Snakes and spiders in Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County has 15 snake and 65 spider species on record, from 1,874 licensed snake and 1,848 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake, the western black widow and the brown widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Santa Clara County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 330 licensed records, 6% of all California records of it. The western black widow: 60 licensed records, 5% of all California records of it. The brown widow: 19 licensed records, 2% of all California records of it.
What snakes are in Santa Clara County?
In all, 15 snake species are on the Santa Clara County list. The most recorded are the gopher snake (496), the western rattlesnake (330) and the aquatic garter snake (183).
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 496 | 7% |
| 2 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 330 | 6% |
| 3 | Aquatic garter snake Thamnophis atratus | 183 | 5% |
| 4 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 170 | 3% |
| 5 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 166 | 9% |
| 6 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 129 | 5% |
| 7 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 101 | 0% |
| 8 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 97 | 8% |
| 9 | Sharp-tailed snake Contia tenuis | 66 | 7% |
| 10 | Striped racer Masticophis lateralis | 46 | 4% |
| 11 | California mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata | 26 | 5% |
| 12 | Northern rubber boa Charina bottae | 18 | 3% |
| 13 | Western black-headed snake Tantilla planiceps | 14 | 7% |
| 14 | Forest sharp-tailed snake Contia longicauda | 6 | 5% |
| 15 | Coast nightsnake Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus | 3 | 1% |
When are snakes out in Santa Clara County?
Observation records of snakes in Santa Clara County run mostly March through October, peaking in May with 22% of them, the same peak as California as a whole.
What spiders are in Santa Clara County?
In all, 65 spider species are on the Santa Clara County list. The most recorded are Steatoda nobilis (129), the western spotted orbweaver (101) and the western lynx spider (83). Santa Clara County holds more than half of all California records of Sergiolus columbianus and Phidippus kastoni.
| # | Species | Records | Share of California records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steatoda nobilis | 129 | 7% |
| 2 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 101 | 18% |
| 3 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 83 | 7% |
| 4 | Koch's wolf spider Alopecosa kochi | 72 | 7% |
| 5 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 68 | 3% |
| 6 | Buttonhook leafbeetle jumping spider Sassacus vitis | 67 | 8% |
| 7 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 60 | 5% |
| 8 | Dysdera crocata | 58 | 9% |
| 9 | Habronattus pyrrithrix | 56 | 7% |
| 10 | Marbled cellar spider Holocnemus pluchei | 49 | 6% |
| 11 | California turret spider Atypoides riversi | 48 | 12% |
| 12 | False black widow Steatoda grossa | 45 | 4% |
| 13 | Bay Area blonde Aphonopelma iodius | 42 | 13% |
| 14 | Johnson jumper Phidippus johnsoni | 37 | 4% |
| 15 | Zoropsid spider Zoropsis spinimana | 37 | 32% |
| 16 | Colonus hesperus | 34 | 5% |
| 17 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 31 | 10% |
| 18 | Garden spider Araneus diadematus | 29 | 6% |
| 19 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 29 | 7% |
| 20 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 28 | 4% |
| 21 | Gray house spider Badumna longinqua | 26 | 8% |
| 22 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 20 | 3% |
| 23 | Brown widow venomous introduced Latrodectus geometricus | 19 | 2% |
| 24 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 19 | 8% |
| 25 | Sergiolus columbianus | 18 | 78% |
| 26 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 16 | 6% |
| 27 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 16 | 11% |
| 28 | Phidippus kastoni | 16 | 52% |
| 29 | Cyclosa turbinata | 15 | 10% |
| 30 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | 15 | 4% |
| 31 | Half-edged wall jumping spider Menemerus semilimbatus | 14 | 1% |
| 32 | California funnel-web spider Calisoga longitarsis | 12 | 7% |
| 33 | Diaea livens | 9 | 21% |
| 34 | Oregon paradise jumping spider Habronattus oregonensis | 9 | 6% |
| 35 | Sierra dome spider Neriene litigiosa | 9 | 11% |
| 36 | McCook's split wolf spider Schizocosa mccooki | 8 | 4% |
| 37 | Attinella dorsata | 7 | 13% |
| 38 | Tuberculated crab spider Tmarus angulatus | 7 | 27% |
| 39 | Uloborus diversus | 7 | 4% |
| 40 | Heliophanus apiatus | 6 | 11% |
| 41 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | 6 | 3% |
| 42 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 5 | 6% |
| 43 | Bull-headed sac spider Trachelas pacificus | 5 | 3% |
| 44 | Hairy tufted jumping spider Phidippus comatus | 5 | 4% |
| 45 | Castianeira thalia | 4 | 10% |
| 46 | Cone-shaped orbweaver Cyclosa conica | 4 | 4% |
| 47 | Flatmesh weaver Oecobius navus | 4 | 2% |
| 48 | Hibana incursa | 4 | 5% |
| 49 | Metaphidippus manni | 4 | 5% |
| 50 | Mouse spider Scotophaeus blackwalli | 4 | 1% |
| 51 | Common house combfoot Theridion melanurum | 3 | 4% |
| 52 | Mecaphesa schlingeri | 3 | 6% |
| 53 | Northern orb weaver Aculepeira packardi | 3 | 8% |
| 54 | Pelegrina aeneola | 3 | 3% |
| 55 | Desert grass spider Agelenopsis aperta | 2 | 3% |
| 56 | Hirsute paradise spider Habronattus hirsutus | 2 | 1% |
| 57 | Northern yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium mildei | 2 | 1% |
| 58 | Proszynski's jumping spider Evarcha proszynskii | 2 | 5% |
| 59 | Schizocosa maxima | 2 | 8% |
| 60 | California red jumping spider Phidippus adumbratus | 1 | 1% |
When are spiders out in Santa Clara County?
Observation records of spiders in Santa Clara County run through most of the year, peaking in April with 13% of them, the same peak as California as a whole.
What stands out in Santa Clara County
Species for which Santa Clara County holds a large share of all California records: Sergiolus columbianus, 78% (18 of 23); Phidippus kastoni, 52% (16 of 31); the zoropsid spider, 32% (37 of 114); the western spotted orbweaver, 18% (101 of 566).
Common in California, not on the Santa Clara County list
Among the snakes most recorded across California, these do not reach the county list: the western aquatic garter snake (3,716 statewide), the sidewinder (1,923 statewide), the two-striped garter snake (1,620 statewide), the western shovel-nosed snake (1,482 statewide) and the glossy snake (1,425 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Santa Clara County
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. Widow spiders are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the false black widow. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the desert recluse is on the California list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider.
Santa Clara County among California counties
By licensed snake records Santa Clara County ranks 11th 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.