Snakes and spiders in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach has 18 snake and 47 spider species on record, from 341 licensed snake and 154 spider records. Venomous species here: the northern cottonmouth, the eastern copperhead, the northern black widow and the southern black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Virginia Beach?
Yes. The northern cottonmouth: 65 licensed records, 19% of all Virginia records of it. The eastern copperhead: 16 licensed records, 2% of all Virginia records of it. The northern black widow: 2 licensed records, 3% of all Virginia records of it. The southern black widow: 2 licensed records, 3% of all Virginia records of it.
What snakes are in Virginia Beach?
In all, 18 snake species are on the Virginia Beach list. The most recorded are the northern cottonmouth (65), the northern water snake (45) and the plain-bellied watersnake (27).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Virginia records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern cottonmouth venomous Agkistrodon piscivorus | 65 | 19% |
| 2 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 45 | 3% |
| 3 | Plain-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster | 27 | 44% |
| 4 | Rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus | 23 | 5% |
| 5 | Eastern wormsnake Carphophis amoenus | 22 | 3% |
| 6 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 22 | 2% |
| 7 | Brown water snake Nerodia taxispilota | 18 | 4% |
| 8 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 17 | 2% |
| 9 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 17 | 3% |
| 10 | Eastern copperhead venomous Agkistrodon contortrix | 16 | 2% |
| 11 | Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula | 14 | 9% |
| 12 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 12 | 1% |
| 13 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | 7 | 6% |
| 14 | Rainbow snake Farancia erytrogramma | 7 | 6% |
| 15 | Mud snake Farancia abacura | 5 | 20% |
| 16 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 4 | 1% |
| 17 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 3 | 2% |
| 18 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | 1 | 1% |
When are snakes out in Virginia Beach?
Observation records of snakes in Virginia Beach run mostly March through November, peaking in July with 17% of them; across Virginia the peak is May.
What spiders are in Virginia Beach?
In all, 47 spider species are on the Virginia Beach list. The most recorded are the black-and-yellow argiope (22), Leucauge argyrobapta (21) and the spiny-backed orbweaver (11). Virginia Beach holds more than half of all Virginia records of Leucauge argyrobapta.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Virginia records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 22 | 6% |
| 2 | Leucauge argyrobapta | 21 | 78% |
| 3 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 11 | 17% |
| 4 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | 10 | 16% |
| 5 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | 7 | 2% |
| 6 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 7 | 1% |
| 7 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 6 | 4% |
| 8 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 6 | 2% |
| 9 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 5 | 1% |
| 10 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 5 | 2% |
| 11 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 4 | 2% |
| 12 | Tigrosa annexa | 4 | 8% |
| 13 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | 3 | 4% |
| 14 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 3 | 1% |
| 15 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 3 | 1% |
| 16 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 2 | 2% |
| 17 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 2 | 1% |
| 18 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | 2 | 10% |
| 19 | False black widow Steatoda grossa | 2 | 17% |
| 20 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | 2 | 4% |
| 21 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | 2 | 3% |
| 22 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | 2 | 3% |
| 23 | Scytodes atlacoya | 2 | 33% |
| 24 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | 2 | 3% |
| 25 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 1 | 3% |
| 26 | Dysdera crocata | 1 | 2% |
| 27 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 1 | 1% |
| 28 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 1 | 1% |
| 29 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 1 | 1% |
| 30 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 1 | 1% |
| 31 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | — | — |
| 32 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | — | — |
| 33 | Butterfly orbweaver Araneus pegnia | — | — |
| 34 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | — | — |
| 35 | Featherlegged orbweaver Uloborus glomosus | — | — |
| 36 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | — | — |
| 37 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | — | — |
| 38 | Heptagonal orbweaver Gea heptagon | — | — |
| 39 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | — | — |
| 40 | Mangora spiculata | — | — |
| 41 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | — | — |
| 42 | Pisaurina dubia | — | — |
| 43 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | — | — |
| 44 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | — | — |
| 45 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | — | — |
| 46 | Tuftlegged orbweaver Mangora placida | — | — |
| 47 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | — | — |
When are spiders out in Virginia Beach?
Observation records of spiders in Virginia Beach run mostly April through October, peaking in September with 25% of them, the same peak as Virginia as a whole.
What stands out in Virginia Beach
Species for which Virginia Beach holds a large share of all Virginia records: Leucauge argyrobapta, 78% (21 of 27); the plain-bellied watersnake, 44% (27 of 61); the northern cottonmouth, 19% (65 of 349); the spiny-backed orbweaver, 17% (11 of 64); the canopy jumping spider, 16% (10 of 61).
Common in Virginia, not on the Virginia Beach list
Among the snakes most recorded across Virginia, these do not reach the county list: the timber rattlesnake (242 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Virginia Beach
Copperheads are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake, the plain-bellied watersnake, the eastern rat snake and the eastern hog-nosed snake. Cottonmouths are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the northern water snake, the plain-bellied watersnake, the brown water snake and the mud snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the timber rattlesnake is on the Virginia list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern hog-nosed snake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the false black widow and the common house spider.
Virginia Beach among Virginia counties
By licensed snake records Virginia Beach ranks 5th of 129 Virginia counties with any.
Other Virginia counties with their own page: Fairfax County, Chesterfield County, Henrico County, Prince William County, Chesapeake, Loudoun County, Arlington 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.