We Teach Rattlesnake Safety Courses

We will come to your Hunter Safety Class, Fishing, Camping or other Outdoor Activity Class or even your home and teach our Rattlesnake Safety Course. The course is highly participatory and is complete with live snakes and snake identification techniques.

Here is a sampling of what we teach:

Rattlesnake DO’s and DON’TS

DO’s

1. Keep your hands and feet where you can see them  (If you step on a snake, expect a defensive bite)
2. Be aware at all times when in rattlesnake territory   (A snake’s first defense is to “freeze” to avoid detection)
3. Carry a long walking stick  (Use to make sure there are not snakes in tall weeds or brush)
4. Carry a flashlight  (You never know when you may need to be out at night and snakes can be nocturnal)
5. Observe a snake from a safe distance  (Snakes can strike 1/3 – 1/2  their body length and can move while striking)
6. Wear long, loose fitting pants  (Some or all of the venom of a bite may not make it through the pants)
7. Wear thick, over-the-ankle boots (many bites occur to the ankle or foot)
8. Step on rocks or logs (snakes naturally keep to the edges of things and you may step on one if you step over)

 

DON’Ts

1. Attempt to catch, kill, or otherwise handle a rattlesnake  (Many completely avoidable bites have resulted from this and an untrained person should avoid contact with any dangerous animal)
2. Assume that a snake is not a rattlesnake if it has no rattle (Rattlesnakes have no rattle when first born and rattles can break off or be bitten off by other animals)
3. Assume that no snakes are present if the weather is not hot  (Snakes may be briefly active in every month of the year and more so in Southern California)
4. Run from a snake  (Rattlesnakes strike fast but slither much slower than a human can move and running in a panic could result in an accident such as stepping on another snake)
5. Reach into dark places or walk in tall grass  (Snakes are naturally secretive and may be present where you can’t see them)
6. Hike alone  (Too many reasons to mention)

If Bitten:

1. Get to a hospital as soon as safely possible  (antivenom is the best treatment for venomous snake bites)
2. Remain inactive and avoid any unnecessary physical activity, DO NOT RUN (slower heart rate = slower venom circulation)
3. Stay calm (less than 1% of bites are fatal and keeping calm will keep your blood pressure from spreading the venom faster)
4. Remove any restrictive jewelry or clothing (massive swelling may occur and blood flow may be cut off)
5. Watch out for shock and lie flat, elevate feet, and keep warm if signs of shock are present
6. Do not cut over the bite and attempt to suck out the poison  (this only works in the movies and can complicate the wound)
7. Do not tourniquet or constrict blood flow (restricting the venom to one area may result in the loss of a limb)
8. Do not soak the area in ice water  (this does nothing for the wound but may complicate shock or cause frostbite)
9. Do not try to catch or kill the snake for identification (it’s dangerous and unnecessary for rattlesnake antivenom treatment)

 For more information contact Nathan at info@reptile-removal.com or call (619) 905-2524