Snakes and spiders in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County has 26 snake and 126 spider species on record, from 2,261 licensed snake and 9,176 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake, the sidewinder, the red diamond rattlesnake, the brown widow, the western black widow and the desert recluse.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Los Angeles County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 467 licensed records, 9% of all California records of it. The Mohave rattlesnake: 72 licensed records, 17% of all California records of it. The sidewinder: 61 licensed records, 3% of all California records of it. The red diamond rattlesnake: 3 licensed records, 0% of all California records of it. The brown widow: 442 licensed records, 57% of all California records of it. The western black widow: 215 licensed records, 17% of all California records of it. The desert recluse: 1 licensed record, 2% of all California records of it.
What snakes are in Los Angeles County?
In all, 26 snake species are on the Los Angeles County list. The most recorded are the gopher snake (468), the western rattlesnake (467) and the California kingsnake (173). Los Angeles County holds more than half of all California records of the southern watersnake.
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 468 | 7% |
| 2 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 467 | 9% |
| 3 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 173 | 6% |
| 4 | Striped racer Masticophis lateralis | 164 | 13% |
| 5 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 150 | 8% |
| 6 | California mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata | 108 | 20% |
| 7 | Two-striped garter snake Thamnophis hammondii | 92 | 6% |
| 8 | Western aquatic garter snake Thamnophis couchii | 92 | 2% |
| 9 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 72 | 6% |
| 10 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 72 | 17% |
| 11 | Sidewinder venomous Crotalus cerastes | 61 | 3% |
| 12 | Western patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis | 42 | 7% |
| 13 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 34 | 2% |
| 14 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 33 | 1% |
| 15 | Western threadsnake Rena humilis | 30 | 4% |
| 16 | Rosy boa Lichanura trivirgata | 25 | 6% |
| 17 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 24 | 2% |
| 18 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | 23 | 44% |
| 19 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 20 | 2% |
| 20 | Coast nightsnake Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus | 18 | 8% |
| 21 | Southern watersnake introduced Nerodia fasciata | 18 | 60% |
| 22 | Western black-headed snake Tantilla planiceps | 16 | 8% |
| 23 | Western shovel-nosed snake Sonora occipitalis | 8 | 1% |
| 24 | Baja California lyre snake Trimorphodon lyrophanes | 3 | 2% |
| 25 | Northern three-lined boa Lichanura orcutti | 3 | 2% |
| 26 | Red diamond rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ruber | 3 | 0% |
When are snakes out in Los Angeles County?
Observation records of snakes in Los Angeles County run mostly March through October, peaking in May with 20% of them, the same peak as California as a whole.
What spiders are in Los Angeles County?
In all, 126 spider species are on the Los Angeles County list. The most recorded are the false black widow (582), the brown widow (442) and the longbodied cellar spider (394). Los Angeles County holds more than half of all California records of the brown widow, the longbodied cellar spider, the corner funnel weaver and the cribellate spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | False black widow Steatoda grossa | 582 | 48% |
| 2 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 442 | 57% |
| 3 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 394 | 57% |
| 4 | Corner funnel weaver Hololena curta | 277 | 89% |
| 5 | Cribellate spider Metaltella simoni | 239 | 63% |
| 6 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 215 | 17% |
| 7 | Steatoda nobilis | 210 | 11% |
| 8 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 209 | 8% |
| 9 | Northern yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium mildei | 203 | 87% |
| 10 | Marbled cellar spider Holocnemus pluchei | 181 | 22% |
| 11 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | 174 | 88% |
| 12 | Mouse spider Scotophaeus blackwalli | 168 | 62% |
| 13 | Dysdera crocata | 164 | 25% |
| 14 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 158 | 41% |
| 15 | Flatmesh weaver Oecobius navus | 155 | 63% |
| 16 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 136 | 24% |
| 17 | Buttonhook leafbeetle jumping spider Sassacus vitis | 132 | 16% |
| 18 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 130 | 60% |
| 19 | Bull-headed sac spider Trachelas pacificus | 92 | 50% |
| 20 | Colonus hesperus | 88 | 12% |
| 21 | Uloborus diversus | 84 | 54% |
| 22 | Western parson spider Herpyllus propinquus | 80 | 43% |
| 23 | Silver argiope Argiope argentata | 79 | 10% |
| 24 | California red jumping spider Phidippus adumbratus | 75 | 45% |
| 25 | Habronattus pyrrithrix | 58 | 7% |
| 26 | Common house combfoot Theridion melanurum | 50 | 71% |
| 27 | Habronattus schlingeri | 49 | 78% |
| 28 | Koch's wolf spider Alopecosa kochi | 48 | 5% |
| 29 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 46 | 12% |
| 30 | Hibana incursa | 45 | 56% |
| 31 | Gem-shaped orbweaver Araneus gemma | 43 | 53% |
| 32 | Gray house spider Badumna longinqua | 42 | 12% |
| 33 | Neriene digna | 38 | 62% |
| 34 | Johnson jumper Phidippus johnsoni | 37 | 4% |
| 35 | Urozelotes rusticus | 37 | 74% |
| 36 | Pardosa californica | 35 | 29% |
| 37 | California trapdoor spider Bothriocyrtum californicum | 33 | 29% |
| 38 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 33 | 3% |
| 39 | Anyphaena pacifica | 32 | 44% |
| 40 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 32 | 11% |
| 41 | Anyphaena californica | 30 | 73% |
| 42 | Desert grass spider Agelenopsis aperta | 30 | 49% |
| 43 | Metepeira crassipes | 29 | 78% |
| 44 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 26 | 4% |
| 45 | Tent cobweb weaver Tidarren sisyphoides | 25 | 74% |
| 46 | Eriophora edax | 22 | 58% |
| 47 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 22 | 9% |
| 48 | Cyclosa turbinata | 21 | 14% |
| 49 | Metepeira ventura | 20 | 49% |
| 50 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | 20 | 32% |
| 51 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 19 | 13% |
| 52 | Curicaberis peninsulanus | 19 | 51% |
| 53 | Pecos brown Aphonopelma steindachneri | 19 | 25% |
| 54 | Falconina gracilis | 18 | 45% |
| 55 | Habronattus tarsalis | 16 | 7% |
| 56 | Mexigonus morosus | 16 | 57% |
| 57 | Metaphidippus siticulosus | 15 | 65% |
| 58 | Pantropical jumper Plexippus paykulli | 15 | 94% |
| 59 | Theridiid spider Cryptachaea blattea | 15 | 83% |
| 60 | Heser nilicola | 14 | 44% |
When are spiders out in Los Angeles County?
Observation records of spiders in Los Angeles County run through most of the year, peaking in October with 14% of them; across California the peak is April.
What stands out in Los Angeles County
Species for which Los Angeles County holds a large share of all California records: the corner funnel weaver, 89% (277 of 310); the common house spider, 88% (174 of 197); the northern yellow sac spider, 87% (203 of 234); Metepeira crassipes, 78% (29 of 37); Habronattus schlingeri, 78% (49 of 63); Urozelotes rusticus, 74% (37 of 50); the tent cobweb weaver, 74% (25 of 34); Anyphaena californica, 73% (30 of 41).
Common in California, not on the Los Angeles County list
Among the snakes most recorded across California, these do not reach the county list: the western terrestrial garter snake (21,830 statewide) and the aquatic garter snake (3,727 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Los Angeles County
No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for California under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the southern watersnake. 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 and the long-nosed snake. 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. Recluse spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the longbodied cellar spider.
Los Angeles County among California counties
By licensed snake records Los Angeles County ranks 9th 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.