Rattlesnake safety stressed with year-round sightings on hiking trails

If you’ve hiked on local trails here in the desert, you may have encountered a rattlesnake or two. Sightings are now becoming a year-round occurrence.

The rattling from a rattlesnake is the sound many don’t want to hear if they’re ever hiking a trail. Encountering a rattlesnake isn’t something many hikers are fond o

Carl Person, a snake zoologist with Animalia Herpetofauna Inc., acknowledges these reptiles have had a bad reputation, but says rattlesnakes are as afraid of hikers as they are of them. He wants hikers to be aware of them as they can appear year round in the Coachella Valley.

“It doesn’t really stay cold for very long so they don’t hibernate, they estimate, so on any warm day, they can be out sunning and in fact, we’ve seen them eating during this time of year,” he said.

Person says if any hiker encounters a venomous snake he suggests keeping their distance.

“If you run into a venomous snake and you don’t want to play, take two steps back, walk around and you’re totally fine,” he said. “They’re not going to come after you.”

In case someone is bitten person says to call 9-1-1 immediately or get to a hospital as fast as possible.

“All the snake bite kits that you see in Bass Pro or wherever, all the remedies, tourniquets ice that you hear about. Every one of those makes the situation much much worse. The only thing that works is anti-venom. Do not do anything else,” he said.

That way, you won’t jump out of your skin seeing a rattlesnake.

Anyone interested in attending a rattlesnake avoidance class taught by Person can do so this Saturday or next Saturday at the N. Lykken Trail on West Ramon Road. Information and signup can be found here.