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When anthropologist Lucile Hooper visited American Indian Cahuilla people in San Gorgonio Pass and the desert in 1918, they told her about Rattlesnake.
During the time of the Creation, they said, Rattlesnake - Sewet - was constantly bullied and teased. The Creator repeatedly tried to help, but nothing worked until he pulled out two whiskers, made poisonous teeth, and gave Rattlesnake special powers to kill.
The Creator then told Rattlesnake that for the rest of time, the snake needed to stay away from people. The Creator warned Rattlesnake that people always would want to kill him.
Rattlesnake weather is here again, and as the rattlers of San Gorgonio Pass emerge from hibernation, authorities are preparing for another season of medical emergencies when the venomous snakes and people fail to keep away from one another.
"We get lots and lots of snake calls this time of year," Riverside County Animal Services captain of field operations Tammie Belmonte said.
Winter rains signaled this will be a plentiful food year, a boom year for rattlesnakes, Belmonte said.
If you've seen them in your neighborhood before, expect to see them again: Rattlesnakes sliding through a yard. Rattlesnakes parking themselves in a garage. Rattlesnakes snoozing among the shade and moisture of garden shrubs. Rattlesnakes winding their way through vents, into people’s houses. Rattlesnakes curled up on the front porch steps, like a cat.
"Just be really observant," Belmonte said.
Animal control officers consider rattlesnake incidents to be priority, public-safety calls. They use snake tongs and long sticks with loops to remove a snake. Don’t touch a rattlesnake, and keep a safe distance, they advise those having a snake encounter.
"There's always a startle factor when you come across a snake," Belmonte said. "You have to tell yourself, 'Stay calm.' "
The California Poison Control Center records about 800 bites each year statewide, with one to two deaths, according to the state Department of Fish and Game.
Locally, bite victims often are taken to the emergency medical care and anti-venom serum treatments in the emergency room at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where Dr. Sean Bush, an envenomation specialist, has worked since 1992.
A snake bite can cause nerve and tissue damage and blood-clotting problems. Bush treats dozens of Inland residents each year from spring to fall, from the time the snakes awaken from their winter hibernation until they return underground for another winter.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that in warm weather rattlesnakes are also active at night, when they hunt and eat rodents, other reptiles, and insects.
The Loma Linda emergency room doctor's advice is similar to that in the Cahuilla Creation story: "To avoid snakebites, leave snakes alone," Bush advises on the hospital website. "Don't handle or try to kill a rattlesnake. That's how many people get bitten."
Fangs can still inject venom even after a snake is believed to be dead, Bush says. Snakes that were presumed to be dead have killed people. If you see a snake in the wild, maintain a distance of at least six feet.
"Look but don't touch," Bush advises. "Snakes are amazing creatures that deserve our respect."
Six species of rattlesnakes slither in and around Inland Southern California. The most common rattlesnake in western San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including San Gorgonio Pass, is the Southern Pacific rattlesnake, animal control officers and others say.
This species is held responsible for most rattlesnake bites in the Los Angeles Basin.
Other area rattlesnakes are the red diamond, western diamondback, and in the deserts, the sidewinder, Southwestern speckled, and the Mojave Desert's Mojave or Mohave green rattlesnake. The Mojave rattlesnake is known as the deadliest in the United States: Its venom can paralyze and kill.
Don't want to be bitten? Stay vigilant, authorities advise. Rattlesnakes don't always rattle a warning. Don't step or reach into places you cannot see.
Be snake-smart: Don't wear shorts and sandals when hiking or walking in snake territory. Rattlesnakes linger in tall grass, near woodpiles, around rocks, under garden shrubs, against a house foundation. They like cool, shady places in summer heat, such as under your lawn chair.
If you do get bitten, don't attempt first-aid or tourniquets. Do keep the bitten area below the heart, remove all rings and watches that might constrict swelling, and get to a hospital emergency room in a safe way, authorities advise.
Vince
11:59 am on Thursday, April 28, 2011
Good article! I live in an area that has more then it's fair share of rattler's. The last coupla 3 years, I have had several "battles" with Mojave Green's. As have a few of my nearby neighbor's---And when I say "battles", I am not speaking lightly. They will truly not back down, and attempt to retreat, and escape as most all of the "regular" Pacific variety I have encountered are wont to do. And I have actually had them come AT me in a very aggressive profile---and when a venomous snake raises it's head, and moves TOWARDS you, trust me, that is one of those "puckered-up moments" that will get your attention.
Best advice for anyone in The Pass Area that has the potential for rattlesnakes close at hand, is to educate themself regarding just what a Greenie looks like---and trust me, I have yet to run into one locally that could be characterized as "green"---but the coloration of the ones I battle with 'roundabout's here, IS unique, and not "typical" of the brown/tan/black coloration most often seen on local rattler's. They do have some easily identified physical differences though, and that from a "garden variety " Pacific Rattler---the easiest to spot, from a distance, is the color "bands" showing in the "coon tail" appearing rings adjacent to their rattle....won't go into any detail on that, but there are plenty of photos available On Line, with some pretty good info on the dreaded Mojave Green. So be aware, they ARE in the area.
Vince
1:05 pm on Thursday, April 28, 2011
Oh, and, this may come in handy for anyone who wants to lessen their potential for snake encounter's:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4894820_make-homemade-snake-repellent.html#ixzz1KqblfSJb
The article advises not to shoot 'em...yeah, right, you betcha. If you are in an area where discharging a firearm could be deemed "unwise", get yerself some .22 Cal. "Snake Shot" for a rifle/pistol, which is almost akin to "dust", in a very short distance after exiting "the business end" of the barrel---effective range is VERY close in, and the "pattern" rapidly spreads, and becomes rather non-lethal quickly--- and be aware, if you do "dust" a snake at over maybe 5 yards (15) , you'll just piss 'im off mostly!
I like to get the barrel within a coupla feet of the little scamp, up close and personal as it were, for accuracy, and the full effect of feeding a snake some lead, in an unfriendly sorta way. Head shots truly are the ideal snake repellent!!
The moth ball and sulphur mix works great to ward off unwanted snake invasion's...and it works exceptionally well under your hood too. I check under my hood every few days for Pack Rat, and Field Mouse nests....and I even look in my air filter "box", which apparently is a favored place for both them critters to set up their household. They can wreak havoc under a hood, and trash your electrical system; that can get expensive to repair, and this year seems to be a banner year for engine block nest builders, at least where I live.
William Hayes
5:16 pm on Thursday, April 28, 2011
Two brief items as a follow up to the other comments here:
1 - Mohave Rattlesnakes do NOT live in the Beaumont-Banning area. They occur in the Mojave Desert north of the San Bernardino Mountains and extend eastward all the way into Texas. They do not reach the Insterstate 10 area anywhere within California, and have never been recorded in Riverside County. The three species in the Beaumont-Banning area include Red Diamond Rattlesnake (with the pretty black-and-white tail), the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (with the black tail, though it's yellowish in babies), and in rocky areas the Speckled Rattlesnake (which often has a black-and-white tail pattern and can be confused with the Red Diamond Rattlesnake. As you move east toward Whitwater, you'll begin to encounter Sidewinders in the sandy habitats on either side of I-10.
2 - I understand the desire to kill a rattlesnake when it is on private property, but if you leave them alone, they often crawl away on their own within hours or several days. They are not interested in biting or harming us.
William K. Hayes, PhD
Loma Linda University
Vince
5:39 pm on Thursday, April 28, 2011
William,
I appreciate your input, and next time I KILL one of those pesky Mojave's , I will contact you...maybe give me an E-Mail addy to do so.
Thanks!
William Hayes
12:00 am on Friday, April 29, 2011
Vince, if I lived closer to you, I'd love to take your live animals off your hands. Do feel free to email me a photo and location of any rattlesnake you find: whayes *the ol' at symbol* llu.edu.
Best regards,
Bill
Dean Allan
2:33 am on Friday, April 29, 2011
There is a really good website that provides information on snakes of the USA, their behaviour when they come into contact with people and things you can do to reduce the chance of being bitten by one. The organisation is called Working with Wildlife and their website is www.workingwithwildlifeusa.com. They have things like snake bite first aid sheets that you can download for free, they have an e-Book on snakes in the USA and they even have a course you can do online to learn about these animals - it is a really good read.
joanne azarnoff
7:47 pm on Sunday, May 1, 2011
One of the easiest and safest ways to deter rattlesnakes (or any other snake, for that matter) is to make noise in the grasses or weeds while you are traveling on foot. The animal does not want to see you any more than you want to see it. A hiking stick that you sweep before you as you walk it good. And---s,akes see,s to like ledges so do not put your hand or foot onto a ledge that you cannot see, especially if the ledge has been nicely warmed by the sun.