Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service
By Bob Garrison
Outdoor California May/June 1997
Be on the lookout for snakes on you outings during the spring and summer. the warm temperatures and longer daylight hours that stimulate people to get out and enjoy nature also trigger the same response in snakes. Pick up a field guide on California snakes before you head out - you will be surprised at the diversity and beauty of this much maligned group of animals.
Snakes lead the list of most misunderstood and feared of all animals. The rattlesnake is the only type of snake in California that is dangerous to humans, but unfortunately, many harmless snakes have met untimely deaths at the hands of shovel-wielding humans. Snakes are an important part of the natural food chain, eating a great variety of prey, from rats and birds to frogs and other reptiles. Besides their ecological value, snakes offer the careful wildlife viewer a chance to watch one of nature's most efficient predators.
If you encounter a rattlesnake, move away and watch for these tell-tale signs that you are too close. First, a rattlesnake, in fact most snakes, will coil into a defensive posture if they cannot escape by crawling away. If you continue to get closer, the rattlesnake will warn you with its distinctive rattle. Teh last defensive move of any snake is to strike. Unless you completely surprise a snake by accidentally stepping on it or reaching up onto a ledge, you will receive fair warning. Remember, all of these warnings are meant to help avoid conflict. If you use good wildlife viewing skills, you will be able to spot these behaviors early so you can step back and enjoy these animals with little risk.