Snakes and spiders in Graham County, Arizona
Graham County, home of Safford, has 17 snake and 2 spider species on record, from 562 licensed snake and 82 spider records. Venomous species here: the Mohave rattlesnake, the western diamondback rattlesnake, the black-tailed rattlesnake, the Arizona black rattlesnake and the twin-spotted rattlesnake.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Graham County?
Yes. The Mohave rattlesnake: 58 licensed records, 4% of all Arizona records of it. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 43 licensed records, 2% of all Arizona records of it. The black-tailed rattlesnake: 27 licensed records, 4% of all Arizona records of it. The Arizona black rattlesnake: 25 licensed records, 11% of all Arizona records of it. The twin-spotted rattlesnake: 17 licensed records, 11% of all Arizona records of it.
What snakes are in Graham County?
In all, 17 snake species are on the Graham County list. The most recorded are the Mohave rattlesnake (58), the gopher snake (44) and the blackneck garter snake (43).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Arizona records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 58 | 4% |
| 2 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 44 | 3% |
| 3 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 43 | 6% |
| 4 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 43 | 2% |
| 5 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 42 | 6% |
| 6 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | 36 | 6% |
| 7 | Sonoran whipsnake Masticophis bilineatus | 36 | 7% |
| 8 | Black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus molossus | 27 | 4% |
| 9 | Western patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis | 27 | 3% |
| 10 | Arizona black rattlesnake venomous Crotalus cerberus | 25 | 11% |
| 11 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 21 | 2% |
| 12 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 19 | 3% |
| 13 | Twin-spotted rattlesnake venomous Crotalus pricei | 17 | 11% |
| 14 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 15 | 2% |
| 15 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | 9 | 5% |
| 16 | Sonoran lyre snake Trimorphodon lambda | 8 | 2% |
| 17 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 6 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Graham County?
Observation records of snakes in Graham County run mostly April through September, peaking in August with 49% of them, the same peak as Arizona as a whole.
Common in Arizona, not on the Graham County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Arizona, these do not reach the county list: the sidewinder (875 statewide) and the western ground snake (638 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Graham County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, but the Sonoran coralsnake is on the Arizona list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the long-nosed snake.
Graham County among Arizona counties
By licensed snake records Graham County ranks 9th 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.