Venomous snakes in Arizona

Venomous snakes living in Arizona

13species

Western diamondback rattlesnake, Western rattlesnake, Prairie rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Mojave rattlesnake, Black-tailed rattlesnake, Speckled rattlesnake, Rock rattlesnake, Tiger rattlesnake, Twin-spotted rattlesnake, Ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Western massasauga, Sonoran coral snake. A bite from any of these is a medical emergency.

How to recognize them

Western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox

Gray to tan with dusty diamond blotches
Black and white bands of equal width just before the rattle
Two pale stripes on the face

Western rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus

Brown, gray or olive with darker blotches down the back
Blotches turn to bands toward the rattle
Pale line from behind the eye to the jaw

Prairie rattlesnake Crotalus viridis

Greenish gray to brown with dark blotches down the back
Blotches narrow into bands near the tail
Two pale lines on the side of the face

Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes

Small rattlesnake with a raised horn-like scale over each eye
Pale sand color with faint blotches
Moves sideways and leaves J-shaped tracks

Mojave rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus

Greenish to tan with diamonds that have clean pale edges
White tail bands wider than the black ones
Pale stripe behind the eye ends above the corner of the mouth

Black-tailed rattlesnake Crotalus molossus

Solid black tail before the rattle
Olive, yellow or greenish body with dark diamond patches
Black mask across the snout

Speckled rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii

Speckled, granite-like look that matches the local rock
Color runs from cream to pink, gray or brown
Faint bands, sharper near the tail

Rock rattlesnake Crotalus lepidus

Small rattlesnake with crisp dark crossbands
Gray, bluish or pinkish body that matches limestone or granite
Rattle on the tail

Tiger rattlesnake Crotalus tigris

Gray to pinkish body with thin dark crossbands like a tiger
Very small head for its body
Rattle on the tail

Twin-spotted rattlesnake Crotalus pricei

Paired dark spots down the back
Gray to brownish body
Small rattle

Ridge-nosed rattlesnake Crotalus willardi

Raised ridge along the edge of the snout
White stripes on the face
Reddish brown with thin pale crossbars

Western massasauga Sistrurus tergeminus

Pale gray with dark brown blotches down the back
Small rattle
Nine large plates on top of the head

Sonoran coral snake Micruroides euryxanthus

Wide red and black rings separated by narrow white or pale yellow rings
Black head
Pencil-thin body

Every venomous snake species known from the US is on this site.

Counties with records

None recorded
1 species
2
3 to 4
5 or more

Venomous snakes with open GBIF records, by county: 15 counties so far. Blank does not mean absent.

Active months

Open records of venomous snakes in Arizona by month; most fall in July to September.

Harmless snakes people mistake for them

Rattlesnake vs Gopher Snake Gopher snake: harmless

Quick answers

Questions

How many venomous snakes are in Arizona?

13 species live in the state: Western diamondback rattlesnake, Western rattlesnake, Prairie rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Mojave rattlesnake, Black-tailed rattlesnake, Speckled rattlesnake, Rock rattlesnake, Tiger rattlesnake, Twin-spotted rattlesnake, Ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Western massasauga and Sonoran coral snake.

Which venomous snakes in Arizona are dangerous?

Western diamondback rattlesnake, Western rattlesnake, Prairie rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Mojave rattlesnake, Black-tailed rattlesnake, Speckled rattlesnake, Rock rattlesnake, Tiger rattlesnake, Twin-spotted rattlesnake, Ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Western massasauga and Sonoran coral snake: a bite is a medical emergency.

When are venomous snakes most active in Arizona?

Most open records fall in July to September.

Which harmless snakes get mistaken for venomous ones in Arizona?

Gopher snake. See the side-by-side comparisons below.