Rattled residents brace for snake season

Mary A. Castillo

The rattlesnakes are back in Laguna. Actually, ask a few residents who

have already had visits from rattlers in their garages or on their front

lawns and they know snakes have been back for quite some time.

“We’re seeing more overall than the norm,” said Joy Falk, animal

services officers for the Laguna Beach Police Department. “This year is

tied to a bigger than average year in rodents.”

However, Falk advises residents to understand the difference between

rattlesnakes and nonvenomous snakes such as the king snake.

“Nonvenomous snakes should be left where they are,” Falk said. “A king

snake not only competes with rattle snakes for food, but also drives them

away.”

If a resident finds a rattlesnake, they should call Animal Control or

the police immediately.

“We grab and release snakes far from homes,” Falk explained. “However,

an animal will be euthanized if it is injured or if a police officer is

called to a high priority emergency.”

Fortunately no one -- neither human nor animal -- has been bitten this

year. But as the days get hotter, rattlesnake sightings may increase.

Typically people encounter a snake when it is sunning itself or

cooling down, said Falk. The subspecies of rattlesnakes seen in Laguna --

the red diamond, west diamond and Pacific green -- are nonaggressive and

will retreat if they sense a human or animal approaching.

“When a snake feels the vibration of someone approaching, it wants to

get away before it gets stepped on or is eaten,” she said.

If it feels cornered, it will strike.

When people or animals are bitten, Falk said, it occurs when they

accidentally stumble upon a snake cooling itself off in tall grasses or

under boxes. Avoiding these kinds of accidents is simple.

“Keep your backyard, frontyard, garage and areas around the home clear

of refuse, boxes and leaves,” she said.

She also warned pool owners to keep towels and water toys off the

ground, another attraction for warm snakes. For gardeners with thick

ground covers, she advised probing the area with a hoe or shovel to give

a snake a chance to get out of the way.

However if one is bitten, there are simple steps to follow.

“First you want to avoid tight tourniquets,” said Sam Sunshine, a

physician with the South Coast Medical Center. “Don’t make any incisions

to the wound or suck out the venom.”

He advised victims to use a wide, flat constriction band and keep it

tight enough so two fingers could comfortably slip underneath.

“You don’t want to impair artery blood flow,” he explained. “But you

want to restrict venous flow, which takes blood back through the

circulatory system.”

Victims need to immobilize the affected limb and get to emergency care

immediately. Sunshine cautioned victims not to attempt to kill the snake

and bring it with them to the hospital. Rather one should attempt to

identify the animal by its markings.

“Snakes are known to be reflexive biters,” he said. “If you pick up a

recently dead snake, it may strike even if dead.”

Dogs are also particularly vulnerable to fatal rattlesnake encounters,

said Falk, because when they sniff at a snake, they’re often bitten in

the face. The venom can take the fastest route into the dog’s system

through its snout.

Falk could not stress enough the importance of keeping animals on

leash.

Falk also warns that rattlesnakes don’t limit themselves to remote

hiking trails. Snakes have been known to appear under driftwood at the

beach, under pool covers, in downtown businesses and in toilets.

“Snakes don’t differentiate between human property lines,” she

quipped.

Rattlesnakes can be reported to the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter at

497-3552 or the Laguna Beach Police Department at 497-0701, Ext. 1.