Snakes and spiders in Gila County, Arizona
Gila County, home of Globe, has 20 snake and 4 spider species on record, from 414 licensed snake and 51 spider records. Venomous species here: the Arizona black rattlesnake, the black-tailed rattlesnake, the western diamondback rattlesnake, the Mohave rattlesnake, the Sonoran coralsnake and the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Gila County?
Yes. The Arizona black rattlesnake: 30 licensed records, 13% of all Arizona records of it. The black-tailed rattlesnake: 30 licensed records, 4% of all Arizona records of it. The western diamondback rattlesnake: 21 licensed records, 1% of all Arizona records of it. The Mohave rattlesnake: 9 licensed records, 1% of all Arizona records of it. The Sonoran coralsnake: 6 licensed records, 2% of all Arizona records of it. The western black widow: 1 licensed record, 0% of all Arizona records of it.
What snakes are in Gila County?
In all, 20 snake species are on the Gila County list. The most recorded are the western terrestrial garter snake (62), the blackneck garter snake (47) and the Arizona black rattlesnake (30).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Arizona records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | 62 | 9% |
| 2 | Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis | 47 | 6% |
| 3 | Arizona black rattlesnake venomous Crotalus cerberus | 30 | 13% |
| 4 | Black-tailed rattlesnake venomous Crotalus molossus | 30 | 4% |
| 5 | Western patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis | 25 | 3% |
| 6 | Sonoran whipsnake Masticophis bilineatus | 24 | 4% |
| 7 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | 21 | 1% |
| 8 | Sonoran lyre snake Trimorphodon lambda | 19 | 5% |
| 9 | Sonoran mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana | 17 | 11% |
| 10 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | 16 | 1% |
| 11 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | 15 | 1% |
| 12 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | 13 | 10% |
| 13 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | 11 | 2% |
| 14 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | 9 | 1% |
| 15 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | 8 | 3% |
| 16 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 8 | 4% |
| 17 | Sonoran coralsnake venomous Micruroides euryxanthus | 6 | 2% |
| 18 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | 4 | 2% |
| 19 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | 1 | 0% |
| 20 | Desert nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea | — | — |
What spiders are in Gila County?
In all, 4 spider species are on the Gila County list. The most recorded are the desert blond tarantula (4), Phidippus carneus (1) and the western black widow (1).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Arizona records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert blond tarantula Aphonopelma chalcodes | 4 | 1% |
| 2 | Phidippus carneus | 1 | 2% |
| 3 | Western black widow venomous Latrodectus hesperus | 1 | 0% |
| 4 | Giant crab spider Olios giganteus | — | — |
Common in Arizona, not on the Gila County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Arizona, these do not reach the county list: the sidewinder (875 statewide) and the coachwhip (621 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Gila County
Rattlesnakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the gopher snake. Coral snakes are on the county list, and so are harmless species often taken for them: the Sonoran mountain kingsnake and the long-nosed snake.
Gila County among Arizona counties
By licensed snake records Gila County ranks 11th of 15 Arizona counties with any.
Other Arizona counties with their own page: Pima County, Cochise County, Maricopa County, Pinal County, Santa Cruz County, Yavapai County, Coconino County and Yuma County.
The whole state: venomous species in Arizona, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.