Rattlers Pose Increasing Threat as Man Infringes on Territory

Anthony Manoguerra spotted a rattlesnake in the backyard of his Scripps Ranch home one day after moving to San Diego to assume the post as director of the San Diego Regional Poison Center.

Manoguerra was lucky: A few squirts with the garden hose sent the reptile slithering back to the rocky canyons just beyond his yard.

Over the last five years, Manoguerra has received hundreds of calls from homeowners and hikers who call him after spotting the venomous snakes in their yards or in the wild. Some, like Manoguerra, escape the encounter unharmed. So far this year, however, at least 20 others have not.

The Regional Poison Center has received nearly two dozen reports of venomous snake bites since the snake season started in March, and officials expect to receive at least 40 more before the snake season ends in the fall.

About 9,000 Americans are bitten by snakes each year and, according to Jim Bacon, an authority on reptiles at the San Diego Zoo, “That’s not something to take lightly.” Those who fear snakes can rest easy for now. This month’s scorching temperatures have driven most snakes under rocks or into caves in search of shade.

But not for long.

By next month, the rattlesnake hatching season will have them out in force again, and contrary to popular belief,

these snakes will not be confined to the canyons, deserts and backcountry of East San Diego County.

Rattlers are often seen in or near housing developments such as those in Tierrasanta, Santee and Poway, where contractors have invaded the territory where the snake was once king.

In fact, the Regional Poison Center receives more reports of venomous snake bites from city dwellers than from hikers and campers in the back country.

“Snakes catch people by surprise when they drop in on people’s gardens and such,” Bacon said. “People who are camping and hiking are probably on the lookout for rattlesnakes.”

Bacon advises hikers and homeowners alike to keep their eyes on their hands and feet at all times. Most snake bites, he said, occur when people inadvertently step on the reptile, or startle one by picking up a rock or log under which it is resting.

“I know it sounds as if we are overreacting, but we’ve got hundreds of rattlesnakes in San Diego, so San Diegans better be prepared to deal with them,” Bacon said.

According to Dr. Findlay Russell, a herpetologist and former director of the Los Angeles Poison Center, “The best first aid for a snake bite is car keys. We’ve lost more limbs to tourniquets and needless incisions than to actual snake bites.” He advises victims to “get to a doctor as soon as possible and let a professional deal with the bite.”

Still, Russell said, snakebite fatalities are rare. This year more people will die from bee stings than from venomous snakebites, he said.

The last recorded snakebite fatality in San Diego County occurred in 1977 when a construction worker was bitten by a southern Pacific rattlesnake in an undeveloped area of La Jolla.

There have been an average number of snakebites reported this season. But officials warn that there was an increase in the number of snake sightings early in the year, and they expect rattlers to be active in the fall, when young snakes begin to roam over a wide area.

Bacon said he receives dozens of calls each week from San Diego residents who want snakes removed from their homes and gardens. The zoo does not rescue animals, however, and most city agencies, including the Fire Department and the Humane Society, refuse to retrieve snakes unless they are in within sight and causing a immediate, life-threatening situations.

“We don’t have time to chase snakes that aren’t there anymore,” said Dee Keyes, an El Cajon Animal Control officer.

Bacon suggests ignoring the snake or, as Manoguerra did, hosing the snake down from a safe distance. If these measures prove inefficient, Bacon advises killing the snake--but only if it poses a danger to human life.

Bacon warns that killing a snake should be done only as a last resort in a dangerous situation, and should only be done using a long-handled implement.