Snakes and spiders in San Benito County, California
San Benito County, home of Hollister, has 12 snake and 19 spider species on record, from 536 licensed snake and 156 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in San Benito County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 54 licensed records, 1% of all California records of it. The western black widow: 4 licensed records, 0% of all California records of it.
What snakes are in San Benito County?
In all, 12 snake species are on the San Benito County list. The most recorded are the gopher snake (194), the common garter snake (95) and the western rattlesnake (54).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 194 | 3% |
| 2 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 95 | 2% |
| 3 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 54 | 1% |
| 4 | Striped racer Masticophis lateralis | 43 | 3% |
| 5 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 37 | 1% |
| 6 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 21 | 1% |
| 7 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 20 | 2% |
| 8 | Sharp-tailed snake Contia tenuis | 14 | 2% |
| 9 | Two-striped garter snake Thamnophis hammondii | 12 | 1% |
| 10 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 11 | 1% |
| 11 | Aquatic garter snake Thamnophis atratus | 7 | 0% |
| 12 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 6 | 0% |
When are snakes out in San Benito County?
Observation records of snakes in San Benito County run mostly March through August, peaking in May with 32% of them, the same peak as California as a whole.
What spiders are in San Benito County?
In all, 19 spider species are on the San Benito County list. The most recorded are Aliatypus coylei (18), the Koch's wolf spider (10) and the Bay Area blonde (8).
Related species: Aliatypus janus
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aliatypus coylei | 18 | 37% |
| 2 | Koch's wolf spider Alopecosa kochi | 10 | 1% |
| 3 | Bay Area blonde Aphonopelma iodius | 8 | 2% |
| 4 | California turret spider Atypoides riversi | 5 | 1% |
| 5 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 4 | 0% |
| 6 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 4 | 0% |
| 7 | California flattened jumping spider Platycryptus californicus | 3 | 3% |
| 8 | Colonus hesperus | 3 | 0% |
| 9 | Habronattus peckhami | 3 | 20% |
| 10 | Johnson jumper Phidippus johnsoni | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | California funnel-web spider Calisoga longitarsis | 2 | 1% |
| 12 | Hirsute paradise spider Habronattus hirsutus | 2 | 1% |
| 13 | Buttonhook leafbeetle jumping spider Sassacus vitis | 1 | 0% |
| 14 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 1 | 0% |
| 15 | Half-edged wall jumping spider Menemerus semilimbatus | 1 | 0% |
| 16 | Steatoda nobilis | 1 | 0% |
| 17 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | — | — |
| 18 | Dysdera crocata | — | — |
| 19 | Hairy tufted jumping spider Phidippus comatus | — | — |
When are spiders out in San Benito County?
Observation records of spiders in San Benito County run mostly September through May, peaking in May with 34% of them; across California the peak is April.
What stands out in San Benito County
Species for which San Benito County holds a large share of all California records: Aliatypus coylei, 37% (18 of 49).
Common in California, not on the San Benito 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 western aquatic garter snake (3,716 statewide), the sidewinder (1,923 statewide) and the western shovel-nosed snake (1,482 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), the false black widow (1,201 statewide), the marbled cellar spider (805 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 San Benito County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake.
San Benito County among California counties
By licensed snake records San Benito County ranks 29th 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.