Venomous animals of the US

Every venomous species we track, grouped and sorted from the most dangerous down, then the harmless animals people most often confuse with them.

Venomous snakes

• Western diamondback rattlesnakeDangerous6 states
• Western rattlesnakeDangerous10 states
• CottonmouthDangerous15 states
• Prairie rattlesnakeDangerous12 states
• SidewinderDangerous4 states
• Timber rattlesnakeDangerous31 states
• Mojave rattlesnakeDangerous6 states
• Black-tailed rattlesnakeDangerous3 states
• Red diamond rattlesnakeDangerous1 state
• Speckled rattlesnakeDangerous4 states
• Eastern diamondback rattlesnakeDangerous7 states
• Rock rattlesnakeDangerous3 states
• Texas coral snakeDangerous3 states
• Eastern coral snakeDangerous7 states
• Tiger rattlesnakeDangerous1 state
• Twin-spotted rattlesnakeDangerous1 state
• Ridge-nosed rattlesnakeDangerous2 states
• Yellow-bellied sea snakeDangerous0 states
• CopperheadMedically significant28 states
• Pygmy rattlesnakeMedically significant13 states
• Eastern massasaugaMedically significant8 states
• Western massasaugaMedically significant8 states
• Sonoran coral snakeMedically significant2 states

Venomous spiders

• Black widowMedically significant48 states
• Brown recluseMedically significant16 states
• Desert recluseMedically significant3 states
• Red widowMedically significant1 state
• TarantulaPainful, rarely serious12 states
• Brown widowPainful, rarely serious10 states

Scorpions

• Arizona bark scorpionMedically significant5 states
• Striped bark scorpionPainful, rarely serious10 states
• Southern devil scorpionPainful, rarely serious6 states
• Giant desert hairy scorpionPainful, rarely serious4 states
• Hentz striped scorpionPainful, rarely serious3 states
• Northern scorpionPainful, rarely serious10 states
• Lesser brown scorpionPainful, rarely serious1 state

Centipedes

• Tiger centipedePainful, rarely serious9 states
• Giant desert centipedePainful, rarely serious7 states
• Vietnamese centipedePainful, rarely serious1 state

Venomous lizards

• Gila monsterMedically significant4 states

Harmless look-alikes

• Water snakeHarmless38 states
• Northern water snakeHarmless36 states
• Banded water snakeHarmless14 states
• Brown water snakeHarmless7 states
• Diamondback water snakeHarmless12 states
• Eastern hognose snakeHarmless31 states
• Corn snakeHarmless16 states
• Rat snakeHarmless28 states
• Milk snakeHarmless41 states
• Scarlet kingsnakeHarmless6 states
• Scarlet snakeHarmless12 states
• Gopher snakeHarmless22 states
• Wolf spiderHarmless50 states
• Hobo spiderHarmless6 states
• Southern house spiderHarmless9 states
• Cellar spiderHarmless24 states
• False widowHarmless8 states
• House centipedeHarmless25 states