Arizona
Arizona is home to 14 venomous snake species. Here’s what you need to know about them
Mama quail takes on hungry snake to defend her eggs
A trail cam captured a quail successfully fight off a hungry snake in Tucson.
You may be overcome with a sense of “fight or flight” triggered when coming face to face with Arizona’s most intimidating looking rattlesnakes. Smooth eyes, a forked tongue and tiny fangs may be your worst nightmare, especially when you’re not expecting it.
Despite this fear you’ll feel, the chances you of actually get hurt if you follow the proper precautions are low. In most cases, these reptiles are more afraid of you.
“You’re going to be walking by them all the time and not know it because that’s what they’re really good at,” Cale Morris, the Venom Manager at the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, said. “It’s really easy to stay safe around them.”
To calm your anxieties, here’s everything you need to know about Arizona’s most common venomous snakes.
What are the most common venomous snakes in Arizona?
Arizona is home to 13 species of rattlesnakes, all of which are venomous. There are six species most commonly found in metro Phoenix. These six snakes are:
- Western Diamondback rattlesnake
- Mojave rattlesnake
- Black-tailed rattlesnake
- Speckled rattlesnake
- Tiger rattlesnake
- Sidewinder rattlesnake
Identifying a rattle at the end of their tails and a big triangular-shaped head on a skinny neck will help you figure out if the snake you have encountered is a rattlesnake.
“Any other snakes in Arizona that aren’t venomous, like a gopher snake, they’re not going to have big heads like that. Their heads are going to be about as thick as their neck,” Morris said.
While all six types of rattlesnakes can be found in the Phoenix metro area, each species is adapted to live in certain areas. If you see a rattlesnake in or near the city, it will most likely be the Western Diamondback rattlesnake.
Every year, the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary removes about 300 snakes from someone’s home or backyard, according to Morris. Of these snake hauls, about 95% of the snakes the sanctuary picks up are Western Diamondbacks.
“These other ones are kind of rare, so you’d have to be up against a rocky mountain to have them in your yard,” Morris said. “The black-tailed, tiger and speckled rattlesnake, they all like living in rocky habitats, like on a mountain.”
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Arizona’s other venomous snake is very rare
Rattlesnakes aren’t the only dangerous snakes in Arizona. Coral snakes are the only other venomous snakes found in Arizona but are extremely rare. In Arizona, Coral snakes are distinctly tiny, growing as thick as a pencil as an adult.
“There are bigger Coral snake species that live in other states. So the coral snake kind of gets this reputation,” Morris said. “But our Arizona Coral snake is not anything to really worry about.”
There has never been a Coral snake-related death recorded in the state. Consequently, Arizona hospitals don’t carry Coral snake-specific antivenom. In the chance you do encounter one of these reptiles, Morris recommends you follow basic precautions and stay away.
Nightmare fuel: 20 rattlesnakes found inside a homeowner’s garage in Arizona
When is snake season?
Snakes are cold-blooded and use the temperature of their environment to regulate their bodies. Therefore, they become more active when temperatures level out in the high 70s and low 80s range just like humans. During the summer, when daytime temperatures are consistently hitting triple digits, snakes come out at night.
“We see an influx in early April, because of the temperatures, and then we see them again in August,” Morris said.
“I’ve personally seen rattlesnakes out every month of the year,” Morris said. “Sometimes in December, you’ll get a warm day, it’ll be like 75, and the snakes will actually come out of their burrows a little bit.”
Bobcat fights rattlesnake at Saguaro National Park in Arizona
A bobcat was caught on camera trying to grab a quick rattlesnake snack at Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona on June 3, 2024.
Provided by Saguaro National Park
What should you do if you see a venomous snake?
Believing that a rattlesnake will attack unprovoked is a common misconception.
“There’s no species that is aggressive,” Morris said. “Sometimes people will say Mojaves are more aggressive, they’ll attack you, they’re mean. That’s just an absolute myth.”
Facing a rattlesnake in nature, like on a hiking trail or while camping, may be intimidating but the best way to stay safe is to leave it alone.
“Some people think that you need to like scare them, like yell at them and stomp on the ground or throw rocks to get them to move, but you don’t need to do that,” Morris said. “If you just give them distance, they will move away on their own. It might take a little bit of time, but that’s the best way.”
Although rattlesnakes are not aggressive, you likely want to keep your house and backyard snake-free. If you encounter one in your space, call a professional like the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary which has a rattlesnake hotline and will send someone to relocate the reptile.
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What should you do if you get bit by a venomous snake?
According to the National Park Service, venomous snakes inject a toxin into an enemy through their fangs. Therefore, these snakes are really only dangerous if they bite you.
Because immediate medical attention is the only way to effectively treat a snake bite, getting bit by a venomous snake is considered a 911 emergency. When you arrive at the hospital, you will be given an antivenom that is applicable to all rattlesnakes, so you don’t need to be sure which species bit you.
“The stuff that they used to teach, like putting a tourniquet on it, and sucking the venom, none of that works, we’ve found out,” Morris said. “It’s antivenom that works.”
Because swelling occurs after a bite, Morris also recommends victims remove all jewelry that may become restrictive or uncomfortable.
If a snake bites your pet, the same medical attention is required. Not all emergency veterinary clinics carry antivenom, so it is important you call ahead to check if it’s available before arriving, according to the American Kennel Club.
Arizona
Dana Kennedy: A caregiver advocating for Arizona’s aging population | Arizona Capitol Times
For Dana Kennedy, the state director at the Arizona branch of the American Association of Retired Persons, aging is not only a political issue, but a personal one. A social worker by profession, Kennedy brings her own experience of caring for aging family members and clients to her work advocating for Arizona seniors at the state Capitol and beyond.
Kennedy sat down with the Arizona Capitol Times to discuss the biggest issues impacting aging Arizonans and her personal connections to her advocacy work.
The questions and answers have been edited lightly for style and clarity.
Can you tell me a bit about your career trajectory?
I became a social worker in Orange County, California, during the Orange County bankruptcy. I did home health and hospice, so I basically connected family members to the services to help keep them in their own home. With the county going bankrupt, people were going to have to pay for (services), so I made the tough decisions (about whether) they were able to stay safe in their own home or not. That’s when I realized our long-term care system was broken. With a bachelor’s degree in social work, you really need to get your master’s, but I wanted to focus on macro policy and help solve our long-term care policy problem. So I ended up going to Boston University, and I got my master’s in social work. In both undergrad and grad school, I got certificates in gerontology, the study of aging. I’ve always been an aging nerd. I became an AARP member when I was 20. After graduate school, I went to (Washington) D.C., and that’s a very broken system as well. I wanted to work on long-term care policy, and people are like, that’s not a sexy issue, that’s never going to happen. Fast forward to being the state director at AARP, it’s my dream job.
What do the day-to-day responsibilities look like in your role?
It changes all the time. Within one week I have been at the Capitol doing a press conference regarding a bill that we were trying to get unstuck, then the following weekend I was in Long Beach representing AARP at the National Conference for Mayors. Then the following week I was down at the Corporation Commission because we’re intervening in the rate case. So I can go anywhere from working with mayors to working with state legislators to working on utility issues. At the same time, I’m also a caregiver. I just lost my dad, but I was flying back and forth to California to help my dad transition to hospice and then pass away, and I’m bringing my mom out next week for a clinical trial at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. So I work on all these really important issues, but at the same time I’m helping myself as well as our staff navigate aging issues, because we’re all going through it. And if we’re not going through it, we will one day. So it’s really a fascinating job, and it’s everything that I ever wanted to do.
What initially drew you to issues affecting seniors?
I’m the first person in my family to go to college … and I worked my way through college. I was a paid caregiver, and I took care of a person who became disabled giving birth to her first child. She was in a wheelchair, and then her mom had a stroke, so I took care of both of them. It was such a hands-on experience. At the same time, my great-grandfather came to live with me and my mom when I was in high school. I watched the role reversal of what my family went through, (where the children) act like the parent, even though they’re not the parent. It didn’t really work out with my great-grandfather living with my grandparents, so he came to live with my mom and myself. So I always had this desire to work with aging, and I really wanted to work with families to help them deal with the transition of dealing with aging parents, that role reversal.
Can you talk a bit about how your personal experiences with aging family members inform the work you do?
It’s so important. (My great-grandfather) lived to be 99 years old, and he was completely cognitively intact until his last day. But I helped my family navigate him being able to make his own decisions. I know what’s best for my family. It doesn’t mean that my family is going to take my advice. That’s where it gets really hard with parents and the aging population because they still have autonomy until they’re not able to make decisions. When you go from mild cognitive impairment to all the sudden moderate cognitive impairment to severe cognitive impairment, then it’s that slippery slope of wondering, how do I take their keys away? They need somebody to come into the home to help with transferring, but they don’t want anybody to come into the home. And they get to make that decision until they’re not able to. I think (my experience) allows me to understand that everybody gets to make their own decisions, but at the end of the day, we need to make sure that they have the tools to be able to make that decision.
What is the most pressing issue impacting Arizona’s aging population?
It’s a national issue, and it’s Social Security. The Social Security solvency issue is front and center. We’ve all heard that Social Security is always going to be there. But Congress has kicked the ball down the road all these years, and all of a sudden we’re at a critical point. What’s going to happen if Congress doesn’t act? There’s going to be an automatic cut to Social Security. We have a population issue. People pay into Social Security, it’s a pay as you go system, and people aren’t having as many babies and we’re also not allowing immigrants into this country right now. So we need people to continue to pay into Social Security.
What has been your biggest accomplishment in this role?
There’s a few things that I’m really proud of. During COVID, we were the very first state in the nation to get visitation policies for people in long-term care facilities, and I’m really proud of that. We worked with Governor (Doug) Ducey on that. Families were locked out and residents were locked in and it was really hard. I’m also really proud that you know we got the (Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program), which lowers the cost of prescription drugs for everybody. We also supported Proposition 104. That was a city tax issue, and it was when I first started at AARP, but that provided $31.5 billion in transportation infrastructure over 30 years. People don’t realize that transportation is such an important issue as you age. Most likely you’re going to lose your keys one day. What happens when you lose your keys and you can no longer drive? You become socially isolated. Social isolation is like smoking a pack of cigarettes every single day, it’s really damaging.
What has been the most challenging part of this role?
I don’t understand why I have such a hard time getting some bills passed. (This session) we wanted to allow cameras in a long-term care facility and (that bill) died. Three years in a row it died. That for me is a really hard pill to swallow. I’ve done three full distance Iron Men, so I don’t give up. I’m persistent. I have a very, very strong mental game and giving up is just not in my DNA. If there’s a will, there’s a way, and I’m going to find it. As long as I have to read another report of somebody being abused and neglected in a long-term care facility, I will continue to advocate to be able to provide tools to stop that abuse and neglect.
Arizona
Arizona Lottery Powerball, The Pick results for June 20, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Saturday, June 20, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers
16-20-44-48-50, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning The Pick numbers
08-14-30-36-38-39
Check The Pick payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 Evening numbers
Evening: 8-9-7
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
02-17-23-38-39
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
14-20-21-27-28-30
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Arizona
Troopers arrest ‘LARPer’ who was running late for competition in northern Arizona
FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — A hurry to a LARPing tournament ended with a very real arrest in northern Arizona.
On June 11, troopers stopped a driver clocked at 106 mph in a 65 mph zone in Flagstaff, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The driver told troopers she was running late for a “LARPing tournament” in Colorado.
LARP stands for live-action role-playing, a hobby where participants dress in costume and act out characters in fictional settings.
She was arrested for criminal speeding and booked into the Coconino County jail.
“Speeding to save a fictional realm is no excuse for drivers on Arizona highways,” DPS said in a Facebook post.
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