Warm weather brings out rattlesnakes in North Bay

SEBASTOPOL, Calif. ?

There's been a recent surge in rattlesnake activity around the North Bay, creating more and more close encounters between the venomous snakes and people or pets.

You don't have to be out at a park trail to run into a rattlesnake. If you have a wood or rock pile in your yard and put your hand in, you could end up with a nasty bite.

A number of the rattlers have been collected over the last few days by Sonoma County Reptile Rescue in Sebastopol.

Many of these poisonous snakes were found in people's yards.

"We're just getting a lot of calls. People gardening, people walking their dogs," said Sonoma Reptile Rescue's Al Wolf.

On Wednesday afternoon, KTVU followed the snake hunters after they got a call to check for some rattlers living at a bridge on West Mark Springs Road near Santa Rosa.

Wolf and Sumeet Mandal combed the rocky creek bed to try to capture the snakes.

"I walk almost every day and I see them," said Walt McMahn. "This time of year almost every day."

The snakes can be dangerous.

California's Department of Fish and Wildlife reports about 800 bites a year.

But with a little knowledge people, pets and snakes can coexist peacefully.

"They play an important part of nature. They serve a role in rodent control," said Wolf.

The most important thing to know is to be aware of where snakes are likely to hide.

"Just look before you put your hand there, wherever it is: garden or wood pile," said Mandal. "Have a flashlight if it's nighttime. Just scan the area and make sure nothing's sitting there."

That goes for pets too, especially dogs.

A Santa Rosa veterinary hospital said it has seen a sharp jump in snake bites lately, with between 4-6 bites being reported a week.

"Very painful and they can get pretty sick from it and they can die from it. So we do see some dogs die, but the vast majority were able to pull through," said Dr. Nicholas Davainis of Petcare Veterinary Hospital.

Sonoma Reptile Rescue says rattlesnakes want nothing to do humans. They just want to be left alone.

When they are startled, the reptiles will bite in self defense. That's when you might find yourself on the way to the emergency room.

Source: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/rattlesnake-sightings-rise/nYDDK/

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