April 22, 2021
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
DouglasCountyNewsPress.net
VOLUME 119 | ISSUE 25
County opts out of Tri-County dial extension County is no longer under capacity restrictions from regional health department BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
to be near you as much as you do not want to be near them. In most cases they will just keep passing through on their way.” In cases where the snakes are inside the home, Merten said it is be better to call local animal control offices for removal. Merten said rattlesnakes are also coming out. Rattlesnakes near homes are mostly seen in areas with nearby fields, and hills with a lot of rock ledges, he said. Clay said there are two species of rattlesnakes in Colorado, the wester, also known as the prairie, and the massasauga. Both species can be seen around developed homes or near neighborhoods on the fringes of open spaces. Wildlife experts warn residents not to touch the snake or take pictures and selfies. Whether they are
Douglas County commissioners voted to opt out of a one-month extension of the COVID-19 dial during an April 13 meeting. The three-page resolution, which outlined the commissioners’ stance on the restrictions and the pandemic, was unanimously approved and met with a round of applause from those in attendance. In his public comments during the meeting, County Commissioner Abe Laydon said he would like for residents to “break the delusion” that there is a need for a continuation of public health orders. “I want … Douglas County to be the first county in the state to say ‘this pandemic is over,’” Laydon said. The decision comes as public health experts are concerned about a possible fourth wave of the virus. As of April 19, Douglas County had the second highest one-week incidence rate, or cases per 100,000 people, in the state — behind Archuleta County, — according to the state’s data. The statewide dial, which sets capacity and social distancing restrictions for businesses and other
SEE SNAKES, P18
SEE COUNTY, P18
A venomous prairie rattlesnake on the trail in summer in Pawnee National Grassland in northeastern Colorado near Greeley. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE
Snakes in the grass on the move Snakes and small animals nursing babies are more active as the weather heats up BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Even with some scattered rain and snowstorms, the hint of warmer weather leads to more sightings of snakes and other small animals as they prepare for the hot summer months. Isaac Mertens, owner of Castle Rock Pest Control, said he has been receiving calls for a variety of issues since early April. Mertens said snakes and other small critters start emerging in spring. Jason Clay, of Colorado Parks
and Wildlife, said snakes follow a predictable pattern. Sheltering during the winter and resuming activity in April and early May. “Pavement and other hard surfaces such as trails are often sought out for basking. Many times, this leads to negative encounters with people and automobiles,” Clay said. “Hunting (for food) usually occurs in the late afternoon and evening once the snakes have become warm enough. When temperatures allow, rattlesnakes may also prowl for food in the early afternoon or night.” Merten has been operating in the Douglas County region for about two years. He said he mostly gets calls about bull and garden snakes, noting he recently removed a sixfoot bull snake from a family’s front yard. “They are mostly coming out into the sun and passing through yards,” he said. “They do not want
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