Snakes and spiders in Pinal County, Arizona
Pinal County, home of Florence, has 27 snake and 9 spider species on record, from 1,410 licensed snake and 228 spider records. Venomous species here: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the sidewinder, the Mohave rattlesnake, the tiger rattlesnake, the Sonoran coralsnake, the black-tailed rattlesnake, the Arizona black rattlesnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Pinal County?
Yes. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 146 licensed records, 8% of all Arizona records of it. The sidewinder: 105 licensed records, 12% of all Arizona records of it. The Mohave rattlesnake: 80 licensed records, 6% of all Arizona records of it. The tiger rattlesnake: 29 licensed records, 9% of all Arizona records of it. The Sonoran coralsnake: 24 licensed records, 7% of all Arizona records of it. The black-tailed rattlesnake: 19 licensed records, 3% of all Arizona records of it. The Arizona black rattlesnake: 12 licensed records, 5% of all Arizona records of it. The western black widow: 8 licensed records, 3% of all Arizona records of it.
What snakes are in Pinal County?
In all, 27 snake species are on the Pinal County list. The most recorded are the long-nosed snake (179), the western diamondback rattlesnake (146) and the sidewinder (105).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Arizona records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 179 | 13% |
| 2 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 146 | 8% |
| 3 | Sidewinder venomous Crotalus cerastes | 105 | 12% |
| 4 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 100 | 7% |
| 5 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 86 | 12% |
| 6 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 80 | 6% |
| 7 | Western shovel-nosed snake Sonora occipitalis | 69 | 35% |
| 8 | Western patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis | 66 | 8% |
| 9 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | 51 | 8% |
| 10 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | 44 | 8% |
| 11 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | 38 | 6% |
| 12 | Colorado desert shovel-nosed snake Chionactis annulata | 37 | 17% |
| 13 | Sand snake Sonora straminea | 32 | 13% |
| 14 | Maricopa leafnose snake Phyllorhynchus browni | 30 | 8% |
| 15 | Sonoran lyre snake Trimorphodon lambda | 29 | 7% |
| 16 | Tiger rattlesnake venomous Crotalus tigris | 29 | 9% |
| 17 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | 28 | 15% |
| 18 | Sonoran coralsnake venomous Micruroides euryxanthus | 24 | 7% |
| 19 | Sonoran whipsnake Masticophis bilineatus | 23 | 4% |
| 20 | Spotted leaf-nosed snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus | 22 | 6% |
| 21 | Black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus molossus | 19 | 3% |
| 22 | Western threadsnake Rena humilis | 16 | 4% |
| 23 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 14 | 2% |
| 24 | Arizona black rattlesnake venomous Crotalus cerberus | 12 | 5% |
| 25 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 10 | 4% |
| 26 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 8 | 4% |
| 27 | Desert nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea | 5 | 4% |
When are snakes out in Pinal County?
Observation records of snakes in Pinal County run mostly March through September, peaking in September with 39% of them; across Arizona the peak is August.
What spiders are in Pinal County?
In all, 9 spider species are on the Pinal County list. The most recorded are the desert blond tarantula (18), the western black widow (8) and the western spotted orbweaver (7).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Arizona records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert blond tarantula Aphonopelma chalcodes | 18 | 5% |
| 2 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 8 | 3% |
| 3 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 7 | 5% |
| 4 | Carolina wolf spider Hogna carolinensis | 4 | 5% |
| 5 | Giant crab spider Olios giganteus | 3 | 2% |
| 6 | Syspira longipes | 2 | 12% |
| 7 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 1 | 5% |
| 8 | Dictis striatipes | — | — |
| 9 | Phidippus californicus | — | — |
When are spiders out in Pinal County?
Observation records of spiders in Pinal County run mostly March through November, peaking in August with 17% of them, the same peak as Arizona as a whole.
What stands out in Pinal County
Species for which Pinal County holds a large share of all Arizona records: the western shovel-nosed snake, 35% (69 of 195); the Colorado desert shovel-nosed snake, 17% (37 of 223); the southwestern blackhead snake, 15% (28 of 183).
Common in Arizona, not on the Pinal County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Arizona, these do not reach the county list: the western terrestrial garter snake (728 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 Arizona, these do not reach the county list: the green lynx spider (73 statewide), Phidippus carneus (66 statewide), the Koch's wolf spider (63 statewide), Camptocosa parallela (49 statewide), Habronattus clypeatus (49 statewide) and the shoreline wolf spider (46 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Pinal County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake. Coral snakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the long-nosed snake.
Pinal County among Arizona counties
By licensed snake records Pinal County ranks 4th of 15 Arizona counties with any.
Other Arizona counties with their own page: Pima County, Cochise County, Maricopa County, Santa Cruz County, Yavapai County, Coconino County, Yuma County and Graham 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.