Poisonous Snakes in California
And How to Deal with Them
First let me say this, snakes are not evil! I do not condone killing or even disturbing snakes needlessly. Snakes, even dangerous ones perform a service by killing rodents. They will not attack you unless they feel threatened. Remember a Rattlesnake rattles to warn you to back off. For a list of professional snake relocators click this link. Don't destroy snake just to get it out of your yard.
Rattlesnakes are the venomous snakes in California to be concerned with. Various sources I found (check sources below) say there are between 6 and 8 species of poisonous snakes in California. The key things they all have in common of course are the rattles. Rattles are used to warn a person or animal that they are in danger. Rattlesnakes don't eat humans so they have no interest in biting you. A small dog or cat may be a different story however.
Some of the Rattlesnakes in California are the Sidewinder, Western Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback, Speckled Rattlesnake, Red Diamond Rattlesnake and the Mojave Rattlesnake. Some of venomous California snakes could have a variation of the breed.
Too keep dangerous snakes away from your house take the following precautions. Keep trash out of your yard or storage buildings. Trash attracts little animals (mice, rats, whatever) that snakes eat. If there is nothing for the snake to eat there, he will move on down the road.
Don't have piles of wood or other things in your yard that a snake may want to hide in. Snakes prefer to not be seen and like to hide in cover, such as brush or woodpiles. It is very difficult to keep snakes out of your house if they want to come in. I wouldn't waste my time or money on products to keep snakes away.
For more information and photos of venomous snakes in California, please check the sources below. Thanks for reading this on Associatedcontent.com.
Sources
Rattlesnake bits in California
Published by Randy Inman
Im 42 years old, Grew up in North Carolina, and descend from the same family as the person the Inman Character was based on in the movie/book Cold Mountain. I run Footballdogz.com and love Pro Football. Spor... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentNice article. It is great to see someone portraying these animals in a truthful way, not making them out to be vicious monsters as they are often represented in the media.
If you ever have a rattlesnake in your yard or elsewhere on your property call Got Snakes? Humane Rattlesnake Removal and Relocation Services.You need a professional and experienced snake handler that knows what they are doing! Pest control companies and animal control services are not always trained to handle such potentially dangerous situations or even identify the snake in question. Got Snakes? provides snake removals, property inspections, consultations services, speaking engagements, educational services ect.
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snakes scare the poop out of me.
I don't mind snakes, but they still give me the creeps. And yes snakes are useful critters, but still, no one I know likes to stumble upon one, especially me. For those concerned, snakes can hear/feel ya coming, so make plenty of noise when ya go tramping in brush and they will bug out before ya get to them - usually!
Now that you mention it, I noticed people usually refer to snakes a poisonous instead of venomous.
I always enjoy your animal pieces...sadly a copperhead was just killed in the yard of my mother's neighbor. wish they would have read this toxic..uh venomous..uh poisonous snakes in California article before dealing with the backyard visitor ;-)
Great article. I did not realize that all of the venomous snakes in Calif. were rattlers. We have copperheads where I live: They don't warn you...
Smakes don't bother me, but I wouldn't want to cuddle up with another one.
Excellent and interesting info. Have a great Memorial day!
I love snakes, they are so cute. Although I have never held anything with venomous fangs.
Very interesting beginning. How people search vs. correct use of the word can be a dilemma for the writer. I enjoyed this article on snakes more than I thought I would!