Snakes and spiders in Champaign County, Illinois
Champaign County, home of Urbana, has 5 snake and 47 spider species on record, from 82 licensed snake and 4,501 spider records. Venomous species here: the brown recluse.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Champaign County?
Yes. The brown recluse: 14 licensed records, 4% of all Illinois records of it.
What snakes are in Champaign County?
In all, 5 snake species are on the Champaign County list. The most recorded are the plains garter snake (39), the northern water snake (16) and the DeKay's brown snake (10).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Illinois records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plains garter snake Thamnophis radix | 39 | 16% |
| 2 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 16 | 7% |
| 3 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 10 | 3% |
| 4 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 8 | 2% |
| 5 | Eastern fox snake Pantherophis vulpinus | 7 | 8% |
When are snakes out in Champaign County?
Observation records of snakes in Champaign County run mostly March through August, peaking in May with 30% of them; across Illinois the peak is October.
What spiders are in Champaign County?
In all, 47 spider species are on the Champaign County list. The most recorded are the bold jumper (103), the zebra spider (58) and the brilliant jumping spider (43). Champaign County holds more than half of all Illinois records of the Asian wall jumper, Tibellus duttoni, the longbodied cellar spider and Cyclosa turbinata.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Illinois records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 103 | 30% |
| 2 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 58 | 34% |
| 3 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 43 | 31% |
| 4 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 41 | 51% |
| 5 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 40 | 26% |
| 6 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 37 | 32% |
| 7 | Pardosa saxatilis | 30 | 6% |
| 8 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 30 | 42% |
| 9 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 28 | 40% |
| 10 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 28 | 26% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania grass spider Agelenopsis pennsylvanica | 27 | 43% |
| 12 | Tibellus duttoni | 24 | 56% |
| 13 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 24 | 22% |
| 14 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 21 | 15% |
| 15 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 19 | 66% |
| 16 | Schizocosa bilineata | 18 | 13% |
| 17 | Cyclosa turbinata | 17 | 68% |
| 18 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 16 | 25% |
| 19 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 14 | 11% |
| 20 | Brown recluse venomous Loxosceles reclusa | 14 | 4% |
| 21 | Lance wolf spider Schizocosa avida | 14 | 12% |
| 22 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 12 | 35% |
| 23 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 11 | 11% |
| 24 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 10 | 20% |
| 25 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 10 | 18% |
| 26 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 10 | 13% |
| 27 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 10 | 7% |
| 28 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 9 | 7% |
| 29 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | 8 | 32% |
| 30 | Dysdera crocata | 8 | 16% |
| 31 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 8 | 7% |
| 32 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 7 | 12% |
| 33 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 7 | 30% |
| 34 | Barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica | 6 | 17% |
| 35 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 6 | 23% |
| 36 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 6 | 6% |
| 37 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 6 | 11% |
| 38 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 4 | 10% |
| 39 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 4 | 7% |
| 40 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 4 | 14% |
| 41 | Thin-spined jumping spider Tutelina elegans | 4 | 13% |
| 42 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 3 | 8% |
| 43 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | 3 | 12% |
| 44 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 3 | 27% |
| 45 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 3 | 9% |
| 46 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 2 | 4% |
| 47 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | — | — |
When are spiders out in Champaign County?
Observation records of spiders in Champaign County run mostly March through September, peaking in August with 17% of them; across Illinois the peak is September.
What stands out in Champaign County
Species for which Champaign County holds a large share of all Illinois records: Cyclosa turbinata, 68% (17 of 25); the longbodied cellar spider, 66% (19 of 29); Tibellus duttoni, 56% (24 of 43); the Asian wall jumper, 51% (41 of 80); the Pennsylvania grass spider, 43% (27 of 63); the triangulate bud spider, 42% (30 of 72); the furrow orbweaver, 40% (28 of 70); the broad-faced sac spider, 35% (12 of 34).
Common in Illinois, not on the Champaign County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Illinois, these do not reach the county list: the northern cottonmouth (259 statewide), the eastern racer (129 statewide), the ring-necked snake (87 statewide), the eastern rat snake (86 statewide), the eastern wormsnake (85 statewide) and the prairie kingsnake (82 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 Illinois, these do not reach the county list: Piratula minuta (208 statewide), the pale sheetweb weaver (196 statewide), the brush-legged split wolf spider (192 statewide), the tan crab spider (187 statewide), the shiny wolf spider (170 statewide) and Trochosa ruricola (157 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Champaign County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Illinois list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, but the northern cottonmouth is on the Illinois list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the eastern massasauga and the timber rattlesnake are on the Illinois list: treat any snake like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern fox snake. No widow spiders reach the county list, but the southern black widow and the northern black widow are on the Illinois list: treat any spider like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the triangulate bud spider, the boreal combfoot and the common house spider. Recluse spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the Pennsylvania grass spider and the longbodied cellar spider.
Champaign County among Illinois counties
By licensed snake records Champaign County ranks 10th of 90 Illinois counties with any.
Other Illinois counties with their own page: Union County, Cook County, Will County, Jo Daviess County, Mason County, Iroquois County, Effingham County and Lee County.
The whole state: venomous species in Illinois, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.