Snakes in Arizona

Most of the snakes in Arizona dwell in the southern region. Arizona has approximately 52 snake species crawling throughout the deserts, grasslands and woodlands, and it has more rattlesnake species than any other state.

  1. Boas

    • Arizona is home to boas, a non-venomous snake. Their habitats span across the western, south central and southwest regions of Arizona, including the interior Chaparral and Sonoran Desert scrub sections. The rosy boa is a part of the boidae family and grows up to 37 inches in length. It may have a gray, tan or cream body with three stripes of dark brown, orange, black or brownish-red.

    Coral Snakes

    • Coral snakes dwell throughout the southern region of Arizona in semi-desert grasslands, woodlands and within the Mohave, Chihuahua and Sonora deserts. The coral snake is a member of the elapidae family that also includes cobras, mambas and taipans. It is a thin snake that reaches up to 24 inches long. It has black bands that go around the entire body that is yellow, red or cream in color. It can inject neurotoxin venom through its fangs and is dangerous.

    Vipers

    • Arizona has several types of vipers. The western diamond-backed rattlesnake grows up to 66 inches long. It is tan or gray and some have an orange or rust cast on the bottom backside of the body. It has diamond-shaped markings on its back and the tail has black and white stripes. The western diamond-backed rattlesnake sits along the hillsides and slopes in the deserts and woodlands.

      The tiger rattlesnake reaches up to 35 inches in length. It dwells in the south-central, central and southeast Arizona. This type of snake is orange-brown or blue-gray with an orange or peach color on the bottom of the body and stripes across the back. It is a venomous snake that hibernates in the winter and autumn time when it is cold.

    Threadsnakes

    • The New Mexico threadsnake and western threadsnake live in Arizona. You see the New Mexico threadsnake in the southeast region, while the western threadsnake dwells in south and west Arizona. Both of these snakes look similar to a glossy earthworm, have round heads and tail, and may be mauve or pink; the western variety may also be gray. The New Mexico threadsnake reaches up to 12 inches in length, while the western threadsnake spans about 15 inches long.