Posted on 06/20/2005 4:08:56 AM PDT by onyx
The message was clear for state fire crews training near Campo a few weeks ago: Lots of rattlesnakes are out and active as spring molts into summer.
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County wildlife and emergency personnel say the rattlesnake population is growing; others disagree. This sign at the Mission Trails Regional Park gives information about rattlesnakes, which may be found there.
In the span of a few hours, the fire team spotted at least four rattlers, including one that had to be removed from near the portable toilets.
"We are seeing rattlesnakes everywhere in the county this year, and they are very aggressive," said Matt Streck, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in El Cajon.
That also may be the case across Southern California, where some park rangers and snake experts report finding more evidence than usual of the feared reptiles – even before the traditional late-summer peak season.
Others, however, question the supposedly rapid rise in rattlers, saying it's a bit of a stretch biologically.
Either way, commonly cited rattlesnake bite statistics are reassuring: More than half of the victims are young men trying to show off their snake-handling skills while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, say park officials and snakebite specialists.
Without a historical snake census, tracking rattlers in Southern California is mostly guesswork.
The theory in the "more snakes" camp is that heavy winter rains created a bumper crop of vegetation, which in turn provides abundant food and cover for rodents. Legions of rodents invite more snakes.
Skeptics say it's unlikely that the rattler population grew in a matter of months. They say a more probable explanation for increased sightings is that snakes are more active in years like this one, when they don't have to worry so much about conserving energy.
"Biologically, it doesn't make sense to me," Brian Cahill, spokesman for the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, said of the purportedly swelling ranks of snakes. "Every step up the food chain, there is going to be a (time) lag. I just can't see that abundance of snakes just yet."
On that point, he's got backing from veteran San Diego trapper Thomas Lindemood.
Lindemood said the number of snake calls to his office is slithering upward, but that's a function of the massive wildfires in recent years that drove all manner of wildlife from the hills. He charges about $100 per visit.
"They are close to us, and we see more of them, which gives the impression that there are more snakes out there than in the past," Lindemood said.
At the San Diego Zoo, animal care manager John Kinkaid said he mountain bikes regularly and hasn't seen a wild rattlesnake this year. However, he figures the rains and bountiful rodents eventually will lead to higher survival rates for rattlers that hatch in San Diego County.
Richard Clark, toxicology director at the University of California San Diego Medical Center, said snake bites in the region appear to be up 10 percent to 25 percent over a typical year.
Between 25 and 50 rattler bites are reported annually in San Diego County. Bites are rarely fatal but often very painful.
"Many people who have big swollen arms and legs will have a hard time at work for a month afterward," Clark said.
Snake experts do agree on this point: Rattler run-ins are mostly avoidable.
"The people who spend the most time worrying about snakes are probably the ones least likely to have problems with them," said Cahill, the Anza-Borrego spokesman.
Cahill and other snake experts urged people to follow a few common-sense techniques: Be cautious and look ahead on trails; don't climb rocks where the handholds can't be seen; and don't touch or play with venomous reptiles.
"If you see a rattlesnake, don't try to kill it because that is where a lot of people end up in trouble," said the zoo's Kinkaid. "Just step away from it slowly."
Bite victims should stay calm, move slowly and call for emergency medical help, said Clark, the UCSD doctor.
He said the standby tricks from old Westerns – such as trying to suck out the poison – are ineffective and should be avoided.
"We don't recommend anybody do any cutting or sucking," he said.
At the hospital, bite victims typically are injected with antivenin to neutralize the venom. The vast majority of patients live to tell about their run-in with a rattler and try to explain how they beat the overwhelming odds against being bitten by one.
That's cruel! The poor snakes will die rfom biting libs!
After all, is there anything more poisionous than a liberal? Hahahahaha!
I thought snakes were all neck from the head down...
Are you married to Ditter?
This is all fine and good. But I'm really concerned about the shark attacks this summer and how come we haven't heard anything about them? I think there's a republican cover up. I want to know what President Bush and Haliburton are trying to hide concerning this year's shark attacks.
You've read about people getting bitten, but how is your personal experience. I know about 5 people who have been chomped by snakes and not one of the people were playing or handling snakes! They were bitten in the wild by snakes that were in the wild. Chances of being bitten are low if you are not where the snakes live, if you are where they live chances go up exponentially.
I have used .38/.357 shot on rattlesnakes, and found it to be quite inadequate. Large holes in the pattern, not enough shot. .44/.45LC works perfectly though. Although I frequently advise first-handgun people to buy a .357 D.A. revolver, there are a lot of important things which they do not do well...and stopping dangerous game, including rattlers, tops the list.
The .410 is probably great though, and I am considering getting a Derringer for that load. Where I am, the chance of dangerous ricochet is high, or I would just use standard bullets on them, especially lead. This is why I favor revolvers for utility in the field. One can mix loads, and still have functional reliability.
BIG bore double action revolvers! I know several people who have and do successfully use other things, but most agree that the .44 and up d.a. is the best choice for unexpected threats.
Dangerous critter gun threads are so much fun. Thanks for your post.
Ok, try this:
But doesn't cutting the head off make the neck shorter, especially if you're not real careful where you cut?
Mostly showing up in the DNC....
"Start at the anus, slit the scales up to where head was. Using a pair of catfish skinners peel skin from the tail to the head area, discarding viscera. (You can rub the skin with a large quantity of rock salt and preserve it if you wish.)"
Done it. Didn't eat him, just made a hatband. I tried it with a Copperhaed but the skin didn't turn out near as pretty.
"My big dog is a snake killer! We were hiking in the woods and came up on a rattler. The kids were alarmed, but then the dog pushed past them. She grabbed the snake with her jaws and began to sling it back and forth rapidly. The snake just exploded into pieces all of the kids. They thought is was the coolest thing."
I had two mutts who were a team. The little one would dance in front of the Copperhead to get his attention while the big one would sneak up behind him, grab him behind the head and tear him to pieces. Then they switched to skunks.
Thanks for the warning.
As Steven Wright says, "Even snakes are afraid of snakes."
One of the most entertaining cats we had when I was a kid was a BIG orange tom who lived for killing snakes. My brothers and I sat watching him for over an hour one morning watching him torture a 6 ft rattlesnake. The only reason we noticed was that we saw him jump straight up out of the corral. We then perched up on the rails and cheered him on until Mom (who hated snakes!) came out to see what we were making so much noise about. When she saw that snake, she ran back in and got Dad's .410 and blew the snake away, to our and the cat's intense disappointment. Before that, she also did not have much use for cats, but that old tom got plenty of treats after that.
"I had two mutts who were a team. The little one would dance in front of the Copperhead to get his attention while the big one would sneak up behind him, grab him behind the head and tear him to pieces. Then they switched to skunks."
Mutt 1 to Mutt 2: How come I'm the one who has to come up on his ass and grab him? Why don't you do it for a change?
"Mutt 1 to Mutt 2: How come I'm the one who has to come up on his ass and grab him? Why don't you do it for a change?"
I can hear that conversation now.
Skunks were targeted after dark.
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