Encounters With Snakes

All snakes will bite if threatened, but the vast majority of snakebites occur as the result of trying to catch the snake, or while handling it. So a simple way to avoid snakebites is to leave snakes alone. When you encounter a snake walk around it, while keeping at least a body's length away from its head and don't try to catch it or handle it.

There are four types of venomous snakes that I have encountered in Orange County, California, where I live. I believe three of those are native to this area, they are theSpeckled Rattlesnake, Red Diamondback Rattlesnake and theWestern Diamondback Rattlesnake. On three occasions I have encountered a Mojave Green Rattlesnake twice while training in Chino Hills State Park on the northeast end of Orange County. Then on June 1, 2001 while on a training run with Brian Svoboda, I encountered one about 28 inches long, with a button and two rattles in Peter's Canyon. I wish I would have had my camera to record this event, because he was a lovely specimen. I have never seen one of these snakes in any other part of the county. I do not think they were native to this area, but were rather captured elsewhere and released here.

There are two other species of rattlesnakes that I know of that are native to California, but I have never seen them in Orange County. They are the Sidewinder and the Western Rattlesnake. Then there are the the rattlesnake pretenders, snakes who try to make you think they are rattlesnakes like the Gopher Snake.

Things to Think About When Running in Rattlesnake Country.

First Aid for Snake Bites