List of snakes of Arizona facts for kids
Arizona is a state with many amazing animals, and that includes lots of different kinds of snakes! These slithery creatures live in all sorts of places, from hot deserts to cool mountains. Arizona is home to over 50 different types of snakes. The official state reptile of Arizona is a special kind of snake called the Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi willardi).
Meet the Snakes of Arizona
Snakes are fascinating reptiles that play an important role in their environment. They help keep the balance of nature by eating small animals like rodents and insects. In Arizona, you can find two main groups of snakes: those that are not venomous and those that are.
Non-Venomous Snakes
Non-venomous snakes are those that do not produce venom. This means they are not dangerous to humans. They catch their food using other methods, like squeezing their prey or simply swallowing it whole. Many of these snakes are very helpful to people because they eat pests like mice and rats.
Here are some of the non-venomous snakes you might find in Arizona:
- Arizona Milk Snake
- Arizona mountain kingsnake
- Arizona Patch-nosed Snake
- Blackneck Garter Snake
- Blind snake
- Checkered Garter Snake
- Coachwhip snake (also known as the Red Racer)
- Common Kingsnake
- Desert Kingsnake
- Gopher Snake
- Glossy Snake
- King Snake
- Ground Snake
- Desert Rosy Boa Snake
- Saddled Leafnose Snake (Phyllorhynchus browni)
- Sonoran Gopher Snake
- Spotted Leafnose Snake (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus)
- Long-nosed snake
- Western Hognose Snake
- Regal Ringneck Snake
Venomous Snakes
Venomous snakes produce a special liquid called venom. They use this venom to help them catch their food or to defend themselves. While it's important to be careful around these snakes, most venomous snakes in Arizona would rather avoid people than bite them. If you see a snake, it's always best to give it space and never try to touch it.
Here are some of the venomous snakes found in Arizona:
- Arizona coral snake
- Mexican vine snake
- Tropical vine snake
- Sidewinder Rattlesnake
- Grand Canyon Rattlesnake
- Arizona Black Rattlesnake
- Great Basin Rattlesnake
- Tiger Rattlesnake
- Hopi Rattlesnake
- Lyre snake
- Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)
- Night Snake
- Northern Blacktail Rattlesnake
- Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
- Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi willardi)
- Southwestern Blackhead Snake
- Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchelli)
- Western Coral snake (Micruroides euryxanthus)
- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)
- Western Shovelnose Snake
- Twin-Spotted Rattlesnake
