.
Arlington County among Virginia counties
By licensed snake records Arlington County ranks 21st of 129 Virginia counties with any.
Other Virginia counties with their own page: Fairfax County, Chesterfield County, Henrico County, Prince William County, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Loudoun County and Hanover County.
The whole state: venomous species in Virginia, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.