Snakes and spiders in Lake County, Indiana
Lake County, home of Crown Point, has 6 snake and 42 spider species on record, from 37 licensed snake and 1,379 spider records. No venomous snake or spider reaches the county list, but the eastern copperhead, the eastern massasauga, the timber rattlesnake, the brown recluse and the northern black widow are on the Indiana list: treat any snake or spider like them as venomous until identified.
What snakes are in Lake County?
In all, 6 snake species are on the Lake County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (11), the DeKay's brown snake (8) and the plains garter snake (4).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Indiana records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 11 | 4% |
| 2 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 8 | 5% |
| 3 | Plains garter snake Thamnophis radix | 4 | 13% |
| 4 | Eastern fox snake Pantherophis vulpinus | 3 | 10% |
| 5 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 1 | 1% |
| 6 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | — | — |
What spiders are in Lake County?
In all, 42 spider species are on the Lake County list. The most recorded are the zebra spider (78), the Asian wall jumper (51) and the familiar jumping spider (44). Lake County holds more than half of all Indiana records of the zebra spider, the Asian wall jumper, Scylaceus pallidus and the tan crab spider.
Same family (Linyphiidae): Frontinella pyramitela
| # | Species | Records | Share of Indiana records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 78 | 55% |
| 2 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 51 | 72% |
| 3 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 44 | 16% |
| 4 | Scylaceus pallidus | 44 | 94% |
| 5 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 41 | 43% |
| 6 | Tan crab spider Xysticus ferox | 39 | 87% |
| 7 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 25 | 64% |
| 8 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 24 | 50% |
| 9 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 24 | 77% |
| 10 | Trochosa ruricola | 21 | 95% |
| 11 | Yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium inclusum | 21 | 100% |
| 12 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | 20 | 59% |
| 13 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 20 | 59% |
| 14 | Long-jawed orb weaver Tetragnatha laboriosa | 17 | 57% |
| 15 | Oblong running spider Tibellus oblongus | 16 | 89% |
| 16 | Disembolus bairdi | 15 | 100% |
| 17 | Long-legged ghost spider Wulfila saltabundus | 15 | 88% |
| 18 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 15 | 17% |
| 19 | Brush-legged split wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata | 14 | 48% |
| 20 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 14 | 12% |
| 21 | Pardosa saxatilis | 14 | 93% |
| 22 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 13 | 7% |
| 23 | Parasteatoda tabulata | 13 | 93% |
| 24 | Trochosa terricola | 13 | 93% |
| 25 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 13 | 32% |
| 26 | Xysticus auctificus | 13 | 100% |
| 27 | Autumn money spider Erigone autumnalis | 12 | 75% |
| 28 | Deadly ground crab spider Xysticus funestus | 12 | 92% |
| 29 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 12 | 50% |
| 30 | Peatland sheetweb weaver Hypselistes florens | 12 | 92% |
| 31 | Greater ant-mimic corinne spider Phrurotimpus borealis | 11 | 73% |
| 32 | Pale-footed patterned money spider Grammonota pallipes | 11 | 100% |
| 33 | Schizocosa bilineata | 11 | 92% |
| 34 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 8 | 16% |
| 35 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | 8 | 47% |
| 36 | Bridge orbweaver Larinioides sclopetarius | 7 | 100% |
| 37 | Dysdera crocata | 7 | 27% |
| 38 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 7 | 13% |
| 39 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 5 | 16% |
| 40 | Pholcus manueli | 5 | 50% |
| 41 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 5 | 4% |
| 42 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 2 | 5% |
When are spiders out in Lake County?
Observation records of spiders in Lake County run mostly April through July, peaking in June with 48% of them, the same peak as Indiana as a whole.
What stands out in Lake County
Species for which Lake County holds a large share of all Indiana records: the yellow sac spider, 100% (21 of 21); Trochosa ruricola, 95% (21 of 22); Scylaceus pallidus, 94% (44 of 47); the tan crab spider, 87% (39 of 45); the striped lynx spider, 77% (24 of 31); the Asian wall jumper, 72% (51 of 71); the common house spider, 64% (25 of 39); the common white-cheeked jumping spider, 59% (20 of 34).
Common in Indiana, not on the Lake County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Indiana, these do not reach the county list: the eastern racer (179 statewide), the eastern rat snake (125 statewide), the queen snake (95 statewide), the ring-necked snake (94 statewide), the eastern hog-nosed snake (88 statewide) and the eastern wormsnake (80 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 Indiana, these do not reach the county list: the orchard orbweaver (174 statewide), the brown recluse (138 statewide), the dark fishing spider (102 statewide) and the arrowhead orbweaver (56 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Lake County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Indiana list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern milksnake and the northern water snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Indiana under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the northern water snake. No rattlesnakes reach the county list, but the eastern massasauga and the timber rattlesnake are on the Indiana list: treat any snake like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern fox snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Indiana under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. No widow spiders reach the county list, but the northern black widow is on the Indiana list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the common house spider. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Indiana list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider.
Lake County among Indiana counties
By licensed snake records Lake County ranks 13th of 91 Indiana counties with any.
Other Indiana counties with their own page: Monroe County.
The whole state: venomous species in Indiana, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.