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THEPRESS.NET
JULY 16, 2010
OUTDOORS
When pangs for fangs go over the top Every summer, as hiking trails and toothy reptiles bake in the convection-free oven known as East County, I’m struck by the number of folks singing the following tune: “Oh, I’d like to go hiking, but hey, there are rattlesnakes are out there. I’ll take a pass.” TAKE IT While no one can be blamed for UTSIDE spurning the opportunity to get snakebit, my experience with rattlers cuts the other way. My problem with rattlesnakes: they slither away before I can get a good GER snapshot. ERICKSON Trust me, rattlesnake bites come in only two flavors: carelessness or foolhardiness. The careless hiker thinks “Ah, that looks like a comfortable boulder … with some sort of, hmmm, squiggly thing on it” and proceeds to take a seat right beside Mr. Rattler. The foolhardy hiker thinks, “I’d like to get a tight photo of Mr. Rattler. I wonder how close he’ll let me get.” Popular mythology puts the Northern Pacific rattlesnake on the ornery quotient somewhere between James Carville and Attila the Hun. The reality is more prosaic. Sure, the rattler wields intimidating incisors, but it’ll use them on a human only if it senses a threat and only at close range. The overriding principles in
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Photo by Ger Erickson
A gopher snake throws a hissy fit in response to a photo-op at the Los Vaqueros Watershed. Hikers and campers who take it upon themselves to kill rattlesnakes (an illegal activity) sometimes mistake the non-venomous gopher snake for the rattler. scenic splendor. When rock climbing, dealing with a rattlesnake: be aware and don’t grab a handhold till you’re certain remain calm. And by all means, do not what’s up there. And watch where you sit. attempt to pet it. First you need to spot the critter and You might have company. Chances are you’ll run across a identify it as a rattler. A rattler’s cunning different slithering creature out on the camouflage makes it hard to spot even at close range. As you round a bend or crest trail, a creature that’s paid a heavy price for its resemblance to the rattler: the a hill, make a visual sweep of the trail non-venomous gopher snake. The key ahead before diverting your attention to
to distinguishing it from the rattler lies in the head and tail. The rattlesnake’s head is a large, triangular wedge, and its tail ends in the rattle. The gopher snake’s head is smaller, more rounded, and its tail is pointed. One of the gopher snake’s stratagems for warding off large creatures is to impersonate a rattlesnake. When a gopher snake feels cornered, it’ll hiss, flatten its head and shake its tail in the grass like a maraca player in a rumba band. It’s a clever but sometimes counterproductive adaptation. When the large creature in question is a human bent on killing a rattler, the gopher snake can be its own worst enemy. Should you find a snake commandeering your picnic area or campsite, keep your cool and get the creature’s ID. If it’s a rattlesnake, don’t chase it off. It might return. And don’t try to kill it. You’re putting yourself in danger – and breaking the law. Notify park staffers; they have the expertise to remove it. Let’s say you get unlucky and run afoul of the fangs. Again, don’t panic; call 911. If you’re in a cell phone dead zone, send someone for help and sit down, keeping the bitten area below heart level. If you’re on a solo hike, you should walk – not run – back to civilization. The puncture marks of a rattlesnake bite will feel like they’re burning. see Outside page 7A
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