Snakes in Arizona
Arizona has 60 snake species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 20,660 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the western diamondback rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake and the gopher snake. 14 of them are venomous.
Rattlesnakes in Arizona
Rattlesnakes dominate the snake record of Arizona: 13 species and 31% of all records. The most recorded is the western diamondback rattlesnake (1,790), ahead of the Mohave rattlesnake (1,417).
Plus one: Ridge-nosed rattlesnake.
Observation records of the western diamondback rattlesnake in Arizona run mostly March through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Pima County, Cochise County and Maricopa County. Observation records of the Mohave rattlesnake in Arizona run mostly July through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Cochise County, Maricopa County and Pima County. Observation records of the sidewinder in Arizona run mostly April through September, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Maricopa County, Pima County and Yuma County.
Coral snakes in Arizona
One species of this group is listed for Arizona: the Sonoran coralsnake, with 359 records (2% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the Sonoran coralsnake in Arizona run mostly May through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Pima County, Cochise County and Maricopa County.
Water snakes and swamp snakes in Arizona
One species of this group is listed for Arizona: the southern watersnake, with 119 records (0.6% of the state's snake records).
Most licensed records of the southern watersnake in Arizona come from Yuma County.
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes in Arizona
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes: five species are listed for Arizona, with 2,258 records (11% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the blackneck garter snake (758), ahead of the western terrestrial garter snake (728).
Observation records of the blackneck garter snake in Arizona run mostly July through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Pima County, Cochise County and Santa Cruz County. Observation records of the western terrestrial garter snake in Arizona run mostly April through October, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Coconino County, Apache County and Gila County. Observation records of the checkered garter snake in Arizona run mostly June through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Cochise County, Pima County and Maricopa County.
Rat snakes and corn snakes in Arizona
One species of this group is listed for Arizona: the green rat snake, with 51 records (0.2% of the state's snake records).
Most licensed records of the green rat snake in Arizona come from Cochise County, Santa Cruz County and Pima County.
Kingsnakes and milksnakes in Arizona
Kingsnakes and milksnakes are a small part of the snake record here: five species with 3% of records between them. The most recorded is the California kingsnake (252), ahead of the Sonoran mountain kingsnake (149).
Observation records of the California kingsnake in Arizona run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Maricopa County, Pima County and Yavapai County. Most licensed records of the Sonoran mountain kingsnake in Arizona come from Cochise County, Yavapai County and Coconino County. Observation records of the desert kingsnake in Arizona run mostly April through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Cochise County, Pima County and Santa Cruz County.
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes in Arizona
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes: six species are listed for Arizona, with 2,361 records (11% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the western patch-nosed snake (835), ahead of the coachwhip (621).
Observation records of the western patch-nosed snake in Arizona run mostly March through November, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Pima County, Cochise County and Maricopa County. Observation records of the coachwhip in Arizona run mostly March through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Pima County, Maricopa County and Cochise County. Observation records of the Sonoran whipsnake in Arizona run mostly April through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Cochise County, Pima County and Santa Cruz County.
Gopher snakes, bullsnakes and pine snakes in Arizona
One species of this group is listed for Arizona: the gopher snake, with 1,413 records (7% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the gopher snake in Arizona run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Cochise County, Pima County and Maricopa County.
Hognose snakes in Arizona
Hognose snakes are a small part of the snake record here: two species with 0.5% of records between them. The most recorded is the plains hog-nosed snake (72), ahead of the Mexican hog-nose snake (24).
Most licensed records of the plains hog-nosed snake in Arizona come from Cochise County, Graham County and Santa Cruz County.
Small woodland and burrowing snakes in Arizona
Small woodland and burrowing snakes dominate the snake record of Arizona: 22 species and 27% of all records. The most recorded is the long-nosed snake (1,385), ahead of the glossy snake (717).
Plus ten: Desert nightsnake, Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake, Plains black-headed snake, Yaqui black-headed snake, Desert hooknose snake, Chihuahuan black-headed snake, Brahminy blindsnake, Sonoran shovel-nosed snake, Texas blind snake, Chihuahuan night snake.
Observation records of the long-nosed snake in Arizona run mostly April through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Pima County, Cochise County and Maricopa County. Observation records of the glossy snake in Arizona run mostly May through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Pima County, Maricopa County and Pinal County. Observation records of the western ground snake in Arizona run mostly March through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Maricopa County, Yuma County and Pima County.
Boas and pythons in Arizona
Boas and pythons are a small part of the snake record here: two species with 0.2% of records between them. The most recorded is the rosy boa (32), ahead of the northern three-lined boa (1).
Most licensed records of the rosy boa in Arizona come from Pima County, Yavapai County and Yuma County.
Other snakes in Arizona
One species of this group is listed for Arizona: the brown vinesnake, with 23 records (0.1% of the state's snake records).
Where in Arizona are snakes recorded most?
Pima County dominates: 27% of the state's licensed snake records come from it alone, and the top five counties hold 75%. 15 of Arizona's 15 counties have at least one licensed snake record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pima County | 5,525 | 26.7% |
| 2 | Cochise County | 4,159 | 20.1% |
| 3 | Maricopa County | 3,155 | 15.3% |
| 4 | Pinal County | 1,410 | 6.8% |
| 5 | Santa Cruz County | 1,154 | 5.6% |
| 6 | Yavapai County | 1,045 | 5.1% |
| 7 | Coconino County | 1,017 | 4.9% |
| 8 | Yuma County | 870 | 4.2% |
| 9 | Graham County | 562 | 2.7% |
| 10 | Mohave County | 421 | 2.0% |
| 11 | Gila County | 414 | 2.0% |
| 12 | Apache County | 376 | 1.8% |
When do snakes come out in Arizona?
Observation records of snakes in Arizona run mostly April through October, peaking in August with 29% of them. December through February together hold under 2% of the records, so snakes in Arizona are rarely recorded in winter. The sharpest rise comes from June to July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 0% | 4% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 17% | 29% | 14% | 4% | 1% | 1% |
Snakes: Arizona compared with its neighbors
Arizona ranks 2nd of 50 states by the number of snake species listed; Texas leads with 86 species.
Arizona lists more snake species than any state it borders (Arizona: 60 species; New Mexico 56, California 46, Utah 28, Nevada 27, Colorado 26).
What snakes are in Arizona? All 60 species
Ranked by licensed records in Arizona. Species with a profile page are linked.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | Viperidae | 1,790 | 8.7% |
| 2 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | Viperidae | 1,417 | 6.9% |
| 3 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | Colubridae | 1,413 | 6.8% |
| 4 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | Colubridae | 1,385 | 6.7% |
| 5 | Sidewinder venomous Crotalus cerastes | Viperidae | 875 | 4.2% |
| 6 | Western patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis | Colubridae | 835 | 4.0% |
| 7 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | Colubridae | 758 | 3.7% |
| 8 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | Colubridae | 728 | 3.5% |
| 9 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | Colubridae | 717 | 3.5% |
| 10 | Black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus molossus | Viperidae | 714 | 3.5% |
| 11 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | Colubridae | 638 | 3.1% |
| 12 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | Colubridae | 621 | 3.0% |
| 13 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | Colubridae | 557 | 2.7% |
| 14 | Sonoran whipsnake Masticophis bilineatus | Colubridae | 549 | 2.7% |
| 15 | Sonoran lyre snake Trimorphodon lambda | Colubridae | 422 | 2.0% |
| 16 | Maricopa leafnose snake Phyllorhynchus browni | Colubridae | 377 | 1.8% |
| 17 | Western threadsnake Rena humilis | Leptotyphlopidae | 375 | 1.8% |
| 18 | Spotted leaf-nosed snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus | Colubridae | 365 | 1.8% |
| 19 | Sonoran coralsnake venomous Micruroides euryxanthus | Elapidae | 359 | 1.7% |
| 20 | Tiger rattlesnake venomous Crotalus tigris | Viperidae | 335 | 1.6% |
| 21 | Prairie rattlesnake venomous Crotalus viridis | Viperidae | 330 | 1.6% |
| 22 | Sand snake Sonora straminea | Colubridae | 254 | 1.2% |
| 23 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | Colubridae | 252 | 1.2% |
| 24 | Arizona black rattlesnake venomous Crotalus cerberus | Viperidae | 225 | 1.1% |
| 25 | Colorado desert shovel-nosed snake Chionactis annulata | Colubridae | 223 | 1.1% |
| 26 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | Colubridae | 196 | 0.9% |
| 27 | Western shovel-nosed snake Sonora occipitalis | Colubridae | 195 | 0.9% |
| 28 | Southwestern speckled rattlesnake venomous Crotalus pyrrhus | Viperidae | 186 | 0.9% |
| 29 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | Colubridae | 183 | 0.9% |
| 30 | Rock rattlesnake venomous Crotalus lepidus | Viperidae | 161 | 0.8% |
| 31 | Twin-spotted rattlesnake venomous Crotalus pricei | Viperidae | 152 | 0.7% |
| 32 | Sonoran mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana | Colubridae | 149 | 0.7% |
| 33 | Eastern patch-nosed snake Salvadora grahamiae | Colubridae | 143 | 0.7% |
| 34 | Narrow-headed garter snake Thamnophis rufipunctatus | Colubridae | 127 | 0.6% |
| 35 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | Colubridae | 125 | 0.6% |
| 36 | Southern watersnake Nerodia fasciata | Colubridae | 119 | 0.6% |
| 37 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | Viperidae | 119 | 0.6% |
| 38 | Desert nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea | Colubridae | 113 | 0.5% |
| 39 | Desert kingsnake Lampropeltis splendida | Colubridae | 105 | 0.5% |
| 40 | Chihuahuan mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis knoblochi | Colubridae | 93 | 0.5% |
| 41 | Big Bend patch-nosed snake Salvadora deserticola | Colubridae | 88 | 0.4% |
| 42 | Mexican garter snake Thamnophis eques | Colubridae | 88 | 0.4% |
| 43 | Western massasauga venomous Sistrurus tergeminus | Viperidae | 80 | 0.4% |
| 44 | Plains hog-nosed snake Heterodon nasicus | Colubridae | 72 | 0.3% |
| 45 | Ridge-nosed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus willardi | Viperidae | 71 | 0.3% |
| 46 | Green rat snake Senticolis triaspis | Colubridae | 51 | 0.2% |
| 47 | Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake Gyalopion canum | Colubridae | 35 | 0.2% |
| 48 | Plains black-headed snake Tantilla nigriceps | Colubridae | 34 | 0.2% |
| 49 | Yaqui black-headed snake Tantilla yaquia | Colubridae | 34 | 0.2% |
| 50 | Rosy boa Lichanura trivirgata | Boidae | 32 | 0.2% |
| 51 | Desert hooknose snake Gyalopion quadrangulare | Colubridae | 28 | 0.1% |
| 52 | Mexican hog-nose snake Heterodon kennerlyi | Colubridae | 24 | 0.1% |
| 53 | Brown vinesnake Oxybelis aeneus | Colubridae | 23 | 0.1% |
| 54 | Chihuahuan black-headed snake Tantilla wilcoxi | Colubridae | 21 | 0.1% |
| 55 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | Typhlopidae | 19 | 0.1% |
| 56 | Sonoran shovel-nosed snake Sonora palarostris | Colubridae | 15 | 0.1% |
| 57 | Texas blind snake Rena dulcis | Leptotyphlopidae | 14 | 0.1% |
| 58 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | Colubridae | 10 | 0.0% |
| 59 | Chihuahuan night snake Hypsiglena jani | Colubridae | 5 | 0.0% |
| 60 | Northern three-lined boa Lichanura orcutti | Boidae | 1 | 0.0% |
Also recorded in Arizona, fewer than 10 times
Beyond the main list, six snake species are known from Arizona by only 3 to 9 records each. Some are genuine rarities at the edge of their range; others may be strays, released pets or old misidentifications, so treat them as unconfirmed.
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.