I know the critters you speak of well. We lived in Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park for decades before moving here. Wife has stories about the rattlers she came on unexpectedly. I like no snakes here.
That’s a very lovely area, imho, still!
Before a local Park Ranger shared that there had been sightings of three mountain lions running around the area, we went on a full moon hike in one of the local parks.
Rattlesnakes have also shown up in local city parks where kids play.
No snakes in Hawaii? That’s another plus for Hawaii! :)
Several years ago while looking for something else, I stumbled across a Hawaiian singer on YouTube and became an instant fan.
Keali’i Reichel - E O Mai
https://youtu.be/koQqT0dnq9c?list=PLooeW7EzXxkX-1_ppow4J6X2VGPZCR1To
Keali’i Reichel - If I had words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti5Dwu2uIK0