Snakes and spiders in Modoc County, California
Modoc County, home of Alturas, has 6 snake and 2 spider species on record, from 332 licensed snake and 59 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Modoc County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 7 licensed records, 0% of all California records of it.
What snakes are in Modoc County?
In all, 6 snake species are on the Modoc County list. The most recorded are the western terrestrial garter snake (177), the common garter snake (78) and the eastern racer (37).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 177 | 1% |
| 2 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 78 | 1% |
| 3 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 37 | 3% |
| 4 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 21 | 0% |
| 5 | Northern rubber boa Charina bottae | 8 | 1% |
| 6 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 7 | 0% |
Common in California, not on the Modoc County list
Among the snakes most recorded across California, these do not reach the county list: the aquatic garter snake (3,727 statewide), the western aquatic garter snake (3,716 statewide), the California kingsnake (2,675 statewide), the sidewinder (1,923 statewide), the ring-necked snake (1,797 statewide) and the two-striped garter snake (1,620 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Modoc County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake.
Modoc County among California counties
By licensed snake records Modoc County ranks 39th 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.