Snakes and spiders in Butte County, California
Butte County has 13 snake and 24 spider species on record, from 392 licensed snake and 57 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Butte County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 21 licensed records, 0% of all California records of it. The western black widow: 3 licensed records, 0% of all California records of it.
What snakes are in Butte County?
In all, 13 snake species are on the Butte County list. The most recorded are the western aquatic garter snake (76), the western terrestrial garter snake (72) and the common garter snake (43).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western aquatic garter snake Thamnophis couchii | 76 | 2% |
| 2 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 72 | 0% |
| 3 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 43 | 1% |
| 4 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 37 | 1% |
| 5 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 29 | 2% |
| 6 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 24 | 1% |
| 7 | Sharp-tailed snake Contia tenuis | 24 | 3% |
| 8 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 21 | 0% |
| 9 | Giant garter snake Thamnophis gigas | 18 | 15% |
| 10 | Aquatic garter snake Thamnophis atratus | 16 | 0% |
| 11 | Striped racer Masticophis lateralis | 10 | 1% |
| 12 | Northern rubber boa Charina bottae | 8 | 1% |
| 13 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 7 | 0% |
What spiders are in Butte County?
In all, 24 spider species are on the Butte County list. The most recorded are the giant crab spider (3), the western black widow (3) and Colonus hesperus (2).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giant crab spider Olios giganteus | 3 | 5% |
| 2 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 3 | 0% |
| 3 | Colonus hesperus | 2 | 0% |
| 4 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 1 | 0% |
| 5 | California funnel-web spider Calisoga longitarsis | 1 | 1% |
| 6 | Half-edged wall jumping spider Menemerus semilimbatus | 1 | 0% |
| 7 | Johnson jumper Phidippus johnsoni | 1 | 0% |
| 8 | McCook's split wolf spider Schizocosa mccooki | 1 | 0% |
| 9 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 1 | 0% |
| 10 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 1 | 0% |
| 11 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | — | — |
| 12 | Bull-headed sac spider Trachelas pacificus | — | — |
| 13 | California flattened jumping spider Platycryptus californicus | — | — |
| 14 | Dysdera crocata | — | — |
| 15 | False black widow Steatoda grossa | — | — |
| 16 | Koch's wolf spider Alopecosa kochi | — | — |
| 17 | Marbled cellar spider Holocnemus pluchei | — | — |
| 18 | Marchena minuta | — | — |
| 19 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | — | — |
| 20 | Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica | — | — |
| 21 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | — | — |
| 22 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | — | — |
| 23 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | — | — |
| 24 | Western parson spider Herpyllus propinquus | — | — |
Common in California, not on the Butte County list
Among the snakes most recorded across California, these do not reach the county list: the sidewinder (1,923 statewide), the two-striped garter snake (1,620 statewide), the western shovel-nosed snake (1,482 statewide) and the glossy snake (1,425 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 California, these do not reach the county list: Steatoda nobilis (1,914 statewide), the buttonhook leafbeetle jumping spider (825 statewide), Habronattus pyrrithrix (800 statewide) and the brown widow (776 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Butte County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the false black widow and the triangulate bud spider. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the desert recluse is on the California list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the spitting spider.
Butte County among California counties
By licensed snake records Butte County ranks 36th of 58 California counties with any.
Other California counties with their own page: San Diego County, Lassen County, Shasta County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Humboldt County, Sonoma County and San Mateo County.
The whole state: venomous species in California, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.