County Issues Rattlesnake Warning

One week after I nearly stepped on a six-foot long rattler in Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara County has issued a warning and a tip-sheet for dealing with our mouse-eating friends.

Apparently I did the exact opposite of what I was supposed to do.

It was towards the end of our hike at Russian Ridge when my friends and I entered a dense oak forest and began winding our way up a narrow trail that led back to the parking lot.

I’d been training for a bigger hike I’m doing later this summer—climbing Mt. Whitney—so I had a heavy backpack on, giving me the agility of an obese, legless rhinoceros.

As we came around a bend, my friend, Debbie, screamed “snake!”

Veronica, who was directly in front of me, vaulted backward as a western diamondback rattlesnake coiled up and started shaking its auxiliary percussion like a baby on amphetamines.

Santa Clara County Firefighters and Emergency Medical Services suggest that in a situation like this, you should stop and keep your distance, giving the snake plenty of room to get away. They also suggest wearing heavy boots that are four inches above the ankle and long pants.

So far so good—I met all the criteria.

They also suggest taking extra care to look for snakes in high brush, under logs and when stepping over logs or fallen trees.

On this count my group failed.

The County says snakes are often found sunning on rocks or trails, especially in cooler times of day, and that’s exactly when we found our new friend.

The next rule is the one I broke—never try to touch a snake or scare it away, says the County's tip-sheet. Let it have its space and back away safely.

Well, we tried that, at first. The snake was dividing our group in half, and wasn’t budging. At first we tried reasoning with the snake, pointing out that none of us had mice or rats to feed it, and that we meant it no harm.

That only seemed to intimidate it further.

Finally, I picked up a massive branch, about 10 feet long, and picked it up and gently placed it down on the hillside, where it finally slithered away.

The encounter gave a few of the folks in our group a real scare. Luckily, nobody got bit.

Santa Clara County’s tip sheet suggests telling a ranger or park staff if you see a snake, and never try to catch it.

If you do get bit, these are the step for survival, according to the tip sheet sent out by the County today:

• Do not panic, remain calm, and slowly move away from the snake.
• Call 9-1-1 or send someone for help
• DO NOT apply cold pack, tourniquet, cut the bit, or attempt to suck-out venom
• Avoid movement of the area that was bitten.
• Keep the bite at or below heart level.
• Do not attempt to kill or catch the snake but do try to remember what the snake looked like.
• If you have time, take note of the time of the bite.
• Remember, remain calm and wait for help.

The tip-sheet also points out that 7,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. annually, but only 1 out of 500 result in serious injury. About six people are bitten by rattlesnakes in Santa Clara County each year.

“Keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes should be part of everyone's outdoor routine when taking to the hills and open spaces in Santa Clara County,” according to the tip sheet.

Luckily, nobody in my crew became one of those statistics.