Flagstaff Venomous Snakes

Grandma Dixie asked that I research and blog about the venomous snakes of Flagstaff.  They are:  

The ring necked snake found up to 7,000 feet. It is gray on top with an orange ring, and the underside is reddish orange.

The Western diamondback: There are two dark diagonal lines on both sides of its face running from the eyes to its jaws. It has a dark diamond pattern along its back. The tail has black & white bands just above the rattles.

Mojave: The Mohave has shades of brown to pale green depending on which the surroundings are.

Blacktailed: The tail is usually black or dark gray in adults. They are rare. They typically show some tail banding as do some adult snakes from the Sonoran Desert, which tend to be paler and grayer than snakes from the mountains.

Black rattlesnakes: The black rattlesnake is dark gray, dark olive, or dark brown with 25-46 dark blotches and light interspaces between the blotches. The blotches on the body become dark bands on the tail, which disappear with duration. Another interesting fact about black rattlers is that they can change color from black to light gray in a few minutes.

Most rattlesnakes prefer rocky desert habitats at lower elevations, so they’re rarely found within or near Flagstaff’s city limits. The black rattlesnake prefers higher elevations, skyrocketing up to 9,000 feet.  

Fun fact: Rattlesnakes are only found in North and South America.