Arizona black rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus)
The Arizona black rattlesnake is a venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. GBIF holds 226 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 2 states, most of all Arizona (225) and New Mexico (1). Its observation records peak in August.
Crotalus cerberus is a venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States. It is known as the Arizona black rattlesnake, black rattlesnake, and several other common names.
From Wikipedia: Crotalus cerberus, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is the Arizona black rattlesnake poisonous or venomous?
Yes. The Arizona black rattlesnake is a pit viper (family Viperidae), like every rattlesnake, copperhead and cottonmouth in the U.S. Its bite needs emergency care: call 911 and keep the bitten limb still. Antivenom is given in hospital.
Snakes often mistaken for it
Species commonly confused with rattlesnakes and recorded in the same states: gopher snake (recorded in all 2 of its states), plains hog-nosed snake (recorded in all 2 of its states) and Great Plains rat snake (recorded in 1 of its 2 states).
Which states have the Arizona black rattlesnake?
The Arizona black rattlesnake's U.S. record is concentrated: Arizona alone holds 100% of licensed records. It is listed in 2 states in all; the next are New Mexico (1).
| # | State | Records | Share of state snakes | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | 225 | 1.1% | 24th of 60 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 1 | 0.0% | 55th of 56 |
When is the Arizona black rattlesnake seen?
Across the U.S., observation records of the Arizona black rattlesnake run mostly April through September, peaking in August with 32% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 3% of them.
How recent are the Arizona black rattlesnake records?
The Arizona black rattlesnake record leans on older material: only 16% of dated U.S. records come from 2017–2026, and the median record is from 1969. The oldest dated record is from 1910; the busiest year was 1931, with 15 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 3 | 1.9% |
| 1920s | 3 | 1.9% |
| 1930s | 30 | 18.5% |
| 1940s | 3 | 1.9% |
| 1950s | 12 | 7.4% |
| 1960s | 37 | 22.8% |
| 1970s | 9 | 5.6% |
| 1980s | 6 | 3.7% |
| 1990s | 5 | 3.1% |
| 2000s | 21 | 13.0% |
| 2010s | 16 | 9.9% |
| 2020s | 17 | 10.5% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 12 counties where the Arizona black rattlesnake is most recorded, 12 are also top counties for each of the first five snakes in the table below; no other snake shares more.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Blackneck garter snake | 12 |
| Glossy snake | 12 |
| Gopher snake | 12 |
| Prairie rattlesnake venomous | 12 |
| Ring-necked snake | 12 |
| Black-tailed rattlesnake venomous | 11 |
| Sonoran whipsnake | 11 |
| California kingsnake | 10 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other species of the genus Crotalus with profiles here: Western rattlesnake, Western diamondback rattlesnake, Prairie rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Timber rattlesnake, Mohave rattlesnake, Red diamond rattlesnake and Black-tailed rattlesnake.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.