Snakes and spiders in Orange County, California
Orange County has 18 snake and 59 spider species on record, from 529 licensed snake and 971 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake, the red diamond rattlesnake, the southwestern speckled rattlesnake, the brown widow and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Orange County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 87 licensed records, 2% of all California records of it. The red diamond rattlesnake: 29 licensed records, 3% of all California records of it. The southwestern speckled rattlesnake: 7 licensed records, 3% of all California records of it. The brown widow: 68 licensed records, 9% of all California records of it. The western black widow: 14 licensed records, 1% of all California records of it.
What snakes are in Orange County?
In all, 18 snake species are on the Orange County list. The most recorded are the gopher snake (151), the western rattlesnake (87) and the California kingsnake (65).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 151 | 2% |
| 2 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 87 | 2% |
| 3 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 65 | 2% |
| 4 | Striped racer Masticophis lateralis | 51 | 4% |
| 5 | Red diamond rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ruber | 29 | 3% |
| 6 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 29 | 2% |
| 7 | Western aquatic garter snake Thamnophis couchii | 16 | 0% |
| 8 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | 14 | 27% |
| 9 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 9 | 1% |
| 10 | Western patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis | 9 | 1% |
| 11 | Southwestern speckled rattlesnake venomous Crotalus pyrrhus | 7 | 3% |
| 12 | Western threadsnake Rena humilis | 7 | 1% |
| 13 | California mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata | 5 | 1% |
| 14 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 5 | 0% |
| 15 | Two-striped garter snake Thamnophis hammondii | 5 | 0% |
| 16 | Western black-headed snake Tantilla planiceps | 5 | 3% |
| 17 | Coast nightsnake Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus | 2 | 1% |
| 18 | Baja California lyre snake Trimorphodon lyrophanes | — | — |
When are snakes out in Orange County?
Observation records of snakes in Orange County run mostly March through November, peaking in May with 19% of them, the same peak as California as a whole.
What spiders are in Orange County?
In all, 59 spider species are on the Orange County list. The most recorded are the brown widow (68), the silver argiope (63) and the gray wall jumper (53). Orange County holds more than half of all California records of Messua limbata.
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 68 | 9% |
| 2 | Silver argiope Argiope argentata | 63 | 8% |
| 3 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 53 | 25% |
| 4 | Buttonhook leafbeetle jumping spider Sassacus vitis | 48 | 6% |
| 5 | False black widow Steatoda grossa | 45 | 4% |
| 6 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 42 | 2% |
| 7 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 37 | 9% |
| 8 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 30 | 5% |
| 9 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 28 | 10% |
| 10 | California ebony tarantula Aphonopelma eutylenum | 27 | 27% |
| 11 | Steatoda nobilis | 25 | 1% |
| 12 | Habronattus pyrrithrix | 24 | 3% |
| 13 | Marbled cellar spider Holocnemus pluchei | 22 | 3% |
| 14 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 20 | 3% |
| 15 | Flatmesh weaver Oecobius navus | 19 | 8% |
| 16 | Dysdera crocata | 18 | 3% |
| 17 | Messua limbata | 15 | 94% |
| 18 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 14 | 1% |
| 19 | Colonus hesperus | 13 | 2% |
| 20 | Johnson jumper Phidippus johnsoni | 13 | 1% |
| 21 | Uloborus diversus | 13 | 8% |
| 22 | Cyclosa turbinata | 12 | 8% |
| 23 | Cribellate spider Metaltella simoni | 11 | 3% |
| 24 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 11 | 3% |
| 25 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 9 | 5% |
| 26 | Eriophora edax | 9 | 24% |
| 27 | Mouse spider Scotophaeus blackwalli | 9 | 3% |
| 28 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 8 | 5% |
| 29 | Koch's wolf spider Alopecosa kochi | 8 | 1% |
| 30 | Western parson spider Herpyllus propinquus | 8 | 4% |
| 31 | Falconina gracilis | 7 | 18% |
| 32 | Araneus andrewsi | 5 | 7% |
| 33 | Bull-headed sac spider Trachelas pacificus | 5 | 3% |
| 34 | Hibana incursa | 5 | 6% |
| 35 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 5 | 1% |
| 36 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 5 | 7% |
| 37 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 5 | 8% |
| 38 | Salticus palpalis | 4 | 16% |
| 39 | Allocosa subparva | 3 | 7% |
| 40 | California trapdoor spider Bothriocyrtum californicum | 3 | 3% |
| 41 | Gray house spider Badumna longinqua | 3 | 1% |
| 42 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 3 | 1% |
| 43 | Shoreline wolf spider Arctosa littoralis | 3 | 3% |
| 44 | American dewdrop spider Argyrodes elevatus | 2 | 9% |
| 45 | California red jumping spider Phidippus adumbratus | 2 | 1% |
| 46 | Gem-shaped orbweaver Araneus gemma | 2 | 2% |
| 47 | McCook's split wolf spider Schizocosa mccooki | 2 | 1% |
| 48 | Mexigonus minutus | 2 | 2% |
| 49 | Pecos brown Aphonopelma steindachneri | 2 | 3% |
| 50 | Southern bolas spider Mastophora cornigera | 2 | 9% |
| 51 | Bark lynx spider Hamataliwa grisea | 1 | 3% |
| 52 | Desert grass spider Agelenopsis aperta | 1 | 2% |
| 53 | Habronattus elegans | 1 | 3% |
| 54 | Hogna antelucana | 1 | 5% |
| 55 | Zilloides orb-weaver Metazygia zilloides | 1 | 25% |
| 56 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | — | — |
| 57 | Dictis striatipes | — | — |
| 58 | Phidippus californicus | — | — |
| 59 | Psilochorus californiae | — | — |
When are spiders out in Orange County?
Observation records of spiders in Orange County run through most of the year, peaking in September with 18% of them; across California the peak is April.
What stands out in Orange County
Species for which Orange County holds a large share of all California records: the California ebony tarantula, 27% (27 of 100); the Brahminy blindsnake, 27% (14 of 52); the gray wall jumper, 25% (53 of 216).
Common in California, not on the Orange County list
Among the snakes most recorded across California, these do not reach the county list: the western terrestrial garter snake (21,830 statewide), the common garter snake (5,777 statewide), the aquatic garter snake (3,727 statewide), the sidewinder (1,923 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 half-edged wall jumping spider (2,178 statewide) and the western lynx spider (1,123 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Orange County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake. Coral snakes are not on the California list, but GBIF holds 3 coral snake records of any license in California (Sonoran coralsnake 3): treat any snake like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the California mountain kingsnake. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the false black widow, the common house spider 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 longbodied cellar spider.
Orange County among California counties
By licensed snake records Orange County ranks 30th 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.