Saturday 3/27 we were supprised by a little visiter in our camp. Usually we are happy to have visitors walk into camp and say hi. But the slithering ratteling kind need not apply.

It was hot that day, about 101 outside and I guess that the little (two feet in length) Sidewinder rattlesnake needed a place to beat the heat. So, obviously knowing that we had the "coolest" camp in the washes he curled up in our wood pile and cought some zzzzz's.

Luckily, we found him around 8-9 pm when adding wood to the fire. I think we scared him as much as he scared us. Well needless to say, I cought the little guy with a stick and a tupperware container and carried him a couple hundred yards away over the tracks and let him go.

With the temp's getting up there please be on the lookout as these little guys will be trying to find a way to beat the heat under anything they can. Watch where you stick your hands and try to add a snake bite kit to your first aid supplies.

And please, you don't have to kill them. If you don't feel comfortable catching em, call the ranger and they will come out catch em and move em to a safe distance from camp.

Remember they have been out there longer than any of us.


I will add the pic's we took of the little guy as soon as they are e-mailed to me.

Thanks for the info and a great topic as we move in to warmer months.

I would like to add a bit. I grew up in the desert among these critters and would like to pass a bit of Info.. Snakebite kits should be "thought" of in places where you cannot get to medical attention. For the most part, they are useless.
The old days of CUT and SUCK are not advised at all. If you are bit, RELAX, slow your heart beat and catch a ride to the nearest medical facility.
I know - "Ive just been bitten by a 4' rattle snake and your telling me to calm down???".
Remember - these snakes are more scared of you then you of them. They will evade the area if given the chance..

In the event of a bite - FIND OUT WHAT TYPE OF SNAKE. If you cannot find out - assume the worst.

WHAT TO DO:
Try to calm the victim.
Gently wash the area with soap and water.
Apply a cold, wet cloth over the bite.
Transport to the nearest emergency facility for further treatment.

WHAT NOT TO DO
DON'T apply a tourniquet.
DON'T pack the bite area in ice.
DON'T cut the wound with a knife or razor.
DON'T use your mouth to suck out the venom.
DON'T let the victim drink alcohol.

Here is a great site with TONS of info..

http://wellness.ucdavis.edu/safety_info/po...nake_bites.html


DONT RUN THEM OVER with your toys either. Personal experience here.. the tires will flip the snake back up on you..

Good and helpful thread

I get a few ratle snakes every year at my house

Dune Goat we found one of those cute little suckers in our camp a couple of seasons ago also. Did the same thing, picked him up, and transported him across the tracks.

It's cool that you didn't kill the guy. Years ago they were all over the place. My grandpa used to kill them if they were in our camp. Now I don't see them often. Makes me think there's not as many anymore since they're not all over. I wouldn't kill it. I'd wait to see if it left on its own. If not I'd probably try to lift it with something and move it. If that doesn't work I'll go running into the dunes screaming and crying like a baby. I'd call the Ranger.

Good story! I love the slithering little friends.

I've caught 5 rattlers here at work since the weather warmed. An easy way to catch them for release: Put a trash can in front of them. Large for a big snake, bucket for a small one. They will crawl right into it. A little clapping or stomping will herd them in too. Put a top or cover on the can. If they're long enough they can get out.
Carry them off to a nice shady place to kill vermin.

Please don't harm the milk vetch during this whole process.

Best when barbequed

BB-Q'd milk vetch?

seen a few rattlesnakes around here before....

we had a decent sized black snake slithering around out work today....which is nice cause it means its is getting warmer

i had a rattlesnake here at the house cruisin into my shop about 2 weks ago my dog took care of it for me (he said taste like chicken)

He just wanted to stay cool, or he wanted to go on a ride

Found one today under a tree stump we were removing in Ramona. His rattle gave him away. He went away on his own. But good topic, as it warms up they are going to be out and about.

Jason

COUPLE SEASONS BACK MYSELF AND A COUPLE FRIENDS TOOK A
MID WEEK DAY TRIP. THREE PRETTY FAST GUYS RIPPING THROUGH GLAMIS
ON CR500s,NOBODY AROUND,CLEAN DUNES, JUST BUUUTEEEFULL! AFTER
ALMOST A FULL DAY RIPPING BOWLS.GAS UP 1 MORE RIDE RIDE BEFORE
WE CALL IT A DAY. WELL ABOUT 20 MIN. INTO OUR LITTLE ROMP,MY BUDDY
WAYNE DECIDES HE WANTS TO GO TO A JUMP,A PRETTY GOOD STEP UP OVER
BY GECKO.WELL ANYWAY WE GO DO THE JUMP.OUR TAKE OFF HAD A SMALL
BUSH NEAR IT 3' MAYBE. SO WE GET BACK TO OUR TRUCKS AND AS I SHUT MY
BIKE OFF LEAN IT INTO MY BED AND (POW) I FEEL A THUD AGENST MY BOOT!!!
I LOOK DOWN TO WHAT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE WATER HOSE GOING WILD COMING OUT OF MY BOOT(JUST FLIPPING AND FLOPPING ALL OVER) YEP! YOU
GOT IT ! 2' OF SIDEWINDER WITH HIS FANGS (STUCK!) IN THE PLASTIC SHIN
GUARD OF MY BOOT.AFTER THE HYSTERICKS,WE GOT HIM LOOSE.WE PRIED HIM
OFF WIYH A FLAT HEAD SCREW DRIVER WHILE CHRIS HELD THE SNAKE BY THE BACK OF IT'S HEAD. WE BOLTH MADE IT THREW OK.
LATER AT DELTACO IN BRAWLY (NOW YOU KNOW LONG AGO THIS WAS) BOLTH CHRIS AND WAYNE BOLTH SAID THAT THEY WERE AFRAID A SNAKE MITE COME OUT OF THE BUSH AT THE JUMP,WOULDA NEVER THOUGHT A SNAKE WOULD BE NAPPING UNDER MY TRUCK.


P.S. PLEASE DON'T KILL THESE GUYS, THEY'VE BEEN CRUZZING THE DUNES
FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS, IT'S THIER HOME! WERE THE GUESTS!!!!

If they are under 2', a 4" skyrocket will lift em outa camp...

Great info folks, and thanks for that heads up Dune Goat, it is much appreciated.

Chums, that medical info sure can come in handy, well said.

Anybody ever see any scorpions in the sand?

Yes I have! Walked right into camp when I used to camp in the dust bowl .

Yes FASTER DADDY. We were rolling up my tent years go. There was a scorpion hanging out under it. Of course I was just a little bastard back then. We freaked out and smashed it. It was kinda green if I remember correctly. Now I'd let the little turd go. He was there first. This was at Buttercup. Same place we'd see the snakes.

Thats nice to hear! Those little effers crawl up into everything! We had one in the bed of my truck years ago in California city

I've never found any scorpions but just about everyone else I camp with has found them under their tents in the morning before, at Glamis on T-day weekend, At Buttercup in June, even at El Golfo on Memorial Day

And we found this guy which Fixxer identifed as probably a rattler in our camp at Easter a few years back....we were camped right along the sandhighway on the way to olds and he was in our "privacy bush" when I woke up in the morning and needed to use the "facilities" the bush provided



Glad he wasn't there the night before when we were REALLY using that bush !

I heard last week that something like 15 people in the Phoenix area have already been bitten by rattlers this year because the heat has made them wake up early and apparently they act like I do when they get woken up early

If you go out for Easter please watch out and be carefull!

We've had both rattlers and scorpions at both the Ramona and river house. Scorpions we always find inside the house though. Larry and Peggy found a rattler in their Ramona bedroom. Not sure how they got it out.

Copper here.

Had 2 sidewinders visit our camp at Gordons a couple years ago. One slithered under Kerin's chair at the fire at night. The next morning I'm picking up the dog food bowl and low and behold I find another little sucker all coiled up under the bowl as I pick it up. That was a close call.

We had a Scorpion come into camp earlier this year(Wash 10). I was wearing thongs (no, not the underwear) watching TV outside when I noticed something moving near my feet. Looked down and saw a big ole scorpion cruising by, scared the shiate out of me. I'll only wear shoes for now on out in G.

I heard that a blacklight makes the scorpions glow in your home. So if you live in an area with scorpions it might be a good idea to check every once in a while.

thats not a snake in his pocket...he was just HAPPY to see me...

was stung by a scorpion when I was a kid...it ain't fun...

we were diggin' out the holes that the field mice were
crawlin into at a circle track my dad used to race at down
in Yuma, when whack...whhhaaaa

eff*er was stuck to my finger...guess my reflexes
tensed up when he struck and caused his stinger
to get stuck....eff* that hurt for a LONG time...

caught a baby rattler in my garage last year...

only about 10" long...scared the crap outta me...
was barefoot and walked into the garage to get
a tool, when this eff*er walked across my path...

neighbor and I caught it and took it down to the wash...

The little ones are more lethal.... don't be fooled by their size.......

This is true. The small ones can not control their venom. The large ones will strike you and inject a small amount of venom. The small ones will pump in all they have in one shot.

Frank

the small ones are not strong enought to pull out so they keep pumping venom. used to have around 120 snakes, 6 were venomous. hey chum good job on the medical tips

Last weekend, pad 3, under our ice chest was a big tan spider. If you try to stomp on them they will jump at you up to three feet high. We also saw on last September when we were test running our new buggy. Be very careful that you take one home with you because they can jump into things.

up by where the dude in the stolen hummer shot himself l0l dumass

i been workin in the area latley like hanson and keyes ive seen a few tracks from rattlers , and killed 2 its gonna be a bad year 2 summers ago we were grading a house pad in rancho santa teresa in 2 weeks there were about 18 rattlesnakes about a foot long killed on the job and the was one about 5.5 feet long that my dumass stepped on he was sticken out of a gopher hole about 6 am i stepped down felt something a little squishy and i was like s*** i better keep on him as im behind his head untill kev comes over with a shovel ..... i opearate and repair heavy equip i find them in the track roller frames all the time they get in there in the evening as all that thick steel stays warm , be crawlin under a machine in the morning and hear this *rattler rattle * look over and there it is in the track frame , thank god for rock guards

U guys r giving this newbie the willies. I can handle the kangaroo mouse that steals our munchies, but I'm not digging this whole snake and scorpion thing. Can you get antivenen to store in your first-aid kit?

I'm generally a non-violent person, but if one of those creepy- crawly natives pays me a visit...well, I hope it tastes like chicken.

I have yet to see a snake - I know they are there - Not nearly as common as you might think. When temps start to rise you will begin to see a few...

Just remember - look first.
Remember they want to leave you alone more then hurt you. Give them a chance to leave before making chicken out of them.

Its all good. liek swiming in the ocean - they estimate that a shark swims within 50 yrds of you every 30 min you are in the water.. if you dont know that you dont care - now that you know - will you stop swimming?

you serious chummer ? well that would explain the chucnk u were missingf

Actually I am serious..
I used to be a 6-8 hr a dy surfer. Helped out in a study... They took helicoptors up and down the coast LA to San Diego and counted the sharks.. then teh lab geeks would do their work in figuring the size and species - according to that, they came to a conclusion that so many sharks travel teh coast line.

Now that would include children and non - threat species..

But hey - they all kill!!!!

And to think that at one time I actually wanted to be the next Eugenie Clark "The Shark Lady". Did you ever see the documentary where she rode on the back of the Whale Shark and the shark's skin was so abrasive that it made her knees bleed? Very cool.

But now back on topic...A few years ago we were camping out at Gordons 1 mile down next to the canal. We had 2 sidewinders in camp that trip. The first one showed up the first night we were there. EliteBuggyGal was sitting next to the fire and a little 10" sidewinder came up about 1 foot away from her. The second snake was found curled up under Xena's food bowl during clean up on the last day.

Oh Great. I guess a big thank you is in order for bringing this topic up. But on the other hand now I am getting very uncomfortable about Glamis for Easter. I have my dog and 2 younger kids that will be there this year. Just thinking about snakes and scorpions makes my skin crawl. And BTW Chummin, thanks alot about the sharks (anyone notice that things starting with "S" cause fear in normal people?). I love the ocean, but don't go swimming. Now I know why (sounds like Chicken).

4 years ago T-Day in G it was in the evening, I was on a ride and we stopped for a few... next thing there was a sound and it was getting closer, the moon was bright that night there it was a sidewinder OMG we jumped in the rail, the damm thing would not start, it was like a scary movie the snake was getting closer, it finally started and we flipped around and had the lights on it... it was a baby one so momma had to be close by

If it's any help, the snakes I saw were at the beginning of the season around October.