Spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year in the desert, but it can also be a time for caution. Rattlesnakes lie dormant during the cold fall and winter months and awaken from hibernation in the warm months of March and April.
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Rattlesnake Statistics
- Approximately 8,000 people a year receive venomous snakebites in the U.S., 9-15 victims die. (FDA)
- 25% of adult rattlesnake bites are dry, with no venom injected. (Brown, 1997)
- Rattlesnakes can only strike a distance equal to 1/2 their own length
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Last year in March, over one weekend, I saw three rattlesnakes while working outdoors in a semiarid region of Southern California. That same spring I saw a few more baby rattlers in various areas of the 20-acre property where I live. Many of my friends have never encountered a rattlesnake and seem quite nervous when they visit my home. They cautiously stay on the main roads or trails and frequently look about them as if waiting for a 6-foot-long predator to jump out of the shrubs and attack them.
After hearing my tale of the three rattlers, my Uncle, who was visiting from the Midwest, insisted on wearing cowboy boots whenever he walked about the property. The funniest part was how he stylishly tucked his pants inside the boots and confidently strolled through the shrubs looking for trouble.
Luckily, he never encountered any rattlers, but I sure did get a kick out of his snake hunting outfit. He was smart to wear boots, because they help protect your lower legs from snake bites and are a good precautionary measure. I don't encourage rattlesnake hunting or handling since the highest bite rate occurs to individuals who participate in these dangerous activities.
Rattlesnakes are seen most frequently during the spring when they are coming out of hibernation and in the fall when they are returning to their dormant homes for the cold winter months.
In the desert, when temperatures are high, rattlesnakes become more active at night. Rattlesnakes have no control system for their body temperature and cannot handle excessive heat, so they remain underground during the day, hidden in burrows, under rocks or in the shade of shrubs. In the spring and autumn, when daytime temperatures are milder than summer months, rattlesnakes are seen sunbathing on rocks or hunting for food during daylight hours.
General Rattlesnake Characteristics
Rattlesnakes have triangular-shaped heads, which are broader than their necks. Their trademark is a rattle on the end of their tail, which serves as a warning signal when they feel threatened. Rattlesnakes do not rattle their tail when hunting, and they do not always rattle their tail when taken by surprise. So don't depend on the warning rattle to alert you that a rattlesnake is nearby.
Click the play button to hear a rattlesnake.
The rattle is made of a brittle material which can break off or become damaged. So don't rely on a rattlesnake's rattle, as the sole method for identification. Baby rattlesnakes are born without rattles. They don't form the first segment of their rattle until one to two weeks of age when they shed their skin for the first time. Each time a rattlesnake sheds its skin, which can occur two to three times per year, a new section is added to the rattle. For this reason, you cannot tell the age of a rattlesnake by the number of rattles on its tail.
Other identifying characteristics of rattlesnakes are their eyes, which have vertical pupils, and two pits found beneath their nostrils. The pit characteristic classifies rattlesnakes as part of the Pit Viper family of snakes, which also includes copperheads and water moccasins (cottonmouths).
Pit Vipers are snakes which have two pits under their nostrils to detect heat, thus enabling the rattlesnake to hunt warm-blooded prey. The pits are so sensitive that the snake can determine the size of the warm-blooded animal and can even detect prey in complete darkness.
Once you have determined the snake is a rattlesnake, which of the 16 distinct varieties and numerous subspecies is it? The coloring and pattern of the snake’s skin is helpful when trying to identify the species. Size is another factor in determining the age and species of the snake. The geographic location will also help determine the species since only a number of rattlesnake species are found in specific regions. Diamond patterns, colors, speckles, stripes near the face or tail and numerous other details help determine the specific species of a rattlesnake.
If you are faced with the task of identifying a rattlesnake, take note of the dominant colors in the snake's skin and the patterns of its skin. Black diamonds, red diamonds, light in color with speckles, green in color, etc. This information may help a medical professional or poision control center evaluate a snakebite situation for the best method of treatment.
Rattlesnake Venom and Bite
| The venom is injected through the fangs which puncture the victim's skin. |
The venomous bite of a rattlesnake has evolved as a tool for hunting and killing their prey. The venom not only kills their prey but also begins the digestive process by breaking down the tissue with hemotoxic components. The hollow fangs of a rattlesnake unfold from the roof of the snake's mouth when it strikes its victim. The venom is injected through the fangs which puncture the victim's skin. This advanced method of venom injection is a common characteristic of all members of the Pit Viper family which I discuss later in this article.
Rattlesnakes only hunt for prey which they can swallow whole, such as small squirrels, rabbits, and other small rodents. Therefore, they will not intentionally hunt and strike a large animal, including humans, unless they feel threatened.
Most rattlesnake bites contain hemotoxic elements which damage tissue and affect the circulatory system by destroying blood cells, skin tissues and causing internal hemorrhaging. Rattlesnake venom also contains neurotoxic components which immobilize the nervous system, affecting the victim's breathing, sometimes stopping it. Most rattlesnakes have venom composed primarily of hemotoxic properties. Baby rattlesnakes and the Mojave Rattler are the exception; they have venom which contains more neurotoxic properties than hemotoxic -- which makes them very dangerous. The Sea Snake, Coral Snake, and Cobra family of snakes also have venom with dominant neurotoxic characteristics. (Brown, 1997)
Rattlesnake Identification
It is no longer necessary to learn to identify a venomous snake in the event you are bitten by one. True, the venom in rattlesnake species varies but there are no longer different treatments for the bites of rattlesnakes. There are only two types of venomous snakes in the USA, both of which exist in the Sonoran Desert. The two types are Vipers, to which family all rattlesnakes belong, and the Coral Snakes, which are easily identifiable by the red, yellow and black bands which go all around the body and the small head.
Some professionals recommend that the snake be killed and brought into the hospital with the victim for identification. This is, however, a controversial recommendation and not supported by all medical professionals due to the timing and danger of killing the snake once an individual has been bitten. If you do kill a rattlesnake, be very careful. Do not attempt to kill the snake if it puts you or someone else at risk of being bitten. Even after a rattlesnake is killed, the snake's head is still capable of biting and injecting venom, so be VERY careful.
Medical Treatment
Snake identification no longer important
There are many different types of venomous snakes and each has a different type of venom. Snake identification is important and useful to the medical professional who will treat the victim, but only as far as the family of the snake goes here in the USA.
There was an antivenin which was derived from the antibodies in a horse's blood serum when the animal was injected with snake venom. Some patients developed serious allergic reactions to the antivenin, therefore patients treated with the antivenin needed to be monitored closely. Now, there is only one type of antivenin derived from sheep serum and the problem of anaphylaxis and allergy to horse serum no longer exists. Only 2-3% of people react badly to the new anti-venin whereas about 20% of patients reacted badly to the horse serum. Cro-fab is the antivenin used for all vipers, no matter if it is a Rattler, a Copperhead or a Water Mocassin. This antivenin works equally well for all viper bites because of the unique way in which the product is formed.
All the Coral Snakes in the USA are easily identifiable (see above) and easily differentiated from any viper. Therefore, treatment for an Elapid bite is indicated. Nobody has ever died from the bite of an Arizona Coral Snake (Micruroides e. euryxanthus).
Symptoms of a Rattlesnake Bite
- One or two puncture marks
- Pain, tingling or burning at the area of the bite
- Swelling at the area of the bite
- Bruising and discoloration at the site of the bite
- Numbness
- Nausea, weakness and lightheadedness.
- Difficulty breathing
First Aid for Snakebites
(This first aid for snakebites information was provided by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Red Cross)
According to the American Red Cross, these steps should be taken:
- Wash the bite with clean water and soap.
- Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart.
- If the bite is on the hand or arm remove any rings, watches or tight clothing.
- Get medical help immediately.
Most bites don't occur in isolated situations where the victim may be a long distance from medical help. Some medical professionals, along with the American Red Cross, cautiously recommend two other measures:
- If a victim is unable to reach medical care within 30 minutes, a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, may help slow venom. The bandage should not cut off blood flow from a vein or artery. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.
- A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits.
How NOT to Treat a Snakebite
Snakebite first aid methods are not always agreed upon by U.S. medical professionals, but they are nearly unanimous in their views of what NOT to do.
- NO ice or any other type of cooling on the bite. Research has shown this to be potentially harmful.
- NO tourniquets. This cuts blood flow completely and may result in loss of the affected limb.
- NO electric shock. This method is under study and has yet to be proven effective. It could harm the victim.
- NO incisions in the wound. Such measures have not been proven useful and may cause further injury.
How To Avoid Rattlesnakes
- Walk or hike in areas where the ground is clear, so you can see where you step or reach with your hands.
- Use a walking stick to rustle the shrubs along the side of the trail to alert snakes and other animals of your presence.
- Wear protective clothing such as long heavy pants and high boots.
- Wear gloves when using your hands to move rocks or brush.
- Watch where you step, and never put your hands in areas where you cannot see.
- Ledges, cracks or holes are common areas where rattlesnakes can be found resting.
The procedure for treatment of venomous snakebites is often controversial, even within the medical profession. In all cases contact medical help immediately if treatment is needed.
Bibliography
- Poisonous Dwellers of the Desert, Dodge, 1976.
- A Field Guide To Snakes of California, Brown, 1997.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration Web Site, www.fda.gov
- American Association of Poison Control Centers - http://198.79.220.3/aapcc/Public.htm.
Spring Rattles In
