Arkansas has 6 venomous snakes named by official sources: Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Western Pigmy Rattlesnake and Texas Coral Snake, as labelled by AGFC. This guide covers 9 animal groups from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lists and other official sources, with photos, venomous status and when each group is active.
Identification help has limits: a photo cannot confirm that an animal is safe. Watch from a distance and never handle a wild animal.
These are the animals official sources describe as venomous or as a risk to people in Arkansas, across 6 groups. The reason is given in the source's own terms.
Poisonous per Extension. The museum says females bite when provoked and the bite is primarily neurological: “In Arkansas, two spiders are poisonous. They are the black widow and the brown recluse spiders.”
Disease: “Arkansas has some of the highest rates in the nation for tick-borne diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis and Tularemia.”
Painful sting that may last up to a week: “A cicada killer sting causes sharp pain that may last as long as a week, but these wasps are not aggressive, and they sting only when provoked.”
A bear fed by people can lose its fear of them and become more aggressive: “Once that bear begins to lose its fear of people, it can become more aggressive or damage property seeking more food.”
18 nonnative animals are named on Arkansas's official lists (AGFC). The USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database records 1 nonnative animal in our groups with an established population in Arkansas.
Darker cells are the months with more open-licence observation records of each group in Arkansas (GBIF). They show when people see and record these animals, not how many there are. The current month, this month, is highlighted.
Report: Nuisance wildlife hotline 833-345-0315, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., voicemail any time; alligator nuisance calls answered 24/7. Aquatic nuisance species sightings: AGFC Aquatic Nuisance Species Form (www.agfc.com/ans); suspected apple snails also to the ANS Program Coordinator at 501-604-0485. Mountain lion sightings with verifiable evidence: nearest AGFC office. AGFC
Leave snakes alone; they bite only if cornered or threatened. AGFC
Do not try to capture, handle or kill a venomous snake. AGFC
Do not rely on pupil shape or head shape to identify a venomous snake. AGFC
Wear boots that go past the ankles and watch where you put hands and feet. AGFC
Snake repellents have not been shown to work; mow, remove debris and seal the house instead. AGFC
Questions people ask about Arkansas wildlife
Are there venomous snakes in Arkansas?
Yes. Copperhead, cottonmouth, western diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, western pigmy rattlesnake and Texas coral snake. AGFC
How many kinds of snakes are in Arkansas?
The AGFC guide says 36 species, Extension says 39 native species, and NPS Hot Springs says approximately 40. All AGFC and Extension sources agree six are venomous. AGFC
Yes. The Texas coral snake is venomous and occurs in southern Arkansas, west of the Ouachita River and south of the Little Missouri River. AGFC
Are there water moccasins in Arkansas?
Yes. The cottonmouth occurs statewide and is uncommon in upland streams of the Ozark Highlands and Ouachita Mountains. Several harmless water snakes are mistaken for it. AGFC
Is every snake in the water a cottonmouth?
No. AGFC marks this as false: several harmless water snakes are mistaken for cottonmouths. AGFC
Are hognose snakes dangerous?
They rarely bite. AGFC says their saliva has little effect on humans, although some people have had short-lived swelling, burning and tingling. AGFC
Are there alligators in Arkansas?
Yes. The American alligator is native to Arkansas. It now ranges as far northwest as Petit Jean Wildlife Management Area and as far northeast as the St. Francis River near Paragould. AGFC
Have alligators attacked people in Arkansas?
AGFC reports two bites in recent years: one after a person stepped on an alligator and one after people tried to catch it. AGFC
Yes. They occur throughout most of the state but are apparently absent from the Mississippi delta region. The museum says bites are not considered particularly dangerous. University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum
Yes. The Arkansas Department of Health says rabies lives in the wild in skunks and bats, and that Arkansas does not have the raccoon variant. Arkansas Department of Health, hosted by AGFC
Nuisance Wildlife. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“The nuisance wildlife hotline, 833-345-0315, is available during 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. for immediate assistance, although voicemails can be left at any time that will be returned during normal working hours. Alligator nuisance calls will be answered 24/7 via an emergency liaison. … Report sightings immediately by filling out the Aquatic Nuisance Species Form … report the location immediately to AGFC at www.agfc.com/ans or immediately call the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Program Coordinator, Matt Horton, at 501-604-0485 … The public is encouraged to contact their nearest AGFC office with any sightings of mountain lions with verifiable evidence.”
“Arkansas is home to 16 species of turtle, but only two are land dwellers”
Striped bark scorpion (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (2)
“The only scorpion known to occur in Arkansas is the common striped bark scorpion”
“The scorpion has venom glands in the bulbous structure at its posterior end.”
“Although it has not been studied as thoroughly as the brown recluse, it should be regarded as venomous and dangerous.”
“Arkansas is at the center of the species’ natural distribution”
Stinging rose caterpillar (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Venom enters the skin of humans or animals when the caterpillars are touched and the tips of the spines break off.”
Giant redheaded centipede (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Poison glands are located in the basal segments of the claws”
House centipede (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Severe swelling and pain can result from the venom injected, but in most cases the bite is no worse than the sting of a bee.”
Red imported fire ant (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (3)
“Fire ant bites are occasionally fatal for hypersensitive individuals.”
“It reached southern Arkansas in 1950, probably through movement of untreated nursery stock.”
“It reached southern Arkansas in 1950”
Baldfaced hornet (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“…can also induce severe allergic responses in humans”
Red wasp (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“…red wasps have been known to be quite aggressive, delivering painful stings”
Red velvet ant (cow killer) (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Arkansas has some of the highest rates in the nation for tick-borne diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis and Tularemia.”
“Mosquitoes in Arkansas can carry West Nile Virus and other less common diseases.”
Cicada killer (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“A cicada killer sting causes sharp pain that may last as long as a week, but these wasps are not aggressive, and they sting only when provoked.”
“They are typically shy and reclusive, and they rarely attack humans.”
“There have been 23 confirmed mountain lion sightings in Arkansas since 2010.”
Health & Safety with Wildlife. University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Hansen’s Disease (leprosy)- armadillos”
European hornet (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“…have recently found a home and breeding grounds in the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas”
Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS). Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (2)
“Bighead Carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)”
“Black Carp (Mylopharngodon piceus)”
Encountering Native Snakes in Arkansas. University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
Tarantula (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“In Arkansas, these spiders occur throughout most of the state, but they are apparently absent from the Mississippi delta region.”
“Rabies in Arkansas lives in the wild in skunks and bats. Arkansas does not have the raccoon variant of rabies.”
Tickborne Diseases (Musings on Nature blog). University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“There are 19 species of ticks in Arkansas; 16 are of the hard-shelled variety and three are soft-shelled.”
Arkansas Poison and Drug Information Center. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
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