Spring = Sssssnakes

We live among snakes and it's their season, starting in April and lasting through October, with increased sightings reported this year. They aren't trying to hunt you down to bite you...they would rather slither away, hide and save their venom for food like rats, rabbits, gophers. Yet the recent rattlesnake bite incidents in Thousand Oaks have made national headlines, and it seems anyone who spends time outside has encountered many already this year.

Here are some facts to help keep you safe and aware, taken from this great video with Herp Connection and Poison Free Agoura. The rattlesnake specific discussion starts at the 36 minute mark!

• The Southern Pacific rattlesnake is common in local parks and hiking trails and can be identified by its diamond shaped markings, triangular head, and rattle on the tip of the tail in adults.

• They are most active in the mornings and late evenings, so be extra aware if out on trails or in the yard at those times. A strong stomp every once in a while as you hike alerts them to your presence and they will move off, maybe before you see them.

• Any "aggression" from a rattlesnake is defensive behavior from being startled or feeling trapped. If you cross paths with one, try to give it as much space as you can.  A snake can strike up to its body length in distance. Stomping from a safe distance causes vibrations that alert it to your presence, and give it a chance to move out of your way. Spraying with a garden hose from a distance can also move them off.

• Keep pets away from the snake, and consider rattlesnake avoidance training for dogs through http://rattlesnakeclinic.as.me/ or https://snakesafedog.com/.

• If someone is bitten:

  • Call 911

  • Try to keep the person calm and heart rate low to slow the spread of venom. Most snake bites are not fatal.

  • Do NOT attempt to cut or suction the place of the bite or apply a tourniquet.

  • If you have a pen try to mark the areas of swelling as it progresses.

  • Check SnakeBite911 app for local hospitals with antivenom.

• If a rattlesnake is on your property and you are not comfortable with it moving off on its own, try to keep sight of it while calling the fire department (Station 89: (818) 597-2272) or a snake relocator. You can legally kill it if it is an immediate threat to people or pets. See more about this here https://www.thelegalcalifornia.com/is-it-legal-to-kill-rattlesnakes-in-california/.

Photo courtesy of Herp Connection and Poison Free Agoura

and placed at bottom of page for those who get the heebie jeebies from snakes

Photo courtesy of Herp Connection and Poison Free Agoura

• Gopher snakes have rounded eye pupils and a narrow head and tail. They are not venomous and are GREAT rodent control.

• Rattlesnakes have a wider, triangular head (room for venom sacs), eye horns, and a wider rounded tail with a rattle in adults, no rattle in babies. Venomous. Do not boop.