With the heat starting to build across San Diego County, experts say it's also the time of year when snakes start becoming more active on local trails. But before you panic, most encounters are completely avoidable if you know what to do.
In February, snake wranglers received over 40 calls about rattlesnake sightings at Mission Trails. The same time last year there were only 18; March is already on track to be abnormally hot this year.
So what should you do if you encounter a snake on the trail?
DON'T:
According to the experts, you never want to try to catch or kill a rattlesnake. That is the number one way people get bitten. Most of the time, snakes will try to ignore you and hide. Most rattlesnakes will stay coiled and quiet. But if you start to mess with them, they're going to defend themselves.
DO:
Experts say the best thing to do is simply give the snake space. Most of the time it will crawl away on its own. Experts say you can be up to about 10 feet away and still be safe as long as you don't try to interact with it. Keep your eyes on the trail and avoid walking through heavy brush where snakes may be hiding.
Snakes also like to thermoregulate, which means they may lay out on trails or rocks to warm their bodies.
But experts say there are a lot of misconceptions about snakes, especially when it comes to how they act around people.
"They aren't going to strike. No snake will ever chase you. That is completely fabricated. There isn't a snake alive that chases and attacks people. They want to get away from you every single time, so they're gonna rattle first, and if you step on them or you try to catch them, they will strike many times," said Jeffrey Lemm, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Conservation Program Specialist.
Experts say about 20% of rattlesnake bites are what's called a dry bite, meaning no venom is injected. But if you are bitten, the most important thing is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible, where doctors can treat you with antivenom.
