Snakes and spiders in Lake County, California
Lake County, home of Lakeport, has 10 snake and 8 spider species on record, from 355 licensed snake and 79 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Lake County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 47 licensed records, 1% of all California records of it. The western black widow: on record, no openly licensed records to count.
What snakes are in Lake County?
In all, 10 snake species are on the Lake County list. The most recorded are the aquatic garter snake (109), the western terrestrial garter snake (93) and the western rattlesnake (47).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aquatic garter snake Thamnophis atratus | 109 | 3% |
| 2 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 93 | 0% |
| 3 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 47 | 1% |
| 4 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 37 | 1% |
| 5 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 18 | 0% |
| 6 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 11 | 1% |
| 7 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 9 | 1% |
| 8 | Sharp-tailed snake Contia tenuis | 9 | 1% |
| 9 | Striped racer Masticophis lateralis | 9 | 1% |
| 10 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 8 | 0% |
When are snakes out in Lake County?
Observation records of snakes in Lake County run mostly March through October, peaking in May with 30% of them, the same peak as California as a whole.
What spiders are in Lake County?
In all, 8 spider species are on the Lake County list. The most recorded are Colonus hesperus (7), the Johnson jumper (6) and the Koch's wolf spider (6).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colonus hesperus | 7 | 1% |
| 2 | Johnson jumper Phidippus johnsoni | 6 | 1% |
| 3 | Koch's wolf spider Alopecosa kochi | 6 | 1% |
| 4 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 6 | 1% |
| 5 | Marbled cellar spider Holocnemus pluchei | 4 | 0% |
| 6 | Hairy tufted jumping spider Phidippus comatus | 1 | 1% |
| 7 | Half-edged wall jumping spider Menemerus semilimbatus | 1 | 0% |
| 8 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | — | — |
When are spiders out in Lake County?
Observation records of spiders in Lake County run mostly January through August, peaking in April with 24% of them, the same peak as California as a whole.
Common in California, not on the Lake County list
Among the snakes most recorded across California, these do not reach the county list: the western aquatic garter snake (3,716 statewide), 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: the bold jumper (2,606 statewide), Steatoda nobilis (1,914 statewide), the false black widow (1,201 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 Lake County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake.
Lake County among California counties
By licensed snake records Lake County ranks 38th 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.