Snakes More Active During The Summer Heat
The Southwestern the tan Speckled rattlesnake and the Sidewinder, named for its side to side motion are the two most frequent snakes to be seen here in the Coachella Valley. If you come across one, stay as far away as possible. If it is near your house, call 911. Experts say if you get bitten don’t try to take care of it by yourself. Instead, go to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible. Roy Malleappah with the Animal Venom Research International says, “Like anything in life respect is the key, we are living where they live human-animal conflicts are a given.”
On Wednesday, officers with the Riverside County Animal Control took part in a refresher course to help them identify non-venomous and deadly snakes. James Huffman with Riverside County Animal Control says, “Leave them alone and call 911, keep it in sight so when we get there we don’t have to go hunting.
Gopher snakes actually serve a purpose. They aren’t venomous and they are good rodent and pest eaters. If they are around your house it’s for a reason.
Every year 8,000 people are bitten by snakes in North America. Only 10 to 15 are killed as a result of a bite. In turn you are more likely to die on the road in a car accident than you are from a snake bite.
