Arizona snakes: ID chart

Arizona Black Rattlesnake

Crotalus cerberus

Venomous

This snake is found across the central mountains of the state from below the Colorado River in northwestern …

Black-tailed Rattlesnake

Crotalus molossus

Venomous

This snake is found across nearly all of southern Arizona.

Massasauga

Sistrurus catenatus

Venomous

This snake’s range appears to be shrinking in Arizona.

Mohave Rattlesnake

Crotalus scutulatus

Venomous

This snake is found across most of western and southern Arizona at elevations ranging from near sea level …

Prairie Rattlesnake

Crotalus viridis

Venomous

This snake is distributed across the plateaus of northeastern Arizona south and east of the Colorado River.

Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake

Crotalus willardi

Venomous

This snake is found in many of the “sky island” mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona above 4000′ and below …

Rock Rattlesnake

Crotalus lepidus

Venomous

This snake inhabits many of the “sky island” ranges of southeastern Arizona including the Chiricahua …

Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes

Venomous

This snake is distributed across the low deserts of western and southwestern Arizona at elevations ranging …

Sonoran Coralsnake

Micruroides euryxanthus

Venomous

This snake is found across most of the southern portion of the state below approximately 6,000′ elevation.

Speckled Rattlesnake

Crotalus mitchellii

Venomous

This snake is distributed across western and southwestern Arizona at elevations ranging from just above sea …

Tiger Rattlesnake

Crotalus tigris

Venomous

This snake is found in central, south-central, and extreme southeastern Arizona at elevations ranging from …

Twin-spotted Rattlesnake

Crotalus pricei

Venomous

This snake is found in the Chiricahua, Pinaleño, Huachuca, and Santa Rita “sky island” mountain ranges of …

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

Crotalus atrox

Venomous

This snake is distributed across all of southern and most of western Arizona.

Western Rattlesnake

Crotalus oreganus

Venomous

This snake is found in extreme northwestern Arizona.

Brown Vinesnake

Oxybelis aeneus

Mildly venomous

This snake has an enormous range extending from South America through Mexico and into extreme south-central …

Chihuahuan Black-headed Snake

Tantilla wilcoxi

Mildly venomous

This snake is known from the Santa Rita, Patagonia, and Huachuca mountains of southeastern Arizona.

Chihuahuan Nightsnake

Hypsiglena jani

Mildly venomous

This snake is distributed across the southern portion of the Colorado Plateau in northeastern Arizona and in …

Desert Nightsnake

Hypsiglena chlorophaea

Mildly venomous

This snake is distributed across most of western and southern Arizona and across the northern borderlands.

Hooded Nightsnake

Hypsiglena sp. nov.

Mildly venomous

This snake is distributed across most of Cochise County, Santa Cruz County, and southeastern Pima County at …

Mexican Hog-nosed Snake

Heterodon kennerlyi

Mildly venomous

This snake is found in the valleys of southeastern Arizona at elevations ranging from ca.

Plains Black-headed Snake

Tantilla nigriceps

Mildly venomous

This snake is found in the valleys of southeastern Arizona at elevations ranging from 3,200′ to about 6,000′.

Ring-necked Snake

Diadophis punctatus

Mildly venomous

This snake is distributed across much of central Arizona and nearly all of southeastern Arizona.

Smith’s Black-headed Snake

Tantilla hobartsmithi

Mildly venomous

This snake is found across southeastern Arizona and sub-Mogollon Rim central Arizona at elevations ranging …

Sonoran Lyresnake

Trimorphodon lambda

Mildly venomous

This snake is found across nearly all of southern Arizona and is likely found in most ranges in the western …

Yaqui Black-headed Snake

Tantilla yaquia

Mildly venomous

This snake is known from the Canelo Hills and the Pajarito, Atascosa, Santa Rita, Mule, Chiricahua …

Banded Sandsnake

Chilomeniscus cinctus

Not stated

HDMS counties: Cochise, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma

Black-necked Gartersnake

Thamnophis cyrtopsis

Non-venomous

This snake is found across southeastern and central Arizona.

Brahminy Blindsnake

Indotyphlops braminus

Not stated

California Kingsnake

Lampropeltis californiae

Not stated

HDMS counties: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima …

Checkered Gartersnake

Thamnophis marcianus

Non-venomous

This snake is found across the valleys of southeastern Arizona.

Chihuahuan Hook-nosed Snake

Gyalopion canum

Non-venomous

This snake occurs in the foothills, bajadas, and valleys of southeastern Arizona at elevations below …

Coachwhip

Coluber flagellum

Non-venomous

This snake is f ound across all of western and southern Arizona at elevations ranging from just above sea …

Common Kingsnake

Lampropeltis getula

Non-venomous

This snake is found across most of the state.

Desert Kingsnake

Lampropeltis splendida

Not stated

HDMS counties: Cochise, Graham, Pima, Santa Cruz

Eastern Patch-nosed Snake

Salvadora grahamiae

Non-venomous

This snake is found in the sky island ranges of southeastern Arizona and in the higher ranges below the …

Glossy Snake

Arizona elegans

Non-venomous

In Arizona this snake is found across the northeastern plateaus, the southwestern and western deserts, and …

Gophersnake

Pituophis catenifer

Non-venomous

This snake is found in nearly every part of the state.

Green Ratsnake

Senticolis triaspis

Non-venomous

This snake is found in the Baboquivari, Pajarito, Atascosa, Santa Rita, Empire, Patagonia, Chiricahua …

Groundsnake

Sonora semiannulata

Not stated

This snake is distributed across western and most of southern Arizona at elevations ranging from near sea …

Long-nosed Snake

Rhinocheilus lecontei

Non-venomous

This common and widespread snake is found across the flatlands and valleys of southern and western Arizona at …

Madrean Mountain Kingsnake

Lampropeltis knoblochi

Not stated

HDMS counties: Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz

Mexican Gartersnake

Thamnophis eques

Non-venomous

This snake is now absent from much of its historic range in Arizona.

Milksnake

Lampropeltis triangulum

Non-venomous

This snake is distributed across a large portion of the state’s northeastern plateau region and a small …

Narrow-headed Gartersnake

Thamnophis rufipunctatus

Non-venomous

This snake is found along and below central Arizona’s Mogollon Rim at elevations ranging from ca.

New Mexico Threadsnake

Leptotyphlops dissectus

Non-venomous

This snake is found in the southeastern corner of the state at elevations ranging from about 2,800′ to over …

North American Racer

Coluber constrictor

Non-venomous

Only one North American Racer has been documented in Arizona.

Resplendent Shovel-nosed Snake

Chionactis annulata

Not stated

HDMS counties: La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma

Rosy Boa

Lichanura roseofusca

Not stated

HDMS counties: La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma

Rosy Boa

Lichanura trivirgata

Non-venomous

This snake is found in western, southwestern, and south central Arizona at elevations ranging from near sea …

Saddled Leaf-nosed Snake

Phyllorhynchus browni

Non-venomous

This snake is found in south-central Arizona at elevations ranging from about 1,000′ to ca.

Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake

Lampropeltis pyromelana

Non-venomous

In Arizona this snake is found at elevations ranging from 3,000′ to 9,000′.

Sonoran Shovel-nosed Snake

Chionactis palarostris

Not stated

In Arizona this snake is found only in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument of western Pima County.

Sonoran Whipsnake

Coluber bilineatus

Non-venomous

This snake is found in most of the sub-Mogollon Rim mountain ranges of south-central and southeastern Arizona …

Southern Watersnake

Nerodia fasciata

Not stated

Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake

Phyllorhynchus decurtatus

Non-venomous

This snake is distributed across Arizona’s western and southwestern deserts at elevations ranging from just …

Striped Whipsnake

Coluber taeniatus

Non-venomous

This snake is an inhabitant of Arizona’s northern plateaus and central mountains.

Terrestrial Gartersnake

Thamnophis elegans

Non-venomous

This snake is found across most of northern and northeastern Arizona.

Thornscrub Brown Vinesnake

Oxybelis microphthalmus

Not stated

HDMS counties: Pima, Santa Cruz

Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake

Gyalopion quadrangulare

Non-venomous

This snake only enters Arizona in a small portion of Santa Cruz County near the border with Mexico.

Variable Sandsnake

Chilomeniscus stramineus

Not stated

This snake is found across most of south-central Arizona.

Western Patch-nosed Snake

Salvadora hexalepis

Non-venomous

This snake is found across all of southern Arizona below the Mogollon Rim, the western edge of the state, and …

Western Shovel-nosed Snake

Chionactis occipitalis

Not stated

This snake is found in the low deserts of western and south-central Arizona at elevations ranging from near …

Western Threadsnake

Leptotyphlops humilis

Non-venomous

This snake is found across western and southern Arizona at elevations ranging from just above sea level near …