Lakeside: Every year as wintertime temperatures give way to the warmer weather of spring we start to see an increased presence of snakes within the community. As rattlesnakes emerge from hibernation they can initially be pretty aggressive hunters, bringing them in contact with humans as they look for food sources.
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| Firefighter-Paramedic Brian Moore with a rattlesnake removed from a home in the Muth Valley area. |
Fortunately most residents are familiar with our coldblooded intruders and have learned how to deal with these occasional intrusions, thus actual rattlesnake bites in Lakeside are a relatively infrequent event. But don't let this bolster your courage when dealing with venomous snakes. The fact remains that snake bites can cause severe medical complications, right up to death.
What many of our residents might not realize is the Lakeside Fire Protection District is outfitted to deal with snake calls. For many years the bulk of "snake calls" are sent to the fire agencies in San Diego County.
When dealing with a snake on your property it's important to remember:
- Don't approach, or attempt to touch the snake.
- Remove family members and animals from the immediate area.
- Don't agitate the snake.
- Call for help.....!
Submitted By: Fire Captain Mark Grow
Firefighter-Paramedic Brian Moore is no stranger to rattlesnakes. He was featured in this other story:
LINK
that's good advice - also, now is the time baby snakes are born, and people need to know that they don't immediately have rattlers - they can be ID'd by their triangular head... they go for water (like pools) to look for small fish and frogs, so be careful and look carefully when you clear out your filter baskets (one almost got me last year!). Baby snake's venom is just as potent as a grown snake, and they give you a large amount.
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