The Black Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus) shares habitats with the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. This serpent grows to roughly 2-4 feet in length, and sports a variety of colors and markings including green, yellow, gray, and olive, with brown or black cross bands, and sometimes patches of irregular shape. Unique to this species is the black tail, and black markings on the snout. The Black Tailed Rattlesnake can be found living in or near rocks in altitudes from sea level to about 9,600 feet. In the desert, they also favor living and hunting near arroyos. The young are born live from July-August in groups of 3-15 – with each newborn measuring close to 12" in length. These snakes are not known to be aggressive, and will customarily move quickly away from humans.

However, after the young are born, the mother will protect and defend them until they shed their skin the first time. During this time, they may well appear to be more aggressive, when in fact they are most likely just defending an offspring, or their nest. (All snakes tend to be more aggressive when they are shedding their skin as it can obscure their vision and inhibit their motion.) They will eat most small animals, including birds, rats, and lizards. Black Tailed Rattlesnakes can be found in areas all around Tucson, including: Mount Lemmon, the Sonoran Desert, Reddington Pass, Gate's Pass, and the foothills. This snake is dangerous to humans.

The Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris) is another desert reptile that is dangerous to humans, but goes well out of its way to avoid them. This desert rattler is small – usually measuring under 31 inches in length at maturity. The Tiger prefers to live in arid habitats between sea level and about 4,800 feet, where the ground is frequently covered with dense and unforgiving flora such as cactus and creosote scrub – perfect secluded hiding territory for an ambush predator. The top (dorsal) area of the snake has numerous irregular brown or grey cross bands. One physical trait that makes it a little easier to pick this snake out of a crowd is that the head of the Tiger Rattlesnake tends to appear disproportionately small for its already small body. This trait, unfortunately, can make observers think that it is harmless, which it is not. In the desert, as in most things, lack of size does not indicate harmlessness. There are many small animals that can be mildly or seriously dangerous for humans, including some spiders (even tarantulas bite), lizards, and scorpions – another member of the spider family. Again, this snake should be considered an inhabitant of all the areas surrounding Tucson, and watched out for when in those areas.

The Western Coral Snake (Micruroides euryxanthus) is a bright, attractively colored snake that belongs to the same family of reptiles as the notorious Cobra. Don't be fooled by its stylish, alluring appearance, this snake is quite dangerous to humans and should be completely avoided. This snake is sometimes referred to as the "Arizona Coral Snake." The Western Coral Snake is a long, narrow snake, with a slender head and alternating red, yellow, and black color bands. It is considered nocturnal (most active at night). Still, they are seen in early morning, evening, on overcast days, and after good rains. Unlike some of its 50 closest relatives that can reach over six feet in length, the Western Coral Snake rarely grows to more than 20 inches in length. This animal has little or no fear of water, and will pursue prey, and escape danger by deftly swimming in lakes and ponds. Western Coral Snakes demonstrate an unusual behavior that is not thoroughly understood. When confronted, the snake will create a small spiral with the end of its tail and hoist it straight into the air. Some think that the snake does this to draw its enemy's attention away from its head, while others think it is done merely to distract the enemy so the snake can strike and deliver its potent, deadly poison. This snake's potentially lethal venom effectively attacks the central nervous system of its victims, which are customarily other snakes and lizards. The Western Coral Snake is so lethal that other species of snakes seek to imitate it (a natural defense phenomenon known as mimicry) in an attempt to scare off potential predators.

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