Snakes and spiders in Okanogan County, Washington
Okanogan County, home of Okanogan, has 6 snake and 7 spider species on record, from 740 licensed snake and 29 spider records. Venomous species here: the western rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Okanogan County?
Yes. The western rattlesnake: 673 licensed records, 78% of all Washington records of it. The western black widow: 3 licensed records, 12% of all Washington records of it.
What snakes are in Okanogan County?
In all, 6 snake species are on the Okanogan County list. The most recorded are the western rattlesnake (673), the western terrestrial garter snake (21) and the gopher snake (14). Okanogan County holds more than half of all Washington records of the western rattlesnake.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Washington records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | 673 | 78% |
| 2 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 21 | 4% |
| 3 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 14 | 6% |
| 4 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | 12 | 8% |
| 5 | Northern rubber boa Charina bottae | 5 | 4% |
| 6 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 4 | 0% |
What spiders are in Okanogan County?
In all, 7 spider species are on the Okanogan County list. The most recorded are the western lynx spider (4), the Johnson jumper (3) and the western black widow (3).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Washington records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 4 | 18% |
| 2 | Johnson jumper Phidippus johnsoni | 3 | 6% |
| 3 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 3 | 12% |
| 4 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 1 | 1% |
| 5 | California flattened jumping spider Platycryptus californicus | 1 | 2% |
| 6 | Cat-faced spider Araneus gemmoides | 1 | 6% |
| 7 | Goldenrod crab spider Misumena vatia | 1 | 0% |
What stands out in Okanogan County
Species for which Okanogan County holds a large share of all Washington records: the western rattlesnake, 78% (673 of 859).
Common in Washington, not on the Okanogan County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Washington, these do not reach the county list: the northwestern garter snake (1,326 statewide), the sharp-tailed snake (27 statewide), the California mountain kingsnake (9 statewide), the ring-necked snake (5 statewide) and the desert nightsnake (3 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 Washington, these do not reach the county list: the garden spider (785 statewide), the zebra spider (226 statewide), the giant house spider (179 statewide), the sierra dome spider (129 statewide), the Eurasian running crab spider (118 statewide) and the Nearctic white-striped running crab spider (91 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Okanogan County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake.
Okanogan County among Washington counties
By licensed snake records Okanogan County ranks 1st of 39 Washington counties with any.
Other Washington counties with their own page: King County and Pierce County.
The whole state: venomous species in Washington, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.