Rattlesnakes pack a lethal punch, but precautions can be taken





 

 

Summer’s on the wane, but local rattlesnake wranglers advise residents not to let down their guard just yet.

The poisonous reptiles are still active and will be slithering around homes and gardens at least until the end of October. To make matters worse, they’ll become more aggressive during September as they prepare for birth season and hibernation, rattlesnake expert Bo Slyapich says.

“It picks up again in August and September because those are the warmest months, said Slyapich, a Calabasas resident who’s been catching rattlesnakes for 50 years. “It all depends on nature, but this is California and we have 80-degree days in November.”

Because food and water supplies diminish as summer drags on, the snakes look to human habitats to find shade and sustenance. The snakes also are trying to eat more to prepare for winter hibernation.

“Weather above 80 (degrees) and below 70 creates more movement in the snakes,” says Bruce Freeman of Oak Park, a longtime rattlesnake wrangler with certification from the California Dept. of Fish and Game.

The experts advise residents to be cautious around areas on their property that are cool; these are places where rattlesnakes prefer to go. Be cautious: The snakes are territorial and often return.

Next year could bring even more of the Southern Pacific rattlesnakes, Slyapich said. Last winter’s year’s rains led to an increase in rodents, which snakes consume.

Well-fed females are able to lay more eggs. A typical female will birth four to 10 baby rattlers a season, but a very healthy female can birth up to 20, Slyapich said.

This summer he said he’s catching five to 20 rattlesnakes each week.

“I’ve been the busiest I’ve ever been this year,” Slyapich said. “It’s at full blast and five times more intense than last year.”

Despite the increase in the number of rattlesnakes this summer, bites against humans and dogs reportedly are down. Heightened awareness could be a factor.

Spokesperson Kris Carraway- Bowman said Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks has treated six patients for rattlesnake bites this year. Ten patients were treated last year, she said.

Dog bites

Jo-Anne Brenner of Pet Emergency Clinics and Specialty Hospital said the snake season started early this year with one bite being recorded as early as February. Although the season is expected to last longer, Brenner said the number of pets with snake bites at her facility remains below average.

The clinics have treated 51 animals for rattlesnake bites in 2011. The clinic treats twice that amount in an average year.

The clinics offer two different antivenoms—the choice depends on the severity of the bite—for pets who are bitten by a rattlesnake.

It also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which helps reduce tissue damage and speeds healing.

Freeman says clinical work is underway to create a more effective antivenom for the local rattler. Current supplies are not especially effective against bites from the Southern Pacific rattler and massive doses of antivenom are sometimes needed, Freeman says.

What to do, just in case

Lauren Newman, a spokesperson for the National Park Service for the Santa Monica Mountains, recommends hikers stay on trails where they can easily see rattlesnakes.

Children and dogs are often targets because both tend to be curious and get too close to the snakes.

Newman recommends hikers always bring a cellphone and wear tall boots and loose-fitting pants. If someone is bitten, she said, the bite should not be cut because the wound could become infected.

Icing the bite is also ineffective, and 911 should be called immediately.

The victim should remain calm and motionless because an increase in heart rate and circulation will spread the venom through the body more quickly. If the arm has been bitten, it should be held above heart level and any jewelry should be removed before the wound swells.

Who you gonna call

Slyapich charges on a case-bycase basis for rattlesnake removal and can be contacted at (818) 383-0476 or (818) 880-4269, or on his website, www.rattlesnakewrangler.com.

The group Southern California Rattlesnake Removal can be reached at (818) 785-9321.

Mountains Restoration Trust currently will offer a rattlesnake avoidance clinic for dogs on Sept. 17.

The one-on-one training ensures that the dog understands the sight, smell and sound of a rattlesnake. (Rattlesnakes have a distinctive odor that dogs can discern from other snakes). Since dogs can forget the smell over a period of time, annual training is recommended.

The fee is $70. Visit www.mountainstrust.org

Freeman offers rattlesnake removal as a free community service. He can be reached at (818) 707-3147 or by email at oakparksnakeguy@gmail.com.

Unlike the fire department, Freeman doesn’t destroy the snakes he catches. He turns them over to operators who extract venom for the manufacturing of antivenom.


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