Not Exactly a Warm Reception

Slithering toward the sunshine, snakes have made early appearances in Orange County this year, prompting a rash of calls to animal control centers.

Snake sightings always increase with the arrival of spring, when the creatures emerge from their underground homes to seek warmth. But snake monitors said unusually warm weather has drawn out the creatures earlier than normal.

On one recent day, Laguna Beach Animal Control Officer Joy Lingenfelter received five snake calls; generally, she gets only four to 10 calls a week, even in the summer.

Of the five calls, three were rattlesnakes, the only poisonous kind in the area. The others were a gopher and striped racer.

Local biologist Elisabeth Brown, who leads hikes in Laguna Canyon, said her tour group saw rattlesnakes on consecutive days recently. Previously, she hadn’t seen a rattler in several years.

“It was unusual for me to have been close to two in a row like that, so maybe there are quite a few of them this year,” Brown said.

The San Diego division of the California Poison Control System, which assists emergency room doctors in seven Southern California counties including Orange, has received 10 snakebite calls this season, up from the usual three or four this time of year, toxicologist Anthony Manoguerra said. The calls, he said, have come from a broad area, although none were from Orange County.

The early warm weather has also coaxed from seclusion a virtual army of other critters, including rodents, lizards, scorpions, spiders and mosquitoes, said Richard Meyer, assistant manager of the Orange County Vector Control District.

“A lot of these things are also trying to get into houses,” he said. “We’ve been getting a lot of calls on spiders.”

Like snakes, these creatures generally appear in the spring. The sightings began a month to a month and a half earlier than normal, he said.

In Orange County, snakes are generally found on hillsides, in brush-covered areas and around homes that abut canyons and wilderness areas. They are most active in the morning and evening.

Most snakes are “good neighbors,” said Orange County Animal Control Officer Marie Hulett, but people should call an animal control center if they see a rattlesnake.

If a snake is not poisonous, the animal control officer will carry it to an area where it won’t be a problem. Rattlesnakes are usually euthanized on the spot.

Sometimes it’s hard to predict where a snake may lurk. Given the opportunity, Lingenfelter said, snakes will even slink past an open door to cool off indoors.

“All day they go from hot to cold spots in an attempt to regulate their body temperature,” she said.

Lingenfelter recalled a man who reported a hefty Western rattlesnake cooling itself on his elderly mother’s tile kitchen floor. The woman, who was nearly blind, had been walking between two counters as she made lunch, each time passing the coiled snake.

“That could have been real bad,” Lingenfelter said.

Rattlesnakes may announce their presence by shaking the rattle at the tip of their tails, which is actually loosely attached scale segments that make noise when they strike against one another. At the sight or sound of a rattler, a person should freeze to give the snake a chance to slither away.

“You’d be surprised how many people get bitten when they want to do something with the snake,” Manoguerra said. “They want to pick it up, show it to their friends, keep it as a pet. It’s not just children, it’s usually adults.”

If bitten, the victim should loosen tight clothing and calmly seek help. Running pushes the venom through the system. If the journey is too stressful--if it’s uphill, for example--the victim’s hiking buddy should go quickly for help, Manoguerra said.

“Most people think they have minutes,” he said. “They really have hours” before a bite poses serious harm.

“It’s pretty unusual for someone to die of a rattlesnake bite,” Manoguerra said, “unless they get no care at all.”

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Snake Precautions

Warmer weather has increased snake activity in Orange County. A look at the county’s poisonous snakes, some safety tips and how to prevent infestation:

Venomous Visitors

Rattlesnakes are the only poisonous snakes found in Orange County. Loosely attached scale segments at the tip of the snake’s tail strike against one another when shaken to produce the telltale rattle. Three types are found in Orange County:

Western

* Length: 16-64 inches

* Prey: Small mammals, lizards, mice

Red diamond

* Length: 29-64 inches

* Prey: Rabbits, mice, ground squirrels, birds

Speckled

* Length: 23-52 inches

* Prey: Squirrels, kangaroo rats, mice, birds, lizards

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Prevention

Rattlers feed on rodents and live in brush and under rocks. To make your yard unattractive to snakes:

* Remove wood, rubbish and grass cuttings that attract mice.

* Trim trees, shrubs, climbing vines and weeds.

* Fill gopher and squirrel holes; snakes use holes as passageways.

* Remove rocks or other items under which snakes can hide.

* Seal openings in or under buildings.

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Confrontation

* If a snake is in your yard, call city or county animal control, especially if you think it might be a rattler.

* When hiking or mountain-biking, stay on marked trails and never undertake these activities alone. If you come upon a snake, stay still. The snake will probably crawl away.

* Treat snake bites by resting the victim in a shady area; summon help; loosen tight clothing. Do not apply a tourniquet or ice or cut the wound and attempt to suck out the poison.

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Snake Facts

* Are coldblooded and rely on sun for warmth

* Are more active in summer because heat increases their metabolic rate

* Prefer to live away from subdivisions and cities; prefer canyons and open areas

* Seek shade during hottest part of the day; prefer hiding under brush piles, rocks

Sources: Orange County vector control, Times reports