Anza man bit by rattlesnake a reminder to desert dwellers

A man was bitten by a rattlesnake at an Anza RV park Friday afternoon and taken to a hospital in stable condition, a county fire department spokeswoman said.

Firefighters and paramedics were sent to the front of the store at the Anza RV Resort in the 41500 block of Terwilliger Road around 4:05 p.m., Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson said.

The victim’s name was not released.

Firefighters trapped the snake, according to Hendrickson. It was unclear if animal control officials were called.

It’s a good reminder to people living near mountainous areas or golf courses that we are in rattlesnake season. The snakes enjoy warming up with the sun, and often times hide in cooler, shaded holes. For example, keep your eye out for areas under your home, in a shed where you keep wood or other landscape materials, and under rocks and ledges while hiking.

If you come in contact with a rattlesnake, or any snake, slowly back away and let it be.

For more information and who to contact in your area, go to California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife page on snakes at: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/News/Snake.