Snakes and spiders in Apache County, Arizona
Apache County, home of St. Johns, has 8 snake and 4 spider species on record, from 376 licensed snake and 369 spider records. Venomous species here: the prairie rattlesnake, the Arizona black rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Apache County?
Yes. The prairie rattlesnake: 89 licensed records, 27% of all Arizona records of it. The Arizona black rattlesnake: 4 licensed records, 2% of all Arizona records of it. The western black widow: 4 licensed records, 1% of all Arizona records of it.
What snakes are in Apache County?
In all, 8 snake species are on the Apache County list. The most recorded are the western terrestrial garter snake (185), the prairie rattlesnake (89) and the gopher snake (43).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Arizona records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 185 | 25% |
| 2 | Prairie rattlesnake venomous Crotalus viridis | 89 | 27% |
| 3 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 43 | 3% |
| 4 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 15 | 2% |
| 5 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 14 | 11% |
| 6 | Arizona black rattlesnake venomous Crotalus cerberus | 4 | 2% |
| 7 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 1 | 0% |
| 8 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | — | — |
What spiders are in Apache County?
In all, 4 spider species are on the Apache County list. The most recorded are the western black widow (4) and Disembolus stridulans (1). Apache County holds more than half of all Arizona records of Disembolus stridulans.
Genus Disembolus, species not shown
Genus Disembolus, species not shown| # | Species | Records | Share of Arizona records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 4 | 1% |
| 2 | Disembolus stridulans | 1 | 100% |
| 3 | Arizona black Aphonopelma marxi | — | — |
| 4 | Disembolus alpha | — | — |
What stands out in Apache County
Species for which Apache County holds a large share of all Arizona records: the prairie rattlesnake, 27% (89 of 330); the western terrestrial garter snake, 25% (185 of 728).
Common in Arizona, not on the Apache County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Arizona, these do not reach the county list: the western diamondback rattlesnake (1,790 statewide), the Mohave rattlesnake (1,417 statewide), the long-nosed snake (1,385 statewide), the sidewinder (875 statewide), the western patch-nosed snake (835 statewide) and the blackneck garter snake (758 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Apache County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake.
Apache County among Arizona counties
By licensed snake records Apache County ranks 12th of 15 Arizona counties with any.
Other Arizona counties with their own page: Pima County, Cochise County, Maricopa County, Pinal County, Santa Cruz County, Yavapai County, Coconino County and Yuma County.
The whole state: venomous species in Arizona, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.