
What is a Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes like every other type of snake are limbless and elongated animals often found in a variety of habitats. They are also carnivorous reptiles that prey on small mammals, birds, amphibians, and invertebrates such as centipedes.
There are over 3000 species of snakes distributed across the world and the rattlesnake is a type of snake native to the Americas.
Rattlesnakes are venomous; they are classified as pit vipers and there are 36 known species of rattlesnakes with about 70 subspecies.
13 different species of rattlesnakes call Arizona home and that’s more than can be found in any single location across the Americas.
There is no doubt that the mention of the word rattlesnake can create a feeling of fear and anxiety among people. This article will give you all the information about the 13 different species of rattlesnakes that call Arizona home.
Arizona Rattlesnakes Fun Facts

You may also like: Check out the 28 Different Types of Snakes in Colorado: Comlete with Images, Facts, Descriptions, and More!

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13 Species of Rattlesnakes in Arizona

All rattlesnake species are ovoviviparous and this simply implies that they give birth to live young and this is a characteristic that separates them from most reptiles whose young must hatch from eggs laid outside the body of the mother. That is not to say that rattlesnakes do not lay eggs as well.
However, the difference is in the fact that the eggs are laid and hatched inside the female rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnake babies like that of other snakes are called snakelets. Snakelets are different from adult rattlesnakes because they don’t have rattles. Rattlesnakes all over the Americas aren’t capable of producing fatal bites. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that only 5 people die from snake bites annually out of the 7000 to 8000 people that are bitten by venomous snakes annually in the country.
1. Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus)

Description
The Massasauga is one of the rarest species of rattlesnakes in Arizona. It is also widely described as the most primitive form of rattlesnake in the entire country and is one of the rattlesnakes species with special protection in Arizona because of its limited range and its limited population. The Massasauga is a pit viper like most rattlesnakes and like all pit vipers is venomous.
The Massasauga is a shy reptile and avoids humans. Bites from the Massasauga are recorded after humans mistakenly handle or step on them. An adult Massasauga can grow up to 60 to 75 cm or 24 to 30 inches.
The Massasauga has unique color patterns that consist of gray or tan ground color and usually have a row of large and rounded brown or black blotches. The Massasauga seldom has spots down the center of its back and three smaller rows of irregular spots down each of its sides. The young Massasauga are paler than adults but well patterned as well.
Life Cycle
The Massasauga is ovoviviparous like other rattlesnakes. It gives birth to its young one alive without laying eggs.
Diet
The massasauga, like most rattlesnakes, is a carnivore; its prey includes birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and centipedes.
Habitat
The Massasauga is a venomous rattlesnake found commonly in Midwestern North America ranging from southern Ontario to northern Mexico and the parts of the United States in between these regions of the world.
Range

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The massasauga is found in Canada, Ontario, New York, Mexico, and Arizona as well.
2. Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)

Description
This species of Arizona rattlesnake, easily confused with western Diamondback rattlesnake, is one of the most toxic species of rattlesnakes in Arizona and the US also. This species can grow up to 50 inches in length. The Mojave is a highly venomous rattlesnake found mainly in the deserts of the southwestern U.S and central Mexico.
This species of rattlesnake grows to an average of less than 100 cm or 39.37 inches and can reach a maximum length of about 137.3 cm or 54 inches.
Life Cycle
The Mojave rattlesnake is also ovoviviparous like all other rattlesnakes, and gives birth to live young.
Diet
The Mojave rattlesnakes like other rattlesnakes in Arizona feed on small mammals, lizards species, and birds.
Habitat
The Mojave rattlesnake is primarily a snake of high desert or lower mountain slopes and can be found near scrub brush such as sage, creosote, and mesquite. The Mojave rattlesnake may also be found in lowlands with sparse vegetation or grassy plains.
Range

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The Mojave rattlesnake is distributed around southern California, southern and eastern Nevada, southwestern Utah, New Mexico, some parts of Texas, and most of Arizona.
3. Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

Description
This species of rattlesnake can be as long as 100 cm or 40 inches and can reach a maximum length of 151.5 cm or 60 inches. The prairie rattlesnake has a distinctive triangular-shaped head and a pit sensory organ on both sides of the head and this distinguishes it from other rattlesnakes. This species of rattlesnake is usually lightly colored in hue brown with a tinge of dark brown that is distributed in a dorsal pattern.
One of the most characteristic features of the prairie rattlesnake is the presence of three or four internasal scales. It is claimed that the prairie is used in the famous Hopi snake ritual.
Life Cycle
The prairie rattlesnake like all other Arizona rattlesnakes is ovoviviparous. They don’t lay eggs like most animals; instead, the eggs are carried by the female prairie rattlesnake for about three months before she gives birth to live young. A typical prairie rattlesnake can live up to 25 years but the average lifespan of prairie rattlesnakes is 10 years.
Diet
The prairie rattlesnake feeds on birds, amphibians, small rabbits, ground squirrels, voles, and mice. Like every other rattlesnake in Arizona, the prairie rattlesnake is a carnivore.
Habitat
The prairie rattlesnake like its name suggests inhabits prairie, badlands, scrublands, rocky outcrops, and fields, while in Canada they are associated with river valleys and coulees. However, during winter, they hibernate in underground cavities or mammal burrows.
Range

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The prairie rattlesnake is found in North America in the plains and some rocky mountains. They are found in Canada, Mexico, and occur in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico in the U.S.
4. Sidewinder Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes)

Description
The name of this species of rattlesnakes comes from its movement. The sidewinder travels in a side-winding motion. It is easily distinguished from other species of rattlesnakes in Arizona as it is the only species with horns over its eyes. It is also commonly called the horned rattlesnake and is found mainly in the desert regions of the southwestern U.S.A.
A mature adult sidewinder can grow up to 50 – 80 cm or 20 – 32 inches in length. The sidewinder has a color pattern similar to the color of the ground and ranges from cream to yellowish-brown, from buff to pink, and ash gray.
Life Cycle
This species of rattlesnakes produces an average of about 10 young and sometimes up to 18 young are born. When born, the young sidewinder stays with the mother in the natal burrow for about 7-10 days before the first shed and then leaves.
It takes between 2-3 years for the sidewinder to mature and they are capable of reproducing annually. In the event of scarce food, the sidewinder can skip reproduction for about two years.
Diet
Like other rattlesnakes, the sidewinder feeds on small mammals that include; rodents, kangaroo rats, and lizards.
Habitat
The sidewinder lives mostly in sandy areas; hence, it occurs mostly in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.
Range

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The sidewinder is found commonly in the desert region of southeastern California and other parts of the country that merge into deserts.
5. Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchelli)

Description
The speckled rattlesnake usually does not exceed 100 cm or 39 inches in total length. The speckled rattlesnake has a variety of unique colors that range from nearly white to pink, and from gray to brown. The color of this species blends with its surroundings thus concealing it from predators.
Life Cycle
The speckled rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous; hence, the female keeps and fertilizes her eggs inside her body and gives birth to live young. The females breed annually and start bearing at three years of age and about 12 young are born between July and August.
Diet
The speckled rattlesnake feeds on small mammals, lizards, and birds.
Range
The speckled rattlesnakes are found in all of southern California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona,
6. Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei)

Description
The twin-spotted rattlesnake is one of the four species of rattlesnakes in Arizona with special protection and it is endemic to the southwestern U.S and northern Mexico.
Life Cycle
Like all the rattlesnakes mentioned in this article, the twin-spotted rattlesnake is ovoviviparous and gives birth to its young alive. However, it develops its embryo at 4 – 5 years of age.
Diet
The twin-spotted rattlesnake is mostly active during the day and it preys on lizards and small nesting mammals.
Range

By rbrausse / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia commonsh
The twin-spotted rattlesnake is found in the U.S in southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico.
7. Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris)

Description
This species of rattlesnakes is famous in Arizona for its small head. The head ensures that it doesn’t hold much venom; however, its venom is powerful. The tiger rattlesnake has the smallest head of all the rattlesnakes and can grow up to 46 to 92 cm or 18 to 36 inches long.
The tiger rattlesnakes are the only species with crossbands on the anterior portion of their bodies and this unique feature distinguishes them from other rattlesnakes in the state.
Life Cycle
Breeding occurs in this species of rattlesnake from late May to mid-August and like other rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous. Interestingly, the tiger rattlesnake practices polygynandry which allows it to mate with multiple partners during breeding seasons.
Diet
The juvenile tiger rattlesnake depends heavily on lizards for food while the mature adults prey on mammals such as rodents, rats, deer, mice, kangaroo, packrats, and spiny lizards.
Habitat
The tiger rattlesnake is known to inhabit places like rocky desert canyons, foothills, and bajadas as well as grasslands and tropical deciduous forests of the southwestern U.S.A and northwestern Mexico.
Range

By rbrausse / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia commons
This species of rattlesnakes are distributed around the gulf of California, Arizona, and Mexico.
8. Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi)

Description
This species of rattlesnake is small and it grows up to 30 – 60 cm or 12 – 24 inches in length. It is the official state reptile and one of the four species of rattlesnake in Arizona with special protection. This snake got its name from the raised ridge of scales around its snout (nose). The color pattern of the ridge-nosed rattlesnake is dark brown with pale or white striping.
Life Cycle
The ridge-nosed rattlesnake is ovoviviparous; hence, it gives birth and does not lay eggs. Gestation in this animal lasts between four to five months while copulation occurs in late
summer to early fall and the females give birth to an average of 5 litters, sometimes it could be 2 or up to 9, between late July or early August.
Diet
The ridge-nosed rattlesnake feeds on small mammals, lizards, birds, and non-vertebrates like a centipede. The young rely heavily on centipedes for food.
Habitat
The ridge-nosed rattlesnake is rarely found outside habitats at high elevations. This leads to few encounters with humans as they reside mainly in mountains.
Range

By rbrausse / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia commons
The ridge-nosed rattlesnakes are found mainly in the southwestern U.S and some parts of Mexico.
9. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)

Description
The western diamondback rattlesnake is the largest in Arizona. It is also the rattlesnake that is responsible for more bites and deaths of humans in the US. A matured western diamondback rattlesnake can grow up 167 cm or to 66 inches long and is easily confused with the Mojave rattlesnake.
The western diamondback rattlesnakes are seldom referred to as the coon-tail rattlesnake and can easily be differentiated from the Mojave with its drab shade of brown or gray coloration and the rattle comprising of white and black striped tail and the while-lined diamond pattern that designs its back.
The western diamondback rattlesnakes are easily quick to be defensive, they are venomous, and should be avoided when seen.
Life Cycle
The western diamondback rattlesnake like all the rattlesnakes in Arizona is ovoviviparous. Its gestation period lasts for about six or seven months. Nearly an average of two dozen young are brooded and the young only stay with their mother for a few hours before setting out to hunt and seek cover. This makes the mortality rate in the young western diamond-back rattlesnake very high.
Mating occurs among western diamondback rattlesnakes in the fall and the female western diamondback rattlesnake can give birth to as many as 25 young that can be as long as 30 cm or 12 inches.
Diet
The western diamondback rattlesnake preys on small mammals. Birds, lizards, and mice are found in the range of their diet. However, lizards are mostly eaten by a young western diamondback rattlesnake.
Habitat
The western diamondback rattlesnake can be spotted anywhere where the surroundings merge with the native desert habitat.
Range

By rbrausse / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia commons
The western diamondback rattlesnake is found in Mexico and the southwestern United States around Holbrook, Flagstaff, Kingman, Florence, Tucson, Payson, and Phoenix. It is the most commonly sighted snake around Phoenix.
It is responsible for the majority of snakebites in northern Mexico and the greatest number of snake bites in the U.S.
10. Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus)

Description
This species of rattlesnake has a variety of colors that range from brown to beige and green or golden yellow and a matured member of the species can grow up to 76 – 107 cm or 30 – 46 inches long.
And as the name implies, despite the variation in body color (yellow and olive green to brown and black), the tail is entirely black and it serves to distinguish it from other species of rattlesnakes.
Life cycle
Breeding occurs in the spring among black-tailed rattlesnakes, copulation may last for hours and multiple times over days. The young set out within a day or two; the female breeds yearly and gives birth to an average of 10 – 12 liters.
Diet
They feed on small mammals, birds, small reptiles, and amphibians.
Habitat
This species of rattlesnakes inhabit areas of the types of habitats with high elevation.
Range

By rbrausse / CC BY-SA 3.0 / wikimedia commons
They are found in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and some parts of Mexico.
11. Arizona Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus Cerberus)

Description
The young members of this species of rattlesnake can look very different from adults because of its pattern and a matured member of the species can grow up to an average of 78 – 109 cm or 31 – 43 inches long.
The Arizona black rattlesnake is overlaid with blotches that are different from the back color which includes dark gray, black ground color, reddish-brown, and brownish-black.
Life cycle
Females stay with their young in the nest between 7 – 14 days and give birth to about 4 – 21 young and they are the first species of snakes observed with social behaviors.
Diet
They prey on amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals of suitable sizes.
Habitat
This species of rattlesnakes are found in pine-oak woodlands or chaparral.
Range
The Arizona black rattlesnake is found in the United States, in Arizona, in Cottonwood cliffs, Hualapai Mountains, San Francisco, and New Mexico.
12. Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus)

Description
This species of rattlesnakes vary in size as some can be stunted while others grow very large and can grow up to 40 inches long. Its venom is twice as strong as the western diamond-backed rattlesnakes, yet it produces less venom than the above-mentioned rattlesnake. Its color pattern ranges from dark-brown to dark-gray or olive-brown to black or pale yellowish ground color that’s usually overlaid with some series of dark blotches.
Life cycle
Sexually matured female western rattlesnake gives birth to live young in broods of as many as 25 young.
Diet
It feeds on birds, bird eggs, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals including rabbits and mice.
The western rattlesnake is described as a generalist and this implies that it isn’t too picky about its habitat; hence, it can be found in deserts, grassy plains, rocky hillsides, forests, and areas along the coast.
Range

By rbrausse / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia commons
It is found in places around Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. in the U.S, it is found in Arizona, British Columbia, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado.
13. Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus)

Description
The young member of this species of rattlesnake uses its brightly colored tail to attract prey to it, although the tail changes color as the animal gets older. The rock rattlesnake is a small snake and rarely exceeds 81 cm or 32 inches long and it’s the last of the four rattlesnakes with special protection in Arizona. Its color pattern reflects the color of the rock.
Life Cycle
They breed once a year and are ovoviviparous. They give birth to about 8 young and breed in the spring. Gestation lasts between four to six months.
Diet
Like most rattlesnakes, they feed on amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals.
Habitat
The rock rattlesnake inhabits a vast range of arid and semi-arid habitats. It’s also found in grasslands, tropical deciduous forests, and mountains.
Range

By rbrausse / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia commons
Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.