text: are glossy snakes (arizona elegans) venomous?   no, neither arizona elegans, nor its close cousin, arizona occidentalis are venomous.  both are constrictors that prey on rodents and small reptiles and are considered harmless to humans.  they are also largely nocturnal and thus not frequently seen (i've never seen one in many years of roaming around the sw deserts where the live).  the only venomous snakes found in the southwest us are the many types of rattlesnakes and the rarely-seen coral snake.  we also have the country's only venomous lizard - the large and odd-looking gila monster (also rarely seen).