As someone else pointed out its warming up in Glamis. Witch means there is a big chance you might see one. Most people do not like snakes but with a little commen sense they are not a problem. If you have any posiitive info or stories you would to share please post them here.
Interesting Facts About Rattlesnakes
Approximately 7,000 - 8,000 people a year receive venomous snakebites in the U.S. and about 5 of those people die. (FDA)
25% of adult rattlesnake bites are dry, with no venom injected.
Rattlesnakes can strike a distance roughly two-thirds their own length
Rattlesnakes are deaf and feel vibrations to detect prey or nearby danger
The most dangerous species of rattlesnake in the U.S. is the Mojave Rattlesnake
The least toxic rattlesnake is the Sidewinder.
The Rattlesnake comes in 16 distinct varieties, all positively identified by the jointed rattles on the tail. Most rattlesnakes, when disturbed, normally try to withdraw. But if they think they are cornered, the explosive sizzling buzz of their rattles is an unmistakable warning to retreat
Full Version: Rattlesnakes In Glamis
Lifespan
The average lifespan of a rattlesnake is 20 to 30 years in captivity. In the wild, the lifespan is less due to predation, disease or death by accident.
Predators
The King snake is well known for being immune to the venom of many pit vipers, including rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are part of the King snakes diet. Roadrunners, pigs, Hawks, Eagles and Humans are also predators to the rattlesnake.
Diet
Rattlesnakes are carnivorous. Instead of chewing their food, they swallow it whole. The size of the prey a rattlesnake selects is limited by its own ability to eat it based on it's own size. Rattlesnakes eat lizards and small rodents such as ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats and mice, striking rather than attempting to hold their prey.
The rattlesnake first bites it's prey to immobilize it with a toxic venom. When the hollow fangs of the rattler penetrate the victim's flesh, venom is injected as though through twin hypodermic needles. Most small prey is immediately stunned. The venom stuns and immobilizes the prey, allowing time for the rattler to swallow the victim whole. The venom also begins the digestive process as it breaks down the tissue of the prey.
Rattlesnakes have a highly-efficient digestive system which takes a lot of metabolic energy. After a rattlesnake swallows it's prey, they normally hide out while they digest their meal. Rattlesnakes become sluggish while digesting, a process that can take several days depending on the size of the meal.
The average lifespan of a rattlesnake is 20 to 30 years in captivity. In the wild, the lifespan is less due to predation, disease or death by accident.
Predators
The King snake is well known for being immune to the venom of many pit vipers, including rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are part of the King snakes diet. Roadrunners, pigs, Hawks, Eagles and Humans are also predators to the rattlesnake.
Diet
Rattlesnakes are carnivorous. Instead of chewing their food, they swallow it whole. The size of the prey a rattlesnake selects is limited by its own ability to eat it based on it's own size. Rattlesnakes eat lizards and small rodents such as ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats and mice, striking rather than attempting to hold their prey.
The rattlesnake first bites it's prey to immobilize it with a toxic venom. When the hollow fangs of the rattler penetrate the victim's flesh, venom is injected as though through twin hypodermic needles. Most small prey is immediately stunned. The venom stuns and immobilizes the prey, allowing time for the rattler to swallow the victim whole. The venom also begins the digestive process as it breaks down the tissue of the prey.
Rattlesnakes have a highly-efficient digestive system which takes a lot of metabolic energy. After a rattlesnake swallows it's prey, they normally hide out while they digest their meal. Rattlesnakes become sluggish while digesting, a process that can take several days depending on the size of the meal.
Symptoms
One or two puncture marks
Pain, tingling or burning at the area of the bite
Swelling at the area of the bite
Bruising and discoloration at the site of the bite
Numbness
Nausea, weakness and lightheadedness.
Difficulty breathing
First Aid for Snakebites
(This first aid for snakebites information was provided by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Red Cross)
According to the American Red Cross, these steps should be taken:
Wash the bite with clean water and soap.
Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart.
If the bite is on the hand or arm remove any rings, watches or tight clothing.
Get medical help immediately.
Most bites don't occur in isolated situations where the victim may be a long distance from medical help. Some medical professionals, along with the American Red Cross, cautiously recommend two other measures:
If a victim is unable to reach medical care within 30 minutes, a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, may help slow venom. The bandage should not cut off blood flow from a vein or artery. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.
A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits.
How NOT to Treat a Snakebite
Snakebite first aid methods are not always agreed upon by U.S. medical professionals, but they are nearly unanimous in their views of what NOT to do.
NO ice or any other type of cooling on the bite. Research has shown this to be potentially harmful.
NO tourniquets. This cuts blood flow completely and may result in loss of the affected limb.
NO electric shock. This method is under study and has yet to be proven effective. It could harm the victim.
NO incisions in the wound. Such measures have not been proven useful and may cause further injury.
Treatment of venomous snakebites is often controversial, even within the medical profession. In all cases contact medical help immediately if treatment is needed.
If you need help with a venomous bite or if you have a poisoning emergency, call your Poison Center immediately. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. Poison Centers across the country now have a new national emergency phone number - 1-800-222-1222
One or two puncture marks
Pain, tingling or burning at the area of the bite
Swelling at the area of the bite
Bruising and discoloration at the site of the bite
Numbness
Nausea, weakness and lightheadedness.
Difficulty breathing
First Aid for Snakebites
(This first aid for snakebites information was provided by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Red Cross)
According to the American Red Cross, these steps should be taken:
Wash the bite with clean water and soap.
Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart.
If the bite is on the hand or arm remove any rings, watches or tight clothing.
Get medical help immediately.
Most bites don't occur in isolated situations where the victim may be a long distance from medical help. Some medical professionals, along with the American Red Cross, cautiously recommend two other measures:
If a victim is unable to reach medical care within 30 minutes, a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, may help slow venom. The bandage should not cut off blood flow from a vein or artery. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.
A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits.
How NOT to Treat a Snakebite
Snakebite first aid methods are not always agreed upon by U.S. medical professionals, but they are nearly unanimous in their views of what NOT to do.
NO ice or any other type of cooling on the bite. Research has shown this to be potentially harmful.
NO tourniquets. This cuts blood flow completely and may result in loss of the affected limb.
NO electric shock. This method is under study and has yet to be proven effective. It could harm the victim.
NO incisions in the wound. Such measures have not been proven useful and may cause further injury.
Treatment of venomous snakebites is often controversial, even within the medical profession. In all cases contact medical help immediately if treatment is needed.
If you need help with a venomous bite or if you have a poisoning emergency, call your Poison Center immediately. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. Poison Centers across the country now have a new national emergency phone number - 1-800-222-1222
Most common snakes in Glamis are the Western Diamond back and the Side Winder.
Some info from
http://www.sdnhm.org/research/herpetology/resources4b.html
Some info from
http://www.sdnhm.org/research/herpetology/resources4b.html
QUOTE
What temperature and time of day do snakes come out of hiding?
Rattlesnakes, like all reptiles, cannot regulate their own body temperature, so they are less active during cool times than during warm ones. They can come out at any time, day or night, if it's warm enough for them to be active. Generally, they tend to stay in when it's much below 50 degrees F, and the cooler it gets the harder they are to find out. They are unable to be active in very cold temperatures and can easily freeze to death if they are not protected by a hole or other shelter. In very hot weather (say, over 100 degrees F), they can easily overheat and die if they cannot find a cool place (such as a shaded rock or bush). This is called behavioral thermoregulation: the snake can't internally moderate its body temperature, but it selects sites that will help it do so externally.
Rattlesnakes and all the other pit vipers depend on finding their prey by a sort of heat radar (mammals tend to be warmer than their air around them except in very hot weather). Since they primarily eat rodents, and since rodents are largely nocturnal foragers, rattlesnakes can and do hunt at night when the cooler air makes the heat image of the mammal stand out from its surrounding environment. If it's been a lean year, you may find rattlesnakes out all the time as they try to find enough prey to survive.
So it's temperature, not time of day, that determines how active a rattlesnake is. In southern California, we don't have that much of a temperature differential between winter and summer, so you could see rattlesnakes at just about any time (though they do get torpid in the cooler months of January and February). In more northern areas, they will actually stay torpid for months at a time in cold weather. Torpor helps the snake conserve its resources until things warm up and it can hunt again. Reptiles do not go into true hibernation. The short version is: if it's warm enough, the snakes will be out, no matter what time of day or year it is.
Rattlesnakes, like all reptiles, cannot regulate their own body temperature, so they are less active during cool times than during warm ones. They can come out at any time, day or night, if it's warm enough for them to be active. Generally, they tend to stay in when it's much below 50 degrees F, and the cooler it gets the harder they are to find out. They are unable to be active in very cold temperatures and can easily freeze to death if they are not protected by a hole or other shelter. In very hot weather (say, over 100 degrees F), they can easily overheat and die if they cannot find a cool place (such as a shaded rock or bush). This is called behavioral thermoregulation: the snake can't internally moderate its body temperature, but it selects sites that will help it do so externally.
Rattlesnakes and all the other pit vipers depend on finding their prey by a sort of heat radar (mammals tend to be warmer than their air around them except in very hot weather). Since they primarily eat rodents, and since rodents are largely nocturnal foragers, rattlesnakes can and do hunt at night when the cooler air makes the heat image of the mammal stand out from its surrounding environment. If it's been a lean year, you may find rattlesnakes out all the time as they try to find enough prey to survive.
So it's temperature, not time of day, that determines how active a rattlesnake is. In southern California, we don't have that much of a temperature differential between winter and summer, so you could see rattlesnakes at just about any time (though they do get torpid in the cooler months of January and February). In more northern areas, they will actually stay torpid for months at a time in cold weather. Torpor helps the snake conserve its resources until things warm up and it can hunt again. Reptiles do not go into true hibernation. The short version is: if it's warm enough, the snakes will be out, no matter what time of day or year it is.
What should I do if I encounter a rattlesnake?
Leave it alone. Most bites occur when individuals or dogs provoke the rattlesnake or if you try to capture or kill it. Rattlesnakes only bite or attack in self-defense, so the best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the rattlesnake alone.
Many people spend a lifetime hunting, fishing or otherwise enjoying the outdoors and never see a rattlesnake. Very few people are actually bitten by rattlesnakes, yet because the bite is extremely painful and can be fatal, you should always keep alert and watch where you step or put your hands when you are in the field. Be careful after dark as well, for on warm nights rattlesnakes are out and about searching for food.
Leave it alone. Most bites occur when individuals or dogs provoke the rattlesnake or if you try to capture or kill it. Rattlesnakes only bite or attack in self-defense, so the best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the rattlesnake alone.
Many people spend a lifetime hunting, fishing or otherwise enjoying the outdoors and never see a rattlesnake. Very few people are actually bitten by rattlesnakes, yet because the bite is extremely painful and can be fatal, you should always keep alert and watch where you step or put your hands when you are in the field. Be careful after dark as well, for on warm nights rattlesnakes are out and about searching for food.
QUOTE (Ifly @ Apr 10 2009, 10:14 PM) 
What should I do if I encounter a rattlesnake?
Leave it alone. Most bites occur when individuals or dogs provoke the rattlesnake or if you try to capture or kill it. Rattlesnakes only bite or attack in self-defense, so the best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the rattlesnake alone.
Leave it alone. Most bites occur when individuals or dogs provoke the rattlesnake or if you try to capture or kill it. Rattlesnakes only bite or attack in self-defense, so the best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the rattlesnake alone.
I have heard that in most adult cases alcohol is involved in someway.
Thank you Mr. iFly for posting about me. There is more info about me here as well.
Here are some pics of the only snake I have seen. It was around wash 30. It was just off a trail and we were looking for him. He was fine untill we started messing with him. He let us know to back off, we took a few pics and let him go.
QUOTE (77charger @ Apr 10 2009, 10:21 PM)
QUOTE (Ifly @ Apr 10 2009, 10:14 PM)
What should I do if I encounter a rattlesnake?
Leave it alone. Most bites occur when individuals or dogs provoke the rattlesnake or if you try to capture or kill it. Rattlesnakes only bite or attack in self-defense, so the best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the rattlesnake alone.
Leave it alone. Most bites occur when individuals or dogs provoke the rattlesnake or if you try to capture or kill it. Rattlesnakes only bite or attack in self-defense, so the best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the rattlesnake alone.
I have heard that in most adult cases alcohol is involved in someway.
I read that.
In 1988 two doctors at the University of Southern California Medical Center analyzed 227 cases of venomous snakebite, covering more than a decade, and found that 44 percent occurred during accidental contact, such as stepping on the animal. More than 55 percent, however, resulted from the victim’s grabbing or handling the creatures, and in 28 percent of these cases, the victims were intoxicated. The doctors’ conclusion was that the typical snakebite victim is male and under thirty, with a blood-alcohol concentration of more than 0.1 percent at the time he is bitten. Yet only 0.2 percent of all snakebite victims die each year, and most of them receive no medical treatment or first aid. (Steve Grenard, Aug. '00)
QUOTE (Ifly @ Apr 10 2009, 10:48 PM)
awesome and nobody got hurt..
QUOTE (Chummin @ Apr 10 2009, 11:01 PM)
QUOTE (Ifly @ Apr 10 2009, 10:48 PM)
awesome and nobody got hurt..
Not even the snake.
Excellent Job crew, excellent job.
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