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W von Papineäu
at Wed May 10 18:08:19 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by W von Papineäu ]
DAILY PRESS (Victorville, California) 10 May 06 Preparing for snake season - Mojave green is the worst rattlesnake on the continent, and it lives here, herpetologist says (Tracie Troha)
Adelanto: As the days grow warmer High Desert residents are shedding their winter coats and warming themselves in the sun. And that's just the snakes.
Vicki Telford, an amateur herpetologist who has spent nearly 30 years educating the public on snakes, said this is the time of year when young snakes are hatched and the adults are more active. She warns residents to keep an eye out for the desert's dangerous predators, especially the Mojave green rattlesnake. Residents of tract homes may not have to worry about poisonous rattlesnakes, but those living in rural areas need to be aware of the dangers.
"The Mojave green is the worst rattlesnake on the continent, and it lives here in the High Desert," Telford said.
A female Mojave green can give birth to one to 10 offspring at a time.
"The babies don't make any noise because they don't have a rattle. They are only six to eight inches long and camouflage with their surroundings," Telford said. "Their bite is deadly."
Telford added that if someone spots one young Mojave green — recognized by its dark green to pale yellow coloring — then it's likely that there are more in the area.
Dr. Sean Bush, venom expert at Loma Linda University Medical Center, said that in addition to Mojave green bites, he also sees High Desert patients with bitten by sidewinder and southern Pacific rattlesnakes. "We've had 10 snake bites so far this year," Bush said. "We usually get about 50 a year." In a majority of the cases, Bush said, the bites were the result of people intentionally picking up snakes. "Our bite cases would probably be cut in half if people didn't mess with snakes," Bush said. Bush recommends that people avoid placing bird feeders on their property, which not only attract birds but also mice and snakes. He also advises people to keep their garage doors closed during the summer because snakes have a tendency to hide in cool places.
Telford also suggests residents spray an insecticide called Malathion — found at any hardware store — around their property every 30 days. The product not only keeps insects away, she said, but it also burns snakes' eyes and keeps them from coming onto the property.
Since snakes are most active at night, Telford also advises people to avoid going outside barefoot after dark.
"If you are going out in your backyard and you are going out barefoot, think twice," she said.
Mojave green is the worst rattlesnake
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 CA Press:Mojave green is worst rattler - W von Papineäu, Wed May 10 18:08:19 2006
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