- A California mountain biker died after being bitten by a rattlesnake.
- Unseasonably warm weather is bringing snakes out earlier than usual.
- Utah has five species of rattlesnakes, the Great Basin being the most common.
A 25-year-old mountain biker died earlier this month following complications from a rattlesnake bite sustained during a ride in Southern California in February.
Julian Enrique Hernandez of Costa Mesa, California, was bitten on Feb. 1 near the Quail Hill Trailhead in Irvine when he stepped aside to let others pass, according to PinkBike. Fire crews treated him at the scene and took him to a hospital where he spent a month in the ICU before passing away.
In Arizona, Walter Martin of Wickenburg told AZFamily he was working on a project with his children on Feb. 28 when he went into his shop to get a tool. He reached around a shelf and felt a sting.
“You can’t explain it. How bad it hurts, you know, and I’ve been through a lot in my life,” Martin said. “I just, I looked down at my finger, and I just stood there for a minute.”
Martin said he did not hear a rattle until after the bite, which he described as the most shocking part of the encounter. “I was just kind of dazed. And then I heard the rattle, and the only thing that went through my mind was I yelled at my son, get me to the hospital,” he said.
He received treatment at the hospital and is making a recovery.
Warm weather brings out rattlesnakes
Rattlesnake season appears to be starting early this year due to the unseasonable warm temperatures in the West. The snakes are beginning to emerge from their winter dens, as hikers and others head outdoors to spend time in the sunshine.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has already distributed information about how to stay safe this spring and summer.
“It is important to become more knowledgeable about the rattlesnakes that you may encounter around your residence or during outdoor recreational activities,” said DWR native herpetology coordinator Alyssa Hoekstra. “Being aware of species you may encounter is a great way to be proactive in avoiding any unwanted interactions with rattlesnakes and prepares you to respond in a safe manner.”
There are five rattlesnake species in Utah, and the most common is the Great Basin rattlesnake, which is a subspecies of the Western rattlesnake, according to the state wildlife resources division
Rocky benches, high-elevation slopes and dry canyons are the most common places in Utah to encounter rattlesnakes, often while people are out hiking, rock climbing or biking, per Wildlife Resources. However, you might also come across rattlers at lower elevations and in open areas. Individual rattlesnakes move around a large area known as their “home range” and will usually move on from a specific location within a short period of time, according to DWR.
Rattlesnakes are protected under Utah law, making it illegal to harass or kill one. They use their venom to subdue prey so they can eat it, and a snake will only bite defensively if it feels threatened.
“Like most wild animals, rattlesnakes fear humans and will do anything they can to avoid us,” Hoekstra said. “If a snake is feeling threatened, it may act in defense. The best course of action is to maintain a safe distance from rattlesnakes and other native snake species.”
Identifying a rattlesnake
Martin said he did not hear a rattle until after the snake bit him. Wildlife Resources officials say don’t count on a rattlesnake to reveal its presence by rattling.
They also offer advice on how to tell rattlesnakes from gopher snakes (also referred to as bull snakes and blow snakes), which are abundant in Utah. They are often mistaken for rattlesnakes due to similarities in their appearance and behavior.
When alarmed, gopher snakes hiss loudly, flatten their heads into a triangular shape, curl their bodies into an S-like shape and vibrate their tails.
A rattlesnake’s tail is wide and blunt — and tipped with a rattle. A gopher snake’s tail is slender, pointed and lacks a rattle. Rattlesnakes, however, may lose their rattles or sometimes may not rattle when disturbed.
Rattlesnakes also have broad, triangular-shaped heads and vertical eye pupils, while non-venomous snakes in Utah tend to have longer snouts and round pupils, according to DWR. If you cannot identify a snake, the best course of action is to move away and treat the snake as if it were venomous.
How common are rattlesnake bites?
Rattlesnake bites in the U.S. range from 7,000 to 8,000 annually, with most bites occurring in the South, according to WorldAnimalFoundation.org.
According to the foundation, states with the highest incidence of snake bites per million population per year are:
- North Carolina at 157.8
- West Virginia at 105.3
- Arkansas at 92.9
- Oklahoma at 61,
- Virginia a48.7
- Texas at 44.2.
Rattlesnakes are active from April to October depending on the region of the country in which they live. They’re found across much of the United States but are especially common in the Southwest. Arizona has more types of rattlesnakes than any other state, followed by California, Texas, New Mexico and Utah, according to SnakeProtection.com.
Rattlesnakes are not found in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and Rhode Island.
Like most snakes, rattlers prefer warm, sunny weather and dense vegetation. They live in deserts, mountainous regions, forests and prairies. Rattlesnakes are carnivores that eat mice, voles, chipmunks and other small mammals.
What to do if you encounter a rattlesnake
Utah Wildlife Resources offers these tips to stay safe:
- Remain calm and stay at least 10 feet from the snake. Make sure to give it plenty of space. If the snake is in the middle of the trail, step off the trail and go around it.
- Do not try to kill the snake. Doing so is illegal and greatly increases the chance that the snake will bite you.
- Do not throw anything at the snake (rocks, sticks, etc.). Rattlesnakes may move toward you as they attempt to flee.
- Alert other people to the snake’s location. Advise them to use caution and to avoid getting close to the snake. Keep children and pets away.
- If you hear a rattle, try to locate where the sound is coming from before you react, so you don’t step closer to the snake or on top of it.
Looking out for blind spots
Depending on where you live, you may occasionally find a snake in your yard. Banner Health, which treated Martin in Arizona, warned of blind spots — areas that are difficult to see clearly, such as shelves, brush piles, garden beds and storage areas.
Health officials told AZFamily that people doing yard work, cleaning up around the house or supervising children playing outside should slow down and look before reaching into or stepping over any concealed space.
“Keep an eye on your environment and watch where you step, watch where you put your hands. We do even get bites with little children who put their hands in holes,” a Banner Health representative said. “We had a lot of young children bitten last year and in some cases they really just did reach into a space that was sort of concealed.”
Here are some Utah Wildlife Resources tips to help keep rattlesnakes out of your yard:
- Reduce the number of places that provide snakes with shelter. Brush, wood, rock and junk piles are all things you should eliminate from your yard.
- Control rodent populations: Bird feeders may draw rodents to yards, which in turn can attract snakes.
- Block off crawl spaces. Large holes underneath sheds and porches can provide shelter for rattlesnakes.
- Don’t leave standing water in your yard. Rattlesnakes may come to water sources, especially during drought years.