Blacktail Rattlesnake
Crotalus molossus

Body length: 28 - 49 1/2"
Diet: Small mammals

Blacktails are large, brightly-patterned rattlesnakes that are distinguished by dark coloring above the rattles. Although considered mild-mannered, the size and toxicity of this snake make it no less dangerous than other rattlesnake species. Blacktails are found here in hilly areas south of Route 188, and are often seen in the cliff dwellings and along the Upper Cliff Dwelling trail.

Although it is not possible to know how the earlier inhabitants of Tonto Basin felt about rattlesnakes, we can expect that they both feared and respected them as we do today. Paintings on Salado bowls often depict abstract images of snakes. Although they are more common in Hohokam artifacts from the Phoenix area, images of rattlesnakes are sometimes found on stone and shell artifacts which have been excavated from Tonto Basin.

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